STRAWBERRY BIRTHMARKS

What is it?

Strawberry marks affect 2% or more of babies. They are raised red soft lumps on the skin usually the size of a 50p piece and look like a strawberry. They are also called capillary haemangioma or cavernous haemangioma if they are deeper in the skin or appear blue in colour. The blood vessels in these birthmarks are increased in size and number.

Strawberry marks are not a sign of general ill health, and they are not connected with cancer. They can occur anywhere on the skin but are more important when they affect the face or the nappy area. These birthmarks are often not obvious at birth, but grow in the first month of life. Rarely they grow quite large and may bleed or become infected or ulcerated.

Who gets it?

Strawberry marks are more common in premature babies. They seem to arise from "left over" groups of cells in the baby's skin. Many myths have developed about them but no parent should feel responsible for these blemishes.

What is the treatment?

The birthmark may continue to grow for the first 3 to 6 months and sometimes for longer. Then they slowly shrink.

In 30% of children the birthmark will fade by the third birthday and by the fifth birthday in 50%. By the seventh birthday 70% will have faded. Shrinkage is not influenced by position, the size or the number of birthmarks. Sometimes the skin over the birthmarks remains rather thinned or baggy, after the haemangioma has shrunk. Plastic surgery can improve the appearance of there is a problem.

Usually no treatment is needed as most haemangioma will shrink on their won. Children are seldom aware of their blemishes before the age of three, and by then the birthmark will usually be fading. Large or troublesome strawberry marks in certain places, for instance near the eye, any need treatment to avoid affecting vision in that eye.

Steroid medicine or injections shrink the blood vessels. Interferon given by injection is used in special cases. Rarely surgery is considered to reduce the size of the birthmark. Laser treatment can be used to speed up healing of ulcerated birthmarks and to stop bleeding but is not used routinely for these birthmarks.