Children and Alopecia: What you Need to Know

Apr 25, 2019
Reasons for hairloss in children include hair pulling, ringworm on the scalp, nutritional deficiency, new born hair loss (little bald spot in back of head from rubbing) endocrine problems, and alopecia.
 
Rarer reasons for alopecia in children include pressure-induced alopecia (stress), alopecia related to nutritional deficiency or toxic ingestion, and androgenetic alopecia.
 
So yes, environment for child, stress in children, and nutritional deficiency (diet and lifestyle) also are factors to hairloss just like adults!
 
We all know that the quality of water, air, food, environment is much more polluted today then 30+ years ago.
 
We live in a toxic world where exposures to chemicals and heavy metals are pervasive. They’re in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the personal care products that we slather on our skin. every. single. day.
 
A growing fetus is uniquely vulnerable to mom’s toxic exposures through placental transfer. A 2009 study by the Environmental Working Group identified 232 different industrial compounds and pollutants in the cord blood of 10 infants.
 
Exposures in the womb initiate problems long before birth. These environmental exposures are linked to lead poisoning, asthma, cancer, neurobehavioral disorders like autism, and more.
 
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology along with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine published a formal committee opinion on this in 2013:
 
“Patient exposure to toxic environmental chemicals and other stressors is ubiquitous, and preconception and prenatal exposure to toxic environmental agents can have a profound and lasting effect on reproductive health across the life course. ”
 
Yet, this complicated topic doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves. Especially when it comes to preconception counseling.
 
It is clear that one of the most important times to limit toxic environmental exposures is long before conception. Toxins accumulate over years and store in the bones, fat cells, and organs. Depending on a woman’s unique genetics and lifestyle, there may be decades worth of build up.
 
During pregnancy, those toxins can be mobilized and transferred to the growing fetus. Ongoing exposures only add to the problem.
 
Unfortunately, that problem continues into the postpartum period, as the toxic body burden continues to be mobilized into mother’s milk.
 
According to the CDC’s Guidelines for the Identification and Management of Lead Exposure in Pregnant and Lactating Women, “Bone lead stores are mobilized in pregnancy and lactation for women with prior lead exposure, which is a concern since lead released into maternal blood and breast milk can adversely affect the fetus or newborn.”
 
A 2008 article in Environmental Health Perspectives, published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reads: “Lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and other potentially toxic metals that are dispersed throughout the environment also have bioaccumulative features and thus are of concern to the nursing infant. The presence of lead and mercury in human milk has been extensively studied.”
 
Bottom line: Pregnancy and lactation are not the time to detox. If you don’t reduce your body burden of toxins before conception, your baby will be more vulnerable during both pregnancy and lactation.
 
It’s important to note that a preconception detox should occur more than 6 months prior to conception. It is less than ideal to mobilize stored toxins just before becoming pregnant.
 
Many women can prepare for pregnancy by:
  • identifying and removing exposures;
  • eating a healthy diet with plenty of organic fruits and vegetables and clean protein;
  • supporting the body’s own natural detoxification processes;
  • using high quality supplements, including a prenatal vitamin with pre-methylated folate (i.e. methyfolate not folic acid) like these or these. I also recommend high quality fish oil and vitamin D;
  • avoiding Tylenol (acetaminophen) which depletes glutathione (the body’s master antioxidant) and has been linked to higher rates of autism.
  • Getting a free consultation to see other ways to improve health
So where do we go from here?
 
If you are looking to conceive, then also look to detox your body from harmful build up of toxins. If you need help or guidance, I am here to assist.
 
If you are concerned about your child and their alopecia and would like to schedule a time to speak please email and we can schedule a free consultation.
 
For both children and adults, I recommend using holistic and natural methods as described in my program. There are many advantages, no negative side effects. The Alopecia Angel program promotes and strengthens your immunity from the inside out so that you can be stronger and healthier, naturally.
 
 
 
Some additional information:
 
Mitochondria and Microbiome are directly inherited through the mother to the child -Dr. Gundry
This is why it's truly important for you to be at your healthiest, because we don't always plan to get pregnant, sometimes it just happens as a surprise.
 
Mother's breast milk is full of bacteria, fungi and yeast that all contribute to the baby's microbiome- Dr. Gundry
Be weary of what you are eating, drinking and exposing yourself to. This is key for developing the healthiest baby. *Many people don't know that eating tuna has so much mercury in it, and that it takes your body 9 months to clear.
 
A child has a natural "leaky gut" until the age of 2.
 
I found the above quite interesting. Apparently its a mechanism within our natural body when born. As baby is always with mom, they get their health and their immunity from mom! They get a lot more protection when coming through the birth canal too, so if possible avoid C-Sections as this doesn't give baby the full benefits of the mucus and protection they would receive from the birth canal.
 
Some references suggest a child's immune system is not fully developed until the age of 7, others until the age of 12-14. Which makes development, diet, lifestyle, toxin exposure etc so much more profound. Coaching clients have begun to incorporate their children in the cooking and food prep. Learning about nutrition, diet and lifestyle early one, sets your child up for success.
 
Controlling what you can control: diet, environment, toxins and lifestyle will give you, baby and family improved health.
 
All in all, it's never too late to get healthy. It's never too late to start. Take action and learn the habits and lifestyle changes needed to thrive, be healthier and increase hair growth!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
https://www.verywellhealth.com/causes-of-hair-loss-in-children-2634352
 
https://drchristinemaren.com/articles/

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