Infantile hemangiomas grow early, quickly

Rochester, Minn. - Infantile hemangiomas grow faster and earlier in infants than previously thought, according to new research findings.

Babies with problematic hemangiomas should be seen by dermatologists immediately, according to researchers with the Mayo Clinic and the University of California, San Francisco, Newswise reports. The investigators analyzed photographs of 30 infants from birth to age 3 months and compared anatomic landmarks, including color, thickness and distortion. Prior research showed that tumors grew during the first five months of life, but doctors hadn’t yet ascertained when the most rapid growth occurred.

The most rapid growth of superficial hemangiomas was between 5.5 and 7.5 weeks of age, researchers found. The findings suggest infants with high-risk hemangiomas should be seen by a dermatologist as early as four weeks after birth, Newswise reports.

The study was published online in Pediatrics.

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