From the Research
Causes of Hair Loss in Newborns
- Hair loss in newborns can be caused by various factors, including physiological shedding of hair in the first weeks of life 1
- Friction is often blamed for neonatal occipital alopecia (NOA), but studies have shown that the aetiology of this phenomenon is the physiological shedding of hair, and the pillow only aids this shedding 1
- Other causes of hair loss in children, including newborns, can be categorized into congenital, genetic, inflammatory, mechanical, and physiologic causes 2
Diagnosis and Management
- Diagnosis of hair loss in newborns begins with a good history, including personal and family history, medication use, a thorough physical examination, and use of dermoscopy or trichoscopy, or both 3
- Careful physical examination of the hair, scalp, skin, and nails coupled with dermoscopy or trichoscopy, or both, can yield more accurate and faster diagnosis 3
- Management of hair disorders in newborns can be quite a daunting task for the attending physician and mandates a holistic approach to the patient 4
Types of Hair Loss
- Hair loss in children, including newborns, can be nonscarring or scarring, and can be further subdivided into focal or diffuse 3
- Alopecia in infants can be categorized into congenital, genetic, inflammatory, mechanical, and physiologic causes 2
- Transient neonatal hair loss is a common transient neonatal dermatosis, and parents should be informed that there is no relationship between the sleep position and the onset of this problem 1