Patient's question:
MonthDetailed medical condition and consultation purpose: The infant is experiencing hair loss, with some hair falling out every time they take a bath. Is this normal shedding, or is there another cause? If it's due to other reasons, what are the possibilities, and what should be noted?
Doctor's answer:
1. Physiological hair loss: Within a few weeks after birth, babies may experience the shedding of lanugo hair, which typically regrows after several months. This is a normal phenomenon. Infants can also develop hair loss due to constant friction on the head. Even the pressure from the weight of the baby's head during sleep can cause extensive hair loss on the back of the head. This occurs because the hair roots of newborns are not yet firmly attached to the skin, so even infrequent friction can lead to hair loosening and falling out.2. Pathological hair loss: Calcium deficiency is the most common cause. In addition to hair loss, calcium deficiency is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as irritability, frequent waking during sleep, and excessive sweating. Due to sweat irritation on the back of the head, babies often shake their heads against the pillow during sleep, resulting in sparse and shed hair in that area. This forms a typical circular hair loss pattern on the back of the head, medically known as "" (crown baldness), which is an early sign of calcium deficiency in infants. Hair loss in three-month-old babies is generally physiological and not a cause for major concern. However, babies grow rapidly after birth, making them prone to calcium deficiency. To prevent this, fish oil drops should be started from day 15 of life, and calcium supplementation should begin at four months and continue until around two years of age.