Otherwise known as superficial angiomatous naevi or strawberry birth marks, these occur in around 10% of children by the age of 1. Commonly, they start growing within a few days to a few weeks of birth and are usually relatively soft and irregular in outline. Sometimes there is a deeper component to these naevi where the subcutis is involved, in these instances the changes may lead to a distortion of normal anatomy. Growth of the lesion usually stops at around 6 months and resolution is usually spontaneous and complete, although if the lesion was particularly large, lose skin or atrophy may be left. The following rule of thumb is usually quite accurate:
Forty percent are gone by the age of 4 years; 50% by 5 years; 60% by 6 years; 70% by 7 years; 80% by 8 years and 90% by 9 years. (Graham-Brown and Bourke, 1998).
If the lesion interferes with feeding, breathing or sight, treatment may be recommended. For smaller areas, this is likely to be a steroid injection, but other options may be necessary including laser therapy. These types of naevi usually occur on the head, neck, buttocks or perineal areas. If they are associated with the lower back, sacrum or buttocks, a scan is usually recommended to exclude problems of tethering of the spinal cord.
