Lack of hair growth in children

[Monica RN,BSN]

Hi folks:

I have been an RN for almost 20 yrs, but this time my question is about my 12 yr old daughter. She will soon be 13, and her hair has stopped growing at age 5. she has balding areas on the side of her head,and very fine and few strands of hair throughout. The kids at school are very harsh, and not a day goes by that someone does not ask her if she has cancer. She does not want a wig, as she knows the kids would laugh her out of the school.

No doctor has yet been able to help her..

all I want to know here, is that if anyone has an idea or a sugggestion as to what causes a child's hair to stop growing?

[yai J, RN]

Are you sure it is a lack of growth? As a family therapist I met many young women who pulled out hair, one strand a t a time. It is called trichotillomania. Some only pulled out eye lashes, or eye brows.. but most pulled from the scalp. There are effective treatments for this too--hope you find some help for your daughter, whatever is the cause. You are right, kids can be so mean and middle school can be one of the hardest places!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Has any physician ordered thyroid function tests on your daughter?

I had thyroid disease, and one of the symptoms included hair that would fall out as I touched it. It might sound like a long shot, but it might actually offer a shot at discovering the problem.

Also, your daughter might have a rare form of alopecia. My mother's hair stopped growing 4 years ago after she was diagnosed with liver disease.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

(((((worthy of a bump)))))

[RN mom of 2]

It might be Alopecia. I think it may be genetic. I knew a girl and two of her sisters had it, and they wore wigs. They were very pretty women, and you'd never know they didn't have hair. Here is a link:

-National Alopecia Areata Foundation -- NAAF

[Monica RN,BSN]

Thanks for the replies so far.. I will take all suggestions into consideration, and to the poster who mentions person who pull their hair out.. I am certain she does not, she says if she could only wish for hair, she would never make a wish again.. It is hard for her sometimes due to the rudeness of schoolmates.

Thanks again

[2008nurse2b]

I had a child that lived next door to me who had the same symptoms and they realized it was all stress induced from her parents divorce.