Temporal trends in prenatal risk factors for the development of infantile hemangiomas

Specific maternal risk factors have recently been identified in the development of infantile hemangiomas (IH), including gestational diabetes (GDM), maternal antihypertensive medication use or gestational hypertension (GHTN), maternal progesterone use, and artificial reproductive technologies (ART). We sought to explore the change in incidence of these risk factors over time and determine their association with the increased incidence of hemangiomas over 35 years, as previously reported.

The charts of 869 mother and infant pairs (infants previously diagnosed with IH between January 1, 1976, and December 31, 2010) were reviewed for prenatal complications. Rates of the prenatal complications over the 35-year period in birth mothers of infants diagnosed with IH were determined and evaluated by year of diagnosis (1976-1990, 1991-2000, and 2001-2010).

Over the 35-year period in which the incidence of IH was previously examined, maternal age at delivery, prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), use of ART, maternal progesterone use, placental abnormalities, and GDM also increased.

GDM, ART, and maternal progesterone use increased over the past 35 years, mirroring the previously reported trend of increasing incidence of IH. Maternal age and BMI also increased in mothers of infants with IH. Further exploration of this association may direct future research in the pathogenesis of infantile hemangiomas.