Hemangioma Growth During the First 6 Months of Life

One of the most important and unique characteristics of infantile hemangiomas is their dramatic growth during early infancy. Most hemangiomas are either absent at birth or barely evident as a small scratch or bruise-like area. A recent study emphasized how early hemangioma growth occurs. In this study by 3 months of age, hemangiomas had reached 80% of their final size, and by 5 months of age, 80% had already stopped growing. Unfortunately the average age when most infants are seen by specialists is often at 5 months of age or later, a time when most growth is already completed.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and at the Mayo Clinic are interested in studying hemangioma growth at even earlier ages, before 3 months of age, which is before most patients are ever seen by dermatologists or other specialists. For this study are requesting that parents of children older than 3 months of age with hemangiomas send us a series of photographs of their child which demonstrates this early growth. Ideally the photographs would show your child (including the area of the hemangioma of course) at weekly or every other week intervals up until age least 3 to 6 months of age. This will probably not be difficult if the hemangioma is on the face but we would be interested in other body locations as well, if available.

We are using these photographs to analyze early hemangioma growth patterns, to see if there is a period of especially rapid growth, and to help determine if there is a specific time before which specialty referral should occur. We are interested in all sizes of hemangiomas, from small to large. Of greatest importance is that the photos be at frequent intervals (every 1 to 2 weeks is ideal) and of sufficient quality to be able to evaluate the appearance of the hemangioma.