They're not the result of anything a person does during pregnancy. It's a myth that foods or stress cause any type of birthmark. Strawberry hemangiomas form when blood vessels and cells close to the skin don't develop as they should. Instead, the vessels clump together into a noncancerous mass or tumor.
Most will go away on their own without causing any problems. Some hemangiomas―particularly those on the face or those that are very large―need treatment early to prevent them from interfering with body functions or causing permanent scars.
You may have seen a baby with a "strawberry mark" - a pink or blue colored lesion that can appear anywhere on the body, including the face. These lesions are called hemangiomas [hi-man-jee-oh-muh]. Infantile hemangiomas are the most common type of hemangioma and affect 3-5% of babies.
Hemangiomas are more common in babies born prematurely (before their due date), at a low birth weight, or as part of a multiple birth (twins, triplets, etc.). A child can have more than one hemangioma. Hemangiomas may run in families, but no genetic cause has been found.
Hemangiomas are caused by blood vessels that don't form properly. The direct cause is unknown. In children, hemangiomas are caused by blood vessels that don't develop correctly during pregnancy.
PHACE syndrome is an association between large infantile hemangiomas of the face, head and / or neck and developmental defects of the eyes, heart, major arteries and brain. The cause of PHACE syndrome is unknown.
One-fifth of all hemangiomas can be linked to trauma. Cavernous hemangioma is a benign tumor and tumor-like lesion of blood vessels.
Strawberry marks (infantile haemangiomas) are the most common 'birthmark' recognised by the public, yet most are not present at birth but appear usually as a small red flat lesion in the first week of life. They are thought to occur in up to one in 10 infants but many do not come to medical attention.
All birthmarks, including hemangiomas, should be evaluated by your provider during a regular exam. Hemangiomas of the eyelid that may cause problems with vision must be treated soon after birth. Hemangiomas that interfere with eating or breathing also need to be treated early.
Most infantile hemangiomas are sporadic, although there are reports of families with multiple affected individuals. There may be a genetic contribution to the development of hemangiomas.
Port wine stain birthmarks are the rarest (less than 1 percent of people are born with them) and occur because the capillaries in the skin are wider than they should be. Dr. Kos says these birthmarks do not go away, and in fact, gradually, over the years, they usually darken and thicken.
Venous Malformations
These birthmarks are very rare. A vascular malformation is a tangle of blood vessels that are usually bigger and more protruding than other blood vessel birthmarks. Venous malformations do not fade away over time and often need to be treated.
The growth typically slows down after six months but can continue until the baby is nine to twelve months old. Then, between one year and 18 months, the hemangioma may begin to flatten out, shrink down, and fade. Although it could take longer, many go away by the time the child starts school at age five.
Most birthmarks, such as the common port wine stains and strawberry marks, carry no risk of developing into a cancer. But a very rare type, called a giant congenital melanocytic naevus, can develop into a melanoma if it is larger than 20cm.
Infantile hemangiomas typically go through three characteristic phases: proliferation, plateau, and involution. The proliferative phase typically occurs in the first 6-12 months of life with the most rapid growth occurring in the first 3-4 months.
The cause for hemangiomas and vascular malformations is usually sporadic (occurs by chance). However, they can also be inherited in a family as an autosomal dominant trait.
Rarely, vertebral hemangiomas will cause compressive neurological symptoms, such as radiculopathy, myelopathy and paralysis. In these cases the clinical presentation is usually the subacute or delayed onset of progressive neurological symptoms.
Haemangiomas (he-man-gee-omas) are a common type of birthmark that are usually red or purple. They are sometimes called strawberry naevus because of their bright, red strawberry colour. Haemangiomas can occur anywhere (often on the head and neck areas) and develop shortly after birth.
Strawberry birthmarks are on top of the skin, but some hemangiomas are under the skin. Hemangiomas that are near the eyes, ears, or nose can cause problems as they grow, like blocking airways or impairing eyesight. Some are more purple or brown (like a bruise), especially on darker skin.
Haemangiomas don't usually develop until a few days or weeks after a baby is born, but often grow rapidly in the first three months. It's unusual for haemangiomas to grow after six to 10 months of age, when most of them tend to have a 'rest period' and start to shrink.
Cavernous hemangiomas can occur anywhere in your body. They usually only cause serious problems in the brain or spinal cord. Other common organs include the skin, liver and eye.
Because hemangiomas very rarely become cancerous, most do not require any medical treatment. However, some hemangiomas can be disfiguring, and many people seek a doctor's care for cosmetic reasons.