As Dr Paul mentioned, strawberry hemangiomas tend to go away on their own.
They usually grow the fastest over the few first weeks, up until about 5 – 8 months. They then begin to shrink at around 1 – 3 years of age, but may take a few more years to go away completely. On average, an infant with a hemangioma typically shows little visible trace of it by age 10.
Strawberry hemangioma are caused by blood vessels, which is why propanolol (which inhibits the growth of blood vessels) can help, although it does have some side effects.
I’d agree with your decision to see a dermatologist to have it checked out. Most do NOT require treatment, but a very small proportion of hemangiomas can be associated with complications eg. in terms of affecting development, or scarring.
The decision whether or not to treat a hemangioma is determined by a number of factors, which include:
- Age of your child
- Size and location of the hemangioma
- How rapidly the hemangioma is growing
Apart from propanolol, other treatments include:
- Oral steroids
- Surgical removal
- Laser therapy
A dermatologist will be able to advice you on the above accordingly. The good news is that the vast majority of infantile haemangiomas are not at risk of any complications at all, and will not require treatment.
Cheers
