Battling baldness in babies

Everyone knows about the Hair Club for Men for follicularly challenged fellows.

But what about babies with bald spots? Do parents just try a comb-over?

Newnan mom Victoria Walton actually did, after her perfectly healthy baby girl, Amira, started losing a patch of delicate hair on the back of her head.

But it wasn’t enough to camouflage Amira’s “cul-de-sac of hairs” look, so Walton began stitching squares of satin to place under her head whenever she lay her down. The idea: Less friction means less rubbing and shedding.

That homespun invention has evolved into a commercial enterprise: Infant Hair Protector, now available in pink and blue both online (www.babywalton.com) and at a handful of children’s stores across metro Atlanta.

While it might seem a nonessential item in a tough economy, Walton says the first batch of 1,200, made a few months ago, are well on their way to selling out.

What prompted her to take action?

“For me, it was so noticeable,” Walton said about the balding that affected her daughter, and then her infant son. “And it’s really unsightly and odd-looking to see a baby like that, especially if you look at the back of the head and see it.”

Not that a balding baby is unusual. In fact, it’s perfectly normal, even common, for babies to shed their newborn hair, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. The hair typically grows back within a few months, and as the baby moves around more, this type of hair loss should correct itself.

Dr. Jennifer Shu, an Atlanta pediatrician and co-author of the book “Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality,” said baby hair loss doesn’t appear to rank high on the list of common concerns among parents.

What’s more, Shu sees no reason to fuss. After all, she said: “The back of the head doesn’t show up in photos.”

ABOUT BABY BALDING

Almost all newborns lose some or all of their hair. In rare cases, hair loss can be caused by alopecia (an “allergic reaction” to one’s own hair). If you see hair loss in your child continuing over six months, it’s a good idea to mention it to your pediatrician.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics