Some patients require months or years of speech-language training to acquire normal speech. The family members of a cleft palate patient may need long-term guidance and counseling to support them through the years of treatment. Hemangioams and Other Benign Vascular Lesions of the Skin Hemangiomas and lymphangiomas, the most common benign tumors of the skin in neonates, may be present at birth or appear in the first months after birth. Consultations with a plastic surgeon may include consults with other specialists such as a hematologist when a lesion is very large or life-threatening. Laser treatment is often a treatment of choice for vascular lesions, including port-wine stain and unregressed strawberry hemangioma.
Careful evaluation is required before laser treatment is undertaken.
Pigmented Lesions of the Skin Pigmented lesions in the newborn are frequently difficult to interpret regarding their present or potential malignancy. Large congenital nevi pose a significant risk of early malignancy or later malignant transformation. Large and sometimes hairy nevi also are physically uncomfortable and psychologically damaging for child and parents. Surgical excision with skin grafting is often a treatment of choice. Malformations of the Ear Ear malformations such as microtia can severely affect a child's self-image, especially if the condition is allowed to go uncorrected until school age.