pale blotches onblack skin? Deficiency in something?

[peskykids]

My toddler has pale patches on his dark skin. They are not dry or sore, although sometimes they appear after inflammation from his eczema(post imflammatory hypopigmentation according to doc) But they also just appear anyway where he doesn't have eczema.

Someone has recently said it's because he's deficient in something. Does anyone know anything about this? He eats well, and is well, but now I'm fretting...

Totaly non expert but my caucasian dd has a patch of skin which is without any pigmentation. She has had it from birth and it has nothing to do with deficiencies

ds is 1/8 vietnamese and has both mongolian blue spots on his back (slightly dark patches that look like v faded bruises) and 2 v small patches of vitiligo...saw doc said nothing to worry about in fact good identifying marks (altho when i'd ever need to identify him ?)

hth

It's not vitiligo, we were terribly worried about that when he was a baby as at 6 wks he suddenly looked like someone had thrown a can of white paint at his face. They were very concerned that the pigment might not come back again, they'd never seen anything like it, it was so extreme.

These pesky patches are more gently, and fade out - so it's probably nothing.. but I don't want to be blase about something that maybe signifies he's deficient in anything...

It may be something totally different, but have you excluded a fungal infection? It may not be the same condition that he had when he was a baby. Sometimes common skin infections which are athletes foot type funguses create whitish patches on darker skin. Also, if you are worried about a deficiency, why not give some general children's multivitamin like Abidec? If it is too expensive perhaps you could ask your GP to prescribe?

Thanks cat. Do you know how I would spot it's a fungal infection? Or is only through a doctor type test? It does look the paler patches in creases are through eczema, and he does have a multi vit (being the overanxious parent that I am!) But there are definite lighter patches on his outer thigh for example...

I think a doctor will have to diagnose it. Have you asked for a referral to a skin specialist?

We were under a dermatologist for a good while due to his skin condition anyway as they thought that might be fungal, but wasn't. I thinkit looks abit more 'ring-y if it's fungal?

(it did make me laugh though - it was once referred to in a professionals meeting as "child is seeing a demonologist".. ho ho!)

Message withdrawn

dermatologist was completely unworried, said that his facial ones were due to the eczema. They seem to appear and then fade out again, so I'm probably worrying over nothing..as usual! thanks all xxx

that's good to hear peskykids.

My mixed race daughter had pale patches that just faded after time. My son however has very pale, almost white patches that suddenly appeared at about 3 years of age. I'm pretty sure it is vitilago after looking at information on the internet. He is seeing the doctor next week for a referral but i don't know what can be done about it. In terms of deficiencies, unfortunately he is a very fussy eater and will not be cajoled or forced to eat more varied foods. He won't drink milk, which is why i breast fed him until 1 1/2yrs, could this be the problem? he has very mild excema.

It may be nothing MissB. Try not to worry until you've seen the dr/consultant. Mine have all had various pale patches that come up and then go.