There is a white spot on the baby's hand

Parents are very concerned about their babies and often check whether their babies are healthy. This behavior is correct. If there are white spots on the baby's hands, I believe parents can discover them in time, but do not use drugs or folk remedies indiscriminately for treatment. Because the cause of white spots is not understood for the time being, the cause should be diagnosed.

Vitiligo in children is different from vitiligo in adults in terms of its clinical manifestations and immunological characteristics. Studies have shown that there are obvious gender differences in vitiligo in children, with a high proportion of segmental types and fewer associated autoimmune diseases.

Causes of Disease

(1) Disease status : The earliest onset of vitiligo occurs at birth. Those who develop the disease before the age of 10 account for about 15% of the total number of vitiligo patients. There are significantly more female patients than male patients.

(2) Predisposing factors : The positive rate of family history in children is relatively high, and there is often a history of premature birth in their families, which shows that genetic factors play an important role in the onset of vitiligo in children. Some children have skin lesions in areas susceptible to trauma such as the knees, elbows, forearms, hands and feet, suggesting that trauma may be a predisposing factor for the onset of vitiligo in children.

(3) Location of skin lesions : About 50% of lesions in children with vitiligo are located on the head and neck, about 28% on the lower limbs, and about 18% on the trunk. The first sites of discovery are often the external genitalia and perianal area. The initial skin lesions are often located at the knees, elbows, forearms, hands, heels and other areas susceptible to trauma.

(4) Distribution of skin lesions : 33% to 42% of children have generalized lesions, 17% to 9% have dermatomal lesions, and 30% to 50% have localized and sporadic lesions. There is data showing that approximately 41.3% of children with segmental vitiligo are younger than 10 years old.

(5) Treatment effect : Children with vitiligo are more sensitive to various repigmentation therapies, and the repigmentation rate of white spots is higher than that of adults. However, since children are in the stage of physical and mental development, the adverse reactions of therapies such as corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and oral PUVA are likely to be greater, which will have varying degrees of impact on the physical development of children.

Symptoms

1. Skin pigmentation loss

Skin depigmentation manifests as changes in skin color, appearing as porcelain white spots. The size and shape of the white spots are different. The lesions are clearly demarcated from healthy skin, and the pigmentation at the edges increases. Patients will not feel obvious discomfort.

2. White spots expand in area

As the condition of vitiligo continues to progress, the area of ​​white spots will gradually expand. This is mainly because after exposure to the sun, the affected skin will develop red spots or even blisters, and there will be a burning sensation. After inflammation occurs, the white spots will be larger than the original area. Skin lesions may also occur in any part of the body, the most common of which are the back of the fingers, wrists, forearms, neck, face, genitals and their surrounding areas. The white spots are often distributed symmetrically or unilaterally, or in a band-like pattern along nerves.

3. Hypopigmentation of mucosa

The main manifestation of mucosal hypopigmentation is the lack of pigmentation at the edges of white spots on the head. Some white spots will disappear on their own, and some patients will experience mucosal hypopigmentation. This phenomenon is most common on the lips, followed by the external genitalia. Eye pigmentation will also be affected to a certain extent, but it often does not affect vision. Patients need to distinguish this mucosal vitiligo from mucosal leukoplakia.