Infant Balding

Causes of Infant Balding

During the early stages of life, infants spend 16 to 18 hours sleeping on their back. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing infants on their back to minimize the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However, continually placing babies on their back will cause patches of hair loss where babies continually rest their head. For example, the friction of the baby’s head against cotton sheets is a significant cause of infants rubbing that common bald spot on the back of their head. Many infants sitting or reclining in products made of cotton or cotton blend fabrics will likely develop a bald spot on the back of their head. The cotton fabric actually grips and tugs at the baby’s delicate hair causing damage and breakage. The condition is further aggravated by the constant movement of an infant’s head in a car seat, bouncer, stroller, swing, carrier, and bassinet.

This is a relatively new problem pediatricians are encountering. Dr. Stephen Muething, MD, associate director of Clinical Services in General and Community Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center stated, “We are beginning to notice an increase in babies with a rubbing bald spot on the back of their heads from being continually placed on their backs. This type of baldness doesn’t cause any damage, however it can be helped” (Rupp, 2009, para. 1).

Pediatric Associates states, “The hair of many newborns falls out during the first few months of life.  This baby hair is replaced by permanent hair. Babies from 3 to 6 months of age commonly rub off a patch of hair on the back of their head due to friction during head-turning against the mattresses of cribs, playpens, and infant seats.”

Other Forms of Infant Hair Loss

There are also other things that can cause hair loss at the infancy age, but they are very uncommon in infants. These include tinea capitis, or ringworm, which are patchy bald spots with red, flaky scaling and sometimes black dots where the hair has broken off. Sometimes irregular patches of hair may fall out if your baby twirls or pulls his or her hair compulsively. The condition is called trichotillomania. Another condition called alopecia areata, in which your baby has smooth, round, totally bald areas. This condition is when the immune system attacks the hair follicles, drastically slowing hair growth. This type of hair loss may appear in isolated patches, but it can affect all of the hair on the body.

Preventing Infant Balding

Infant balding is perfectly common for most babies, but not all babies. Most parents are told that infant balding is normal and that their baby’s hair will eventually grow back. The American Academy of Pediatrics states “As the baby grows, becomes more mobile, and begins to sit up, the hair on the back of the baby’s head will have less wear and tear. A bald spot is temporary and the baby’s hair will grow, filling in the bald spot.”

Infant balding can likely be prevented by reducing the amount of friction caused by the many surfaces your baby comes in contact with while lying down or reclining. Reducing the friction when a baby moves its head from side to side will help prevent infant balding. Although there are not many products on the market to prevent infant balding, this common problem can be significantly reduced and, in many babies, prevented. Early on, parents can use a preventive product to help prevent infant balding or just wait for the hair to grow back.

Editorial provided by Victoria McGee Walton, of Baby Walton, LLC in Madison, GA. Victoria is a mom, inventor, owner, President & CEO of BabyWalton.com.

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