Hemangioma, also known as a strawberry mark, appears as a mark on the skin and is most common in children up to one year. Most hemangiomas do not cause any problems and disappear by themselves. Contact bvc if the child is older than six weeks when they occur, or if the child has six hemangiomas or more.
Hemangioma is also referred to as a stonemason and consists of a collection of blood vessels that may be present at birth or occur during the baby’s first months of life. Almost five percent of all children have hemangioma. It is not clear why they occur. They are more common in premature babies.
The hemangioma is completely harmless. But they may need to be treated if they are ill, for example, if they obscure the eyesight.
Symptoms of hemangioma in children
Hemangiomas are usually bright red, reddish-purple or dark red. They can be raised or flat. Some hemangiomas that lie deep inside the skin can be almost skin-colored or just slightly bluish. The size varies from a few millimeters up to several centimeters.
Large hemangiomas are most often seen at birth. Small hemangiomas can also be seen at birth.
What is Hemangioma?
Hemangiomas are benign blood vessel tumors. This means that a collection of blood vessels forms under the skin. Most hemangiomas develop during the first month of life. They usually grow both in width and in height. Most often, they grow most during the first three months of life of the child.
For some children they continue to grow, sometimes up to the child is about a year. Then they stop growing and begin to rebound. Hemangioma disappears by itself, but it can take anywhere from a year to ten years.
There may be a mark left on the skin that appears for the rest of life if the hemangioma has been large or if it has become sore in it.
Sometimes hemangioma can bleed
As hemangiomas grow, there may be ulcers and less bleeding in them. If there is an ulcer, the child may get hurt, but otherwise, the child will not feel it or have any problems.
If it bleeds, press with a compressor clean towel against the wound until it stops bleeding. If the wound does not heal, it may be because bacteria have entered the wound. Then it may need to be treated with antibiotics.
When and where should I seek care?
Most people who get hemangiomas do not need to seek care as they tend to disappear by themselves over time.
Contact the child care center, bvc, if the child has a hemangioma that occurs later than six weeks after birth, or if the child has six hemangiomas or more.
Contact bvc or a health care center if the hemangioma becomes sore and hurts or is otherwise troublesome, or if the surrounding skin becomes red and hot.
Examination of hemangioma
Usually, no more examinations are done than the nurse or doctor looking at the skin. It is usually enough to make sure it is the hemangioma.
Treatment of hemangioma
Hemangioma almost never needs to be treated.
A hemangioma that sits so that it interferes with important functions or their development is sometimes treated with drugs during the child’s first year. This usually applies to hemangiomas that are very close to the eye or on the tip of the nose. It can also be hemangioma sitting on the lip, which makes the child difficult to eat.
If there is a mark left when the hemangioma has disappeared and the child wants to remove it himself, you can contact a health care center to discuss this. In this case, it is advisable to do so when the child is older than eight to ten years.
You should understand the information
In order for you to be involved in care and treatment, it is important that you understand the information you receive from the healthcare staff. Ask questions if you don’t understand.
Children should also be involved. There is no age limit when a child is allowed to participate in a care situation. The older the child, the more important it is for them to be involved in their care. The child’s right to decide for himself is related to the child’s maturity. In order to be active in healthcare and make decisions, it is important that they understand the information.