Q: My son is nine months old. One week after his birth a hemangioma developed on his lower lip. The doctor told us to wait till he is 12-18 months old, as there is a possibility that the swelling may nautrally subside or atleast start subsiding by that time. What is the proper treatment for this?

A:The proper treatment for a hemangioma is not to do anything to it. All hemangiomas after inially increasing in size regress spontaneously, a large majority disappearing completely. Any procedure undertaken to remove them can leave scars. Apart from altering the appearance these hemangiomas do not harm in any way. The only time something might need to be done is if they bleed excessively.