The Bump On My Baby's Head

About a month after our little man was born, we thought he had a mosquito bite on the side of his head. The bump appeared to be liquid-filled, swollen, and red. We didn't think much about it until a few weeks later when a bump reappeared in the same location. I knew that wasn't a coincidence and he couldn't have been bitten in the same spot again. I noticed that once the swelling went down, it looked almost like a tiny, grey birthmark. We mentioned it to our pediatrician and he told us to just keep an eye on it. As long as it didn't get larger, he thought it was nothing to be concerned about.

Month after month, the bump would come and go and it seemed like it was getting slightly larger with each episode. I started taking pictures of it when it was swollen so we could show the pediatrician at his next check up. I took him in around 11 months of age and showed the doctor one of the pictures. I could tell that he was concerned about it this time, now that he saw for himself just how large it can get, which is usually about the size of a quarter. He referred us to a dermatologist.

I had an appointment scheduled to see the dermatologist, but one morning it swelled up so big that it freaked me out. My heart sank. I thought that there was surely something serious going on and I couldn't wait another few weeks until his appointment. Here is a picture that I took that day:

I called the dermatologist in a panic. I had all these terrible thoughts racing through my head. I'm sure you could think of a few things too. I felt guilty for even having these thoughts as a Christian mom. I wanted so deeply to just trust Jesus. I prayed for my baby and I prayed for Him to give me peace. The dermatologist had me come in that day. I was so happy that I would probably finally get some answers. All the way there, I prayed over him and for God to calm my nerves.

Within about 30 seconds of seeing the doctor, she said, "I know exactly what this is. It's totally benign. You have nothing to worry about."  I shed a few tears of relief right there in her office. I thanked God (and I continued thanking Him many times after that). All the doctor had to do was scratch his head where the spot is. It immediately flared up and began to swell again. He has something called Mastocytoma. It's a benign skin tumor that usually occurs in childhood and clears up on its own. Under this bump, there are mast cells that produce histamine. When this area is irritated, it flares up. It doesn't cause him any pain or harm, it just itches.

I'm hoping that by posting this, it will help another momma out there who might have a child with the same symptoms and it will save her some uncertainty and the scary feelings I dealt with for 11 months. When I was trying to do my own research, I couldn't find anything that sounded like what was going on with our little man.

Be blessed my friends!