Risk factors and morbidity of infantile haemangioma: preterm birth promotes ulceration.

Aim: We identified the characteristics of an infantile haemangioma (IH) that predispose children to complications, interventions and long-term morbidity and examined perinatal risk factors for IH.

Methods: We studied children with IHs admitted to Helsinki University Hospital's paediatric vascular anomaly clinic in Finland in 2004-2007 and registered perinatal records, IH characteristics, complications and interventions. These patients received a questionnaire on perinatal data and long-term morbidity resulting from IH. We analysed factors related to complications, interventions and morbidity and compared our cohort's perinatal data to the Finnish Medical Birth Register (FMBR) figures.

Results: We approached 185 families, of which 136 replied to the questionnaire. Children with facial, segmental and indeterminate IHs showed more complications, interventions and higher long-term morbidity. Preterm birth predisposed infants to ulceration of IHs, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.02-5.14 and odds ratio (OR) of 2.29. In addition to earlier known risks, maternal gestational diabetes mellitus rate was higher in our IH cohort than the rate in the FMBR (95% CI 1.39-4.95, OR 2.62).

Conclusion: Physicians treating IHs should consider the elevated ulceration risk in preterm infants. The association between gestational diabetes mellitus and child's risk for an IH is uncertain and requires further research.