Patient's question:
I would like to ask if my girlfriend is a patient with vitiligo, and her family has a history of vitiligo. Our baby has just been born. I would like to ask if the baby will get vitiligo?Doctor's answer:
The etiology of infantile vitiligo is still more commonly seen in acquired factors or causes, among which local melanocyte self-destruction is also a relatively common specific factor or cause. Some pathogenic factors entering the human body can lead to immune system dysfunction and endocrine disorders, causing melanocytes to be damaged and resulting in local depigmentation. The organs of infants are not yet fully developed, and their immune system is low, making them more susceptible to the pathogenic factors of vitiligo. Additionally, since the initial white patches are mild in terms of pigment loss, they often appear as light white and have blurred boundaries with normal skin. Parents of pale-skinned children may find it difficult to distinguish these patches with the naked eye, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. As a result, the degree of pigment loss may worsen, the affected skin area may expand, and adjacent white patches may merge into larger patches, further exacerbating the condition.