Propranolol for hemangiomas doesn't impair infant growth

(HealthDay)—For infantile hemangiomas, systemic propranolol appears safe and does not impair physical growth, according to a study published online March 6 in the Journal of Dermatology.

Li Hu, from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and colleagues examined complications associated with systemic propranolol therapy for infantile hemangiomas. Propranolol was given at 2 mg/kg per day. During therapy, abnormal symptoms and growth parameters were recorded; 76 patients with complete growth parameters were included in the study. Patients were followed at least through age 2 years.

The researchers identified minor complications of propranolol, including sleeping disorders, diarrhea, decrease in fasting glucose, bronchial hyperactivity, and hyperkalemia. During therapy, four (5.26 percent) patients' growth curves dropped off more than 20 percentiles; after medication withdrawal half returned to normal. When medication was stopped, none of the patients suffered from underweight, wasting, or stunning.

"Systemic propranolol was proved to be a safe treatment for problematic infantile hemangiomas and did not affect the physical growth," the authors write.