What Is a Congenital Hemangioma?

A congenital hemangioma (hee-man-jee-OH-muh) is a type of birthmark that happens when a tangled group of blood vessels grow in or under a baby's skin. Congenital means present at birth, so babies who have these hemangiomas are born with them.

Congenital hemangiomas are less common and act differently from other kinds of hemangiomas seen in newborns.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of a Congenital Hemangioma?

Most congenital hemangiomas are a circle or oval, but they can take any shape. They can be as large as 10 cm, and may range in color from pink to blue to very dark purple. They might look swollen and feel warm to the touch.

The types of congenital hemangiomas are:

  • rapidly involuting congenital hemangioma (RICH). This type of hemangioma shrinks (involutes) without treatment and is mostly gone by the time a child is 12–24 months old.
  • non-involuting congenital hemangioma (NICH). This type of hemangioma does not shrink.
  • partially involuting congenital hemangioma (PICH). This type of hemangioma has areas that do shrink over time and others that do not.

A congenital hemangioma grows during pregnancy and typically is fully formed when a baby is born. After birth, a congenital hemangioma may grow as the baby grows. This is called proportional growth. A RICH may have some proportional growth before it starts shrinking. A NICH will continue proportional growth until the child is fully grown.

What Causes a Congenital Hemangioma?

Congenital hemangiomas are fairly rare. What causes them isn't known. No risk factors or genetic causes have been found, though hemangiomas sometimes run in families.

How Are Congenital Hemangiomas Diagnosed?

Often, congenital hemangiomas are seen before birth on ultrasound images. If they're not, doctors can diagnose can diagnose them after a baby is born by doing an exam and ordering tests, such as an ultrasound to look at blood flow. An MRI may also provide helpful information about the hemangioma's size, blood flow, and connection to other body parts or blood vessels.

Doctors may do a biopsy to see what type of congenital hemangioma a child has and to help decide how to treat it. They'll looks at cells from the sample under a microscope.

How Are Congenital Hemangiomas Treated?

A RICH usually won't need treatment because most shrink on their own. The skin usually looks better if a hemangioma shrinks naturally rather than being treated.

Doctors might treat a congenital hemangioma if it:

  • has broken down the skin (ulcerated)
  • bleeds often
  • affects breathing or vision
  • makes the heart work too hard pumping blood
  • continues growing after the baby's birth

They might use these treatments:

  • ligation: doing surgery to tie off the blood supply to the hemangioma
  • excision: removing the hemangioma with surgery
  • embolization: placing a long, thin tube (catheter) in the blood vessel to block blood flow to the hemangioma

What Else Should I Know?

After a congenital hemangioma shrinks or is surgically removed, it's unlikely to come back. It may leave a flap of stretched skin that can be surgically removed.

A baby born with a congenital hemangioma does not have any higher risk for other health problems than other newborns.

Back to Articles

Related Articles

Hemangiomas

A hemangioma is a growth of tangled blood vessels. Most hemangiomas grow larger for several months, then shrink slowly. Some will require treatment.

Read More

Infantile Hemangiomas

A hemangioma is a growth of tangled blood vessels. An infantile hemangioma becomes visible in the first few weeks after birth.

Read More

Birthmarks

Birthmarks are marks on the skin that a baby can develop before birth or soon after. Most birthmarks are harmless and many even go away on their own or shrink over time.

Read More

Embolization

Embolization is a procedure in which plugging material or a plugging object is put into a blood vessel to block it. It's used to help treat many conditions.

Read More

Looking at Your Newborn: What's Normal

When you first meet your newborn, you may be surprised by what you see. Here's what to expect.

Read More

Port-Wine Stains

For most kids, these birthmarks are no big deal. Port-wine stains won't go away on their own, but they can be treated.

Read More

Arteriovenous Malformations

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein. Large AVMs or multiple AVMs usually need medical treatment.

Read More

Venous Malformations

A venous malformation (VM) is a place in the body where veins haven't grown the right way. VMs can be difficult to treat.

Read More

CLOVES Syndrome

CLOVES syndrome is a very rare genetic disorder that causes vascular, skin, spinal, and bone or joint abnormalities.

Read More

Neurocutaneous Syndromes

Neurocutaneous syndromes are genetic disorders that lead to tumor growth in various parts of the body. Learn how to maximize the quality of life for children with these diseases.

Read More

Hemangiomas: Suzanne's Story

When Anna was born, she developed red spots that her parents learned were hemangiomas, benign birthmarks that she eventually outgrew. Her mother tells her story.

Read More

What's a Birthmark?

Birthmarks, also known as hemangiomas, get their name for one reason: They are marks on the skin of a lot of newborn babies! Find out more about birthmarks in this article for kids.

Read More

Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.