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Epidemiology of strawberry haemangioma in low birthweight infants
Insights
Cutaneous haemangiomas affect 11.1% of low birthweight infants, being more common in girls and premature babies. Neonatal factors like hypothermia may influence their development, with a link to febrile convulsions in childhood.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Dermatology
- Neonatology
Background:
- Cutaneous haemangiomas are common in infants, but their prevalence and associations in low birthweight populations require further investigation.
- Understanding the relationship between perinatal factors, neonatal health, and haemangioma development is crucial for early identification and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of cutaneous haemangiomas in low birthweight infants.
- To investigate associations between haemangioma development and perinatal factors, neonatal illness, and childhood morbidity.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 615 low birthweight infants was traced and assessed up to pre-school age.
- Data from hospital case-notes and follow-up assessments were analyzed to identify haemangiomas and associated factors.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of cutaneous haemangiomas was 11.1% in the studied population.
- Haemangiomas were more frequent in girls and infants with lower gestational age.
- Lower prevalence was observed in infants experiencing hypothermia or neonatal illness, suggesting a role for neonatal skin perfusion.
Conclusions:
- Perinatal factors, particularly neonatal skin perfusion, may influence cutaneous haemangioma development.
- Children with haemangiomas showed a higher likelihood of experiencing febrile convulsions.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the major etiological determinants of cutaneous haemangiomas.
Abstract:
The prevalence of cutaneous haemangiomas in a representative population of low birthweight infants was determined by tracing and assessing survivors of pre-school age. Data from hospital case-notes and follow-up assessments were used to investigate whether prevalence of haemangiomas was related to perinatal factors and childhood morbidity. Eleven point one per cent of 615 infants developed a haemangioma. Haemangiomas were more common in girls than boys, and in infants of lower gestational age. Hypothermia in the first hours of life and neonatal illness were associated with lower prevalence, suggesting that neonatal skin perfusion influences haemangioma development; this is consistent with a tendency for haemangiomas to be distributed centripetally. However, the major aetiological determinants are unknown. Children with a haemangioma were more likely to have had a febrile convulsion than those without a haemangioma.