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Resource Spotlight

NOVA

The National Organization of Vascular Anomalies is a patient support, advocacy and educational agency for those affected by hemangioma, vascular malformation, rare benign tumors and many related syndromes.  

Traditionally these tumors and malformations have been called birthmarks. Medicine and science today dictate that they are so much more. 

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Resources

hit counter javascriptExcerpts from "Psychosocial Impact of Vascular Birthmarks"

Authors Pamela M. Crawford, MD, R. Gregory Lande, DO and Bonnie J. Ramsey, MD   Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America - Vascular Birthmarks of the Head and Neck, Volume 9, Number 4, November 2001

"The presence of vascular birthmarks may stir many passions in the new parent. The emotions are sometimes traceable to irrational beliefs when parents silently blame themselves for their child’s misfortune. Most parents are relieved when the physician absolves their guilt by providing a medical cause for vascular birthmarks. In other cases, anxiety, anger, and blame are unrelenting and like a whirlpool, threaten to drag the entire family down. One factor that may contribute to the downward spiral are competing, nonmedical explanations, for the presence of birthmarks."

Predicting a child’s reaction to medical treatment, including surgery, requires a consideration of the child’s age, presence of psychiatric pathology, the child’s experience with prior illness or injury, parent’s contributions, and the degree of presurgical preparation.

"Children up to two years old will tolerate surgery if they perceive that their caretaker is calm, accepting and nurturing." Life between the ages of  3 and 6 is when “the child learns control but may develop shame and doubt if not handled well…continues to become more assertive but may be too forceful, leading to guilt feelings.” Age 6 to 12 in school is when “children must deal with demands or risk a sense of inferiority”.

These “important milestones of development help set timelines for intervention-preferably before age 3 years (when a sense of self develops) and definitely by age 5 to 6 years (school age).”

The authors state that some studies indicate that "unattractive children are disadvantaged in society, the facially disfigured even more so..."