BORN WITH A FACIAL TUMOR ALMOST AS LARGE AS HER HEAD, THIS BABY GIRL UNDERWENT SURGERY MOMENTS AFTER BIRTH

A Discovery During a Routine Pregnancy Scan

Shiri Ben Ezer Dangoor was 33 weeks pregnant when a routine scan to check her baby’s growth revealed something no parent expects to hear. Her unborn daughter had a large mass protruding from her upper jaw.

The tumor measured approximately six centimeters—nearly as wide as the baby’s head. It was an extraordinary finding, especially because this type of growth is usually discovered only after birth.

Doctors suspected a rare condition called epulis, a growth that can develop on a newborn’s gums. The location and size of the mass meant the medical team needed to prepare carefully for the baby’s arrival.

For Shiri and her family, the discovery transformed what should have been an ordinary final stretch of pregnancy into a period of uncertainty. Their daughter would need specialized care from the very beginning of her life.

A Delivery Planned Around an Emergency

The doctors at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, organized a coordinated plan for the baby’s delivery and immediate treatment.

On November 13, 2025, Shiri underwent a cesarean section led by Dr. Yuval Yaniv. Nearby, specialists from oral and maxillofacial surgery, pediatric anesthesia, neonatology, pulmonology and ear, nose and throat medicine were ready to help.

The team’s preparation was essential. A mass of this size, supplied by large blood vessels, posed a significant risk of bleeding. Newborns have very little blood circulating in their bodies, so even a relatively small amount of blood loss can quickly become dangerous.

Rather than waiting to see how the tumor would affect the baby after birth, the team had prepared to move directly from delivery to surgery.

Removing a Tumor Nearly the Size of Her Head

Once the baby was delivered, surgeons moved quickly to remove the growth. The tumor measured about six centimeters, while the newborn’s head measured only around eight centimeters.

Dr. Gal Avishai, deputy director of the hospital’s Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, explained that controlling bleeding was one of the most important challenges. Prenatal imaging had shown large blood vessels running alongside the tumor.

The surgeons carefully tied off the tumor’s stalk in layers to control the blood supply before removing it. After the procedure, they closed the surgical site and transferred the baby to the neonatal intensive care unit for close observation.

The operation was successful. A mass that had dominated the baby’s facial appearance before birth had been removed, allowing the medical team to focus on her recovery and development.

Encouraging Signs During Recovery

Following surgery, the baby received intensive monitoring while doctors watched for complications and checked how the surgical area was healing.

After she was discharged from intensive care, follow-up examinations showed normal healing at the site of the operation. The medical team planned to continue monitoring her as she grew, particularly until her primary teeth began to emerge.

Doctors expected her teeth to develop normally, although continued follow-up was important. The published report did not provide a later long-term update, so her complete future outcome cannot yet be confirmed from that source.

For her family, the successful operation was an enormous relief after the frightening discovery during pregnancy. Their daughter had faced a rare and complex medical challenge before she had even taken her first breath.

A Rare Condition and a Remarkable Team Effort

Epulis is rare and is often identified only after a baby is born. In this case, prenatal imaging gave doctors time to prepare for a potentially dangerous situation before delivery.

The tumor’s size made the procedure particularly unusual. According to the medical center’s report, it was the largest tumor of this type and location described in the medical literature at the time.

The baby’s story highlights the importance of prenatal diagnosis, careful surgical planning and cooperation between multiple medical specialties. It also shows how a coordinated team can prepare to treat a serious condition in the earliest moments of a child’s life.

Although the family has not publicly shared the baby’s name in the report, the outcome described after surgery offered a hopeful beginning: the tumor had been removed, the surgical site was healing normally, and doctors were preparing to follow her growth in the months ahead.

Source: Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), “Israeli baby undergoes surgery to remove record-size facial tumor,” December 19, 2025.