Infections, Iron, Vitamin D and Stress Top the List of Triggers — Donovan Hair Clinic
What are the triggers of telogen effluvium in children ?
Introduction
Earlier this year, I shared a study from Dr Sibbald and colleagues outlining the potential triggers for telogen effluvium at a tertiary care centre. Systemic inflammatory diseases, infections, low iron, low vitamin D, and stress were among the top triggers.
READ: IRON DEFICIENCY, STRESS, INFECTIONS AMONG THE MORE COMMON CAUSES OF TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM IN CHILDREN.
Chen et al 2022
A new study set out to better evaluate causes and treatment approaches for children with telogen effluvium.
Chen and colleagues performed a retrospective study of pediatric patients with telogen effluvium at the University of Miami seen over the period 2009 to 2021. There were 76 patients included in the study. Age at disease onset was on average 12.3 years old. Patients consisted of 88% (67/76) female and 12% (9/76) male.
Races included African-American/Black (3%), Asian (3%), Hispanic or Latino (62%), multi-race (3%), and White (28%).
32% (24/76) of patients had other non-dermatologic conditions, including asthma (n = 7), anemia (n = 3), thyroid disease (n = 3), GI diseases including inflammatory bowel disorders (IBD) (n = 3), and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (n = 3)
Specific Triggers of Telogen Effluvium in Children.
67% of patients (n = 51) had an identifiable “trigger”, with the most common ones being emotional stress and acute febrile illness, followed by nutritional deficiencies (specifically low ferritin, and low vitamin D).
No trigger could be found in 42 % of children. 18.4 % had emotional stress as the trigger. 14.5 % had acute illness or febrile illness as the trigger. Micronutrient deficiencies were present in 11.9% 5.3 % had weight loss as the trigger. 12-15 % had another reason.
