Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve awareness among parents of the (a) symptoms and (b) treatment of Venous Vascular Malformations in new born babies.

Parents will have contact with a number of health care professionals including midwives, general practitioners (GPs) and health visitors, who are trained in child development and early identification of abnormalities, such as venous malformations and can advise parents where there are concerns or refer to specialist services. The newborn infant physical examination should be performed within 72 hours of birth by a qualified practitioner. A second examination is performed at six to eight weeks of age, usually by a GP, to identify abnormalities that develop or subsequently become apparent.