Maternal and Perinatal Factors of Importance for Occurrence and Severity of Infantile Haemangioma

Abstract

To determine which patient and maternal factors are associated with the occurrence and the severity of infantile haemangioma (IH), a single-centre retrospective observational study was conducted with 96 haemangioma patients and 143 age-matched control babies, born in the same hospital between March 2012 and March 2013. The IH patients were selected according to diagnosis from dermatologists, either consulted from the department of paediatrics or in outpatient setting. Unplanned female children whose mothers smoked and/or consumed alcohol when pregnant was more likely to have IH (p<0.0.05). The higher the birth weight, the more superficial the haemangioma (p=0.023), and localised lesions were more common in singleton babies (p=0.023) and babies conceived by normal fertilisation (p=0.002). The occurrence and severity of IH is not only influenced by patient factors but also by maternal factors especially care during pregnancy period. By controlling these factors, the incidence and severity of IH may be lowered.