Strawberry Birthmark

[Charlottepalmer1980]

Just thought I would post pictures of my son at 8 weeks before treatment and 14 months after taking propranolol from 8 weeks until 12 months.
This simple medication is taken orally daily and stops the birthmark growing in it's tracks. It has really sped up the fading process too.
For any mothers struggling with the silly comments from others and general worries over strawberry marks I would really recommend pushing your GP for referral
Thanks,

Charlotte

[victoryinthekitchen]

thanks for this info, and btw he's a cutie!

[Charlottepalmer1980]

Thank you :) x

[Charlottepalmer1980]

Barely noticeable now

[Waltonswatcher]

Charlotte what a great post !
I hope other mums see it and worry less .

[neversleepagain]

Lovely smiley boy! One of my twins has one, thankfully it is at the back of her head and covered in hair. It was really big and puffy at one stage but has become flat against her head now.

Thanks for sharing :)

[mazylou]

My daughter had an absolutely massive one over her eye (we're talking many years ago), had several surgeries to try and open up the eyelid a little more, and honestly it does get better. People can be complete arses though.

[SurfBoredCat]

I agree. Charlotte this is a lovely positive post and he is a total cutie.

Mazylou, your daughter is beautiful!

For anyone who has a child with a birthmark I have found the birthmark support group, on Facebook and the Internet to be amazingly supportive.

These pictures of my son show him aged 1 month before propranolol (it got worse before he started the medication), 16 weeks in on a very small dose and today, aged 3 after 12 months on propranolol and 2 laser treatments.
He has no idea he had a birthmark and neither does anyone he meets now but I will tell him all about it when he's older.

[mazylou]

Thank you. She's such a lovely girl in so many ways.

We used to be part of the Naevus Support Group, but that was in the early 1990s - I assume it or its successors are now big on FB?

[SurfBoredCat]

I haven't heard of the naevus support group but wonder if the group I mentioned is it's successor. It's been a really amazing source of information and support for me.

[Charlottepalmer1980]

Thanks Ladies:)
I found it so hard having silly comments from people but more than anything worried he would be bullied. It's so easy for other people to tell you it's nothing to worry about but u never want your child to be picked on. Propranolol has really worked for him and now the comments and staring have stopped. It has made me so much more aware of little ones with issues that make them look different and I always make a real effort to smile and make them feel special. Having people always say "what's thing thing on his head" or "I know someone that had one of those" instead of "isn't he lovely" was hard but I realised their comments are a reflection on them more than anything else
So lovely to get support on here from other mums that understand.
And what gorgeous children you both have xx

[mazylou]

She did get quite a bit of bullying at school, I'm afraid, but we were absolutely relentless in not letting school away with it. Otherwise, it was mostly people in the street saying some pretty horrible things, but like you, I eventually worked out that it was their problem rather than mine, and if they said anything direct, I explained what it was.

Good luck!

[Afritutu]

My daughter was born with one on her trunk, no one ever mentioned treatment (perhaps because it wasn't on a visible part of her body. She is now 4.5 and it has completely vanished by itself.

[Toastandstrawberryjam]

My 7 year old DD developed a large birthmark on her forearm at a few days old. We were told it would disappear on it's own by the time she was 5. It didn't. It is gradually going now but we have an unusual problem with it.

We taught her from a very early age that it wasn't anything to be ashamed of. That it was special and a part of her. She has been happy to tell children (and adults!) who stare or are rude, exactly what it is and she has always been proud of the fact her arm is "different".

And herein now is the problem. She is aware it's fading and is very upset about it. I think it will be a few years at least until all the redness goes, but how can I get her used to it going???

[mupperoon]

Thank you so much OP and other picture posters! Your children are all beautiful.

I'm about to have my first and although it sounds stupid this has been one of my worries (along with about 1,000,000 other potential things) but I wasn't aware that such good results could be had these days.

[Littlef00t]

Does anyone have any advice for me? I have an appt with the doctor for for my 4 month old dd who has one on her eyelid. I don't think it's impeding her vision or affecting her eye so I doubt they are going to want to refer.

[SurfBoredCat]

Littlefoot - I don't know if you're on Facebook but the birthmark support group are amazing and there are lots of people who can give you advice on there.
My only worry with birthmarks on the eye would be that it may affect vision/eyeball development but it doesn't look like your DD's is in a position to do that at the moment. Doesn't hurt to get it checked if you're worried though.
One thing I will say is that Gps are notoriously useless about birthmarks (I saw 5 different ones, some of whom didn't know what it was and in the end I had to get a referral for my son myself) . If you're worried don't let them fob you off.

If you need any info, feel free to pm me.

[Charlottepalmer1980]

Littlefoot
I contacted Nr Tobian Moore at the south Tees Hospital. He is the leading name in Europe for treating birthmarks. If u google him you can see the case studies of who he has treated. As it's NHS he decides who to treat but being by the eye I'm sure he would help. He started the treatment and then handed after care to my local hospital.
GPS are useless- I cried to one and they just told me there was nothing that could be done
I really recommend contacting him and looking at the cases he treated
Best of luck xx

[mazylou]

If it continues to grow, and it obscures the pupil, she will have difficulties - do ask for a referral.

[Littlef00t]

Thanks everyone. I'll see what the doc says.

[Luisa14]

My son is 14 weeks old and we have just seen a specialist about his strawberry birthmark across his eye. they are happy it is not effecting his eyesight but have referred him to a specialist to have the propranolol treatment. I was just wondering how your little one has got on now a few months later. this is what my little boys looks like.

[Leannecouch]

Hi,

I was just wondering what you said to your gp to get a referral? I’m booked in to see mine next week for my little girls birth mark. Funnily enough it’s pretty much identical to your little boys! Shape and placement. I’m worried that they won’t refer me due to it not being in a obstructing place but I really want the treatment. She is only 4 weeks old and already getting comments about it. It’s the first thing people seee when they look at her and in breaks my heart that it’s peoples focus and they don’t see how beautiful she is 😢

[teacherspets]

How lovely. My dd1 was born with one on her back, it was heart shaped 😍 Nobody ever mentioned treatment but by 4 it was fading and now she's 8 it's barely noticeable