When an abnormal mass appears under the skin of a baby in the family at birth or shortly after birth, covering pink, red, or purple skin; or only red or pink spots on the skin, this is a hemangioma. Hemangioma often occurs in the skin, but of course it can also be in the internal organs. It is due to the abnormal growth of blood vessels in that area. Although hemangioma is called tumor, it is not cancer, so parents should not worry too much. The following is a brief list of some of the most common questions parents ask: Is hemangioma painful or uncomfortable? The general answer is no. Hemangiomas look quite scary, but they are generally harmless. In a few cases, they can break down, become painful, bleed, or even become infected, which are the main dangers of hemangiomas. However, hemangiomas grow in internal organs and can cause serious complications. Do parents need to take their child with hemangioma to the doctor? The answer is yes. It is up to the doctor to make a diagnosis and give advice on how to treat it. Do all hemangiomas need to be treated? The vast majority of hemangiomas do not actually require treatment. Treatment is needed in the following cases: 1) if the hemangioma is large or grows in an area that can cause health problems, such as around the eyes or liver; 2) if it can cause permanent damage to the face, anus or genitals; 3) if the mass is painful, breaks down and bleeds, or shows signs of infection. How should hemangioma be treated? If a hemangioma requires treatment, there are two main methods, one is medication and the other is surgery or interventional treatment. Medication makes the hemangioma shrink and disappear or inhibits the growth of the tumor, but it is not applied to all hemangiomas because the drugs used have more complications, while most hemangiomas will disappear on their own without treatment, and I am talking about most hemangiomas that can fade on their own. There are some cases where the indications are surgical excision, or laser treatment to make the tumor look less visible. In some cases, vascular embolization therapy is indicated, which uses “interventional means” to block the blood vessels of the tumor so that it shrinks and disappears. What can we do if we don’t do treatment? The most important thing a parent can do is to keep your child psychologically unaffected by the appearance of the hemangioma and help your child feel no different from other children. Because hemangiomas are so difficult for children to deal with, other people, especially other children, may stare or be curious. When will my baby’s hemangioma go away on its own? It is difficult for doctors to predict exactly when, but here are some numbers that may help parents: 1) 50% of hemangiomas disappear by the age of 5; 2) 70% disappear by the age of 7; 3) 90% disappear by the age of 9. However, parents should be aware that even if the hemangioma disappears, the area where it was born may not be completely normal skin. In short, a wise parent should have the patience to wait to see what changes are occurring in their child’s skin lesions, rather than going to a place that claims to specialize in hemangiomas for potentially unnecessary treatment.