Jessica's story
Jessica was born three weeks premature on the 8th August
2009. Despite being early she weighed 7.4lbs and had no
problems.
When Jessica was two weeks old a small pea like lump appeared
near her left ear/cheek. My midwife told me to keep an eye on it
and take her to the GP if I was concerned, during the week the lump
grew and the GP diagnosed a strawberry birthmark.
By the time Jessica was five weeks old the lump was the size of
a golf ball, causing her to choke and struggle when feeding. In the
following weeks it grew so much that the skin cracked, ulcerated
and started to bleed. The lump pulsated and was very hot to touch.
We were referred to a specialist in Leeds and Jessica was started
on Propranolol (at approx. 16 weeks).
She had an MRI scan which showed that the birthmark was in the
parotid gland and was NOT causing her problems with swallowing and
choking. (Further tests proved that reflux caused these problems
that she would later grow out of)
The Propranolol worked dramatically starting to see a difference
within days, my daughter spent most of the time crying before the
Propranolol as I think that the birthmark hurt her, once the
birthmark was shrinking she became a happier baby. The birthmark
also blocked her ear and since it's gone down her hearing is much
better.
My baby was a pretty little thing with a mass of hair that stood
up on end, its surprising but when people saw her lump not many
asked what was wrong.... most asked what she had done! Over the
last few years I tried at regular intervals to stop the propranolol
but had dramatic regrowth within a month, so ended up starting her
on it again. Luckily she had no adverse effects from the
medicine.
Jessica is now three she has been off the Propranolol for six
weeks and so far there has been no regrowth. We are waiting to see
the specialist when she is 3 and a half. To look at her unless you
knew she had a birthmark you wouldn't notice, there is some baggy
skin near her ear but that is mostly covered with her
hair.
I spent many a night laid awake worrying about my baby and not
knowing what the future held, if I had been able to read stories
such as these I would have felt very reassured and not quite so
alone.