Infantile haemangiomas in very and extremely preterm infants: incidence and main characteristics.

BACKGROUND

Data on the incidence and clinical and perinatal characteristics of infantile haemangiomas (IHs) in preterm infants are scarce, especially for those born at very low (VLGA) and extremely low gestational ages (ELGA).

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to determine the current incidence of IHs in infants born at VLGA and ELGA and to evaluate the main perinatal and clinical characteristics of IHs among this population of patients.

METHODS

All infants born at VLGA and ELGA during a 10-year period at a single university tertiary-care clinic were included in the study. For each participant, the main perinatal characteristics of gestational age, birth weight, plurality of pregnancy, sex and whether conception occurred through artificial reproductive techniques were gathered. The clinical characteristics of IHs in the affected infants were examined.

RESULTS

In total, 870 infants born at VLGA/ELGA were enrolled during a 10-year study period. In 107 (12.3%), 1 or more IHs were found. Female sex and being conceived by artificial reproductive techniques were the most prominent risk factors for the appearance of IHs, while small-for-gestation-age status at birth showed a borderline association with a higher incidence. Among the affected infants born at VLGA/ELGA, 69.2% had a solitary IH, most commonly located on the trunk (41.4%). Complications were observed in 3.5% of patients. Topical or systemic beta-blocker therapy was administered in 16.8% of patients, with systemic propranolol causing adverse effects in only one infant.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed that the frequency of IHs in infants born at VLGA/ELGA was 12.3%. The main perinatal risk factors for the occurrence of IHs in this group of infants were female sex and being conceived by artificial reproductive techniques.