Overview

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  Birthmarks, in particular one type of birthmark, the hemangioma, have been increasing. Hamangiomas are almost always found on the skin, and start out as a pink or red patch. They are benign vascular tumors that start growing and can become quite large. When finished growing, they are an elevated, bright red mass on the skin. There have been studies to determine the causes of their increase. Hemangiomas appear within a couple of weeks of birth, and the increasing incidence has become a cause for concern.
  
  

Low Birth Weight

• Low birth weight has been identified as the primary cause of the increase in the incidence of hemangiomas, according to a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics by Dr. Beth Drolet. Her work at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin led her to notice a substantial increase in hemangiomas in infants. In fact, over the last 15 years there has been a 800 percent increase in hemangioma-related visits to the Children's Hospital. A detailed study led to the conclusion that the increase in low birth weight infants was directly related to the increase in birthmark hemangiomas.
  
  

Assisted Reproduction

• There has been research to determine why there are more low weight babies. That research, as referenced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that the rate of premature and low weight babies has been rising, due to the increased use of assisted reproduction techniques. The study in the Journal of Pediatrics found that for every 500 gram decrease in birth weight, the risk of developing a hemangioma went up 40 percent. So as more and more people seek assistance to get pregnant, the number of low weight babies increase, and with that increase comes the increase in the incidence of hemangiomas.
  
  

Ethnic Group

• According to Dr. Drolet's studies, the group most likely to have hemangiomas is white, non-Hispanic infants. This is the group that has shown the greatest rise in low birth weight infants, an increase of 38 percent since 1990, which has been shown to be related to the use of assisted reproductive techniques. The conclusion is that the group most prone to hemangiomas have been using techniques which lead to low birth weights, which in turn cause the birthmark..