Causes of patchy hair loss in babies

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Alopecia areata not only occurs in adults but even babies can get this condition. This is an autoimmune disorder that causes hair to fall out in patches of varying sizes. If left untreated, alopecia areata can lead to baldness.

1. What is alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata in children is an autoimmune disorder that results in hair loss in patches or patches. Although the condition is rare in children under 18 months of age, it is more likely to have an early onset in childhood and can occur at any age.
If an infant has this condition, his or her immune system attacks the hair follicles as a way to protect the body from disease. This mistaken attack causes the hair follicles to shrink, which in turn makes hair production so slow that hair growth cannot be seen for months or even years. Patchy hair loss is not usually painful for a child, but it can be a sign that he has a health problem.
With alopecia areata, your baby may lose only a few patches on the scalp, or the entire scalp may go bald. Rarely, all hair and body hair is completely lost. In most cases, children with alopecia areata can regain some of the hair that has been lost.

2. What causes alopecia areata in babies?

Currently, researchers have not found the exact cause of alopecia areata in babies. However, some evidence has suggested that genetic factors may be one of the leading causes of this condition in children. If a child has a parent who has had alopecia areata, there is a high chance that they may also have this disorder.
In addition, it also tends to be more common in families with a history of conditions such as asthma, hay fever, atopic eczema, childhood diabetes or certain other autoimmune conditions.
Some external factors can also cause alopecia areata in children, such as viral diseases. While hair loss is often attributed to stress and neurological conditions, alopecia areata is not usually caused by these factors.

3. Signs of alopecia areata in babies

If your baby is under 6 months old and is experiencing hair loss, chances are it's not alopecia areata. In fact, it is quite normal for babies to lose hair at this age and it is not harmful to their health. If your baby is older than 6 months and loses a lot of hair with round or oval bald patches suddenly appearing on the head, there is a high chance that he or she is suffering from alopecia areata.
Signs to recognize when your baby has this disorder include an exposed area of ​​​​the scalp that looks smooth, sometimes with a few hairs that are shorter and lighter in color than the rest. On the other hand, if the bald areas are peeling or scaly, the child may have ringworm. In addition, when suffering from alopecia areata, the child's nails will appear small dimples or white spots.

4. Can hair grow back?

Patchy hair loss in children is often unpredictable, but if the patches cover less than half of your baby's scalp, it's more likely that your baby's hair will grow back. However, children can still experience occasional hair loss.
In rare cases, when a child completely loses hair from the scalp or the entire body, the hair may never grow back. However, even in these cases, a child's hair can appear again after many years.
One of the important things that you need to keep in mind when you have a child with alopecia areata is to carefully protect the child from the sun. You can have your child wear a hat or use sunscreen on the scalp as well as the rest of the body to prevent hair loss or hair loss in children.

5. Can alopecia areata in babies be treated?

Currently, there is no cure for alopecia areata in children, but there are ways to stimulate new hair growth. These measures are only effective when applied to cases of mild disorders.
If you are concerned about the amount of hair loss in your child, take your child to see a doctor for advice and appropriate control measures. However, for children under 18 months of age with this condition, it is often quite difficult to apply treatments because of some of the side effects they can bring to the health of the child.
For babies over 18 months old, your doctor may prescribe topical cortisone or other creams. The specific treatment will depend on how far the condition has spread. In addition, you should discuss with your dermatologist the pros and cons of these treatments.
In addition to the problem of hair loss in patches, babies are also very susceptible to respiratory diseases, respiratory infections and gastrointestinal infections if they eat solids early or the storage and preparation of milk is not guaranteed. tell. To protect children's health, parents should do well to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first 6 months (if possible) and vaccinate on schedule. As soon as the child shows symptoms such as anorexia, fatigue, crying, it is necessary to take the child to the hospital to be consulted by a specialist for monitoring and treatment. The pediatric department at Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, otitis media, pneumonia in children. With a system of facilities, modern medical equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread, Vinmec will bring satisfaction to customers. and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of leading pediatricians: including leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctors, Master's degree), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. The doctors are all well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. Advanced techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull, stem cell transplant blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to play comfortably and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

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Reference source: babycenter.com