Confused in old times with signs of sorcery, these red spots called hemangiomas are very common in infancy.  They normally grow during the child's first three months. When the child reaches one, the spots begin to spontaneously regress, with decreases in size, color and brightness. They usually disappear by age ten.

A child can be born with a hemagioma or develop one during the first months of life. In general, only one hemangioma appears per subject. Hemangiomas are not hereditary, although occasionally there are instances of families with vascular lesions appearing in more than one generation. No preventive measures are known.

Dr. Julita Cofré, dermatologist at Clínica Alemana, explains that the cause of hemangiomas is unknown: "Some researchers theorize that placentary cells pass through the fetus' circulatory system reaching the skin, where they multiply, thereby originating a hemangioma. Other scientists believe that a skin cell in the fetus suffers a mutation thereby gaining the ability to multiply and causing a hemangioma".

Dr. Julita Cofré, dermatologist

Capillary infant hemangiomas generally appear in the neck and face as a volume increase of reddish color, with no additional symptoms. Therefore, in the great majority of cases, no treatment is required; although the condition must be monitored.

"Hemangiomas must receive the same care as the rest of the child's skin; that is, they must be washed, lubricated and protected from sun exposure.  Those hemangiomas located within the diaper area require the application of a drying paste with each diaper change to avoid  moisture and friction from causing ulcerations which would make them painful and subject to bacterial infection", notes the specialist.