Bald spot on the back of the head of a baby: causes, recommendations, methods of treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

When a baby is in the womb, there is already a little hair on his head. After birth, the hair continues to grow, but there are situations when a small bald spot can be found on the back of the baby's head. This worries parents. How much does a bald spot appear on the back of the head of a baby and what to do in this case will be discussed further.

Natural causes

Why does the baby have a bald spot on the back of the head? This question is asked by many parents to the pediatrician. If a baby has a slight baldness, this is most often not a sign of pathology.

During the formation of the fetus in the womb, the baby's hair follicles contribute to the growth of lanugo-vellus hair, which is thin and soft rods. After the baby is born, this hair continues to grow for some time.

Approximately 3-6 months of ageIn the dermal layer of the baby's scalp, new rods are formed from the papilla, which is the basis for the growth of any hair. They push out the vellus hairs, as a result of which they are separated from the dermal papilla and come out. This leads to the formation of a bald head.

Why is this phenomenon observed on the back of the head?

Regarding why the bald spot on the back of the head of a baby appears precisely on the back of the head, everything is simple here. Until the moment the baby learns to crawl and sit, he spends all the time in the crib. There he lies on his back and turns his head in different directions, which speeds up the process of losing vellus hair on the back of his head.

And when does a bald spot grow on the back of a baby's head? When the intensity of the child's movements increases, the back of the head will begin to grow hair again.

Usually, such processes take place gradually, and parents do not even notice the problem. If there is excessively rapid hair loss, then you should consult a doctor.

Presence of pathologies

The cause of baldness on the back of the head in infants may be pathological processes in the body. If the intensity of this process is quite high, then this may indicate the presence of a number of diseases:

• Children's rickets. This is the most common reason for the formation of bald patches. The presence of the disease is indicated by the presence of additional symptoms. So, there is excessive irritability, tearfulness, sleep problems, highsweat department. There are several reasons for this pathology. This may be a lack of vitamin D in the body of a newborn, premature labor, problems with the functioning of the endocrine and enzyme systems, and malnutrition. The risk group includes children under the age of three months.
• Gneiss is a disease characterized by the formation of a bald patch on the scalp of an infant, in place of which a dense crust forms. The reasons for its formation may be a hormonal imbalance or an allergic reaction, which lead to increased sebum secretion. In order not to worsen the condition of the baby and prevent the appearance of scars, it is strictly forbidden to remove the crust yourself.

Other reasons

There are other reasons for baldness on the head of a baby. It can be ringworm, which is among the fungal and viral diseases. In addition to the formation of a bald spot at the back of the head, the following symptoms may occur:

• redness;
• inflammation;
• flaking;
• itch;
• hair breaking.

This type of disease is considered highly contagious, and you can catch it at the slightest contact with a sick person.

Also one of the reasons may be a lack of nutrients. If there is a lack of vitamins and minerals, pathology develops. But in this case, hair loss is also characteristic in other areas of the head.

Who should I contact?

When a bald spot forms on the head of a baby, you need to stop panicking and think about which doctor is best to take the baby to. If the prolapse develops rapidly, but there are no signs of illness on the skin, it is recommended to go to the pediatrician.

When an inflammatory process is observed, there are red spots, there is a crust and the skin is flaky, you should visit a dermatologist.

Quite often, doctors do not pay much attention to children's bald patches, because they recognize them as a natural physiological phenomenon. Therefore, if the mother is still worried about the condition of the child, even after consulting a pediatrician or dermatologist, it is worth visiting a trichologist. This is a hair specialist. He will immediately make a diagnosis of their condition and the skin of the newborn, and then draw the appropriate conclusions.

Prevention of disease occurrence

Knowing that under the age of six months the baby is susceptible to various diseases, including those that cause baldness on the back of the head of the baby, it is necessary to perform certain preventive manipulations:

• If the baby has already begun to feed, then it is necessary to use foods such as green vegetables, nuts, legumes, it is very important to monitor the quality of drinking water.
• On sunny days, you should walk with your child as much as possible, this helps to increase vitamin D in the blood and improves the functioning of the immune system.
• Hygiene must be strictly observed. Once a week, the baby's head should be washed with a special shampoo for newborns. On other days, the hair is rinsedwarm clean water. In addition, the child must have a personal towel.
• In the process of washing, special baby hair oil can be applied to the baby's head. It is applied for 5 minutes and then washed off with shampoo.
• Particular attention should be paid to the emotional state of the child, because the appearance at this age of a bald spot on the back of the head can also be triggered by nervous overstrain.

Treatment

If it was determined that the bald spot on the back of the head in a baby is caused by a disease such as rickets (the most common cause), then the therapy should be complex. It includes techniques aimed at eliminating the factors that provoked the development of such a condition.

Treatment of rickets is carried out under the strict supervision of a pediatrician and includes specific and non-specific therapies. In the second case, the treatment is aimed at strengthening the general condition of the body and includes:

• correct organization of the daily routine;
• sufficient presence of the baby in the fresh air;
• nutrition that contributes to the normalization of metabolic processes in the body;
• regular exercise and massage.

During the day, children should be outdoors for at least 2-3 hours, with the exception of severe frosts. In the summer, the baby should be hidden from direct sunlight. Walking in the shade of trees will allow the body to produce enough vitamin D.

Specific techniques

Whentreatment of rickets without fail prescribe drugs containing vitamin D, phosphorus, calcium. This is the specific treatment.

The number of drugs used per day is determined only by the pediatrician, taking into account the age and weight of the baby, as well as the severity of the pathology. When calculating the dosage, attention is also paid to the presence of concomitant symptoms, namely anemia or the presence of diseases of the internal organs.

It is recommended to refrain from using an alcohol solution of vitamin D, as it contains too much vitamin D, which can provoke an overdose in an infant. Fish oil will also not be the best solution in the presence of rickets, since it has a specific smell and taste, which can cause a negative reaction in a fragile body.

When a bald spot is found on the back of the head of a child, you should not be nervous, but observe the changes for several days. If hair loss is intense, then you need to see a doctor and do not self-medicate.