Causes and Treatment of Vitiligo in Children

Vitiligo, which is the result of malfunction of the immune system, is also seen in children.What are the differences between childhood Vitiligo and adults? How to follow a treatment program? We prepared for you all this  by Dr.Kalko Health Care Services.
Result of the examinations on Vitiligo patients; Experts, on the mother and father’s side observed that the familial genetic diseases are intense. However, they do not have to have Vitiligo. It was seen that diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, goiter, inflammatory rheumatism, psoriasis, allergic diseases, allergic asthma, cancer can be found in both parents.
It was found that the presence of these risk factors increases the risk of Vitiligo in children and decreases the age of occurrence. It was also observed that these children were not fed properly, they were fed fast food predominantly, they got sick and used antibiotics frequently, and they were at risk of nasal flesh surgery, sinusitis, asthma, allergy susceptibility, tonsil operation. It was found that children with vitiligo (Ala) had poor sleep patterns, they could be angry and aggressive, lack of concentration and / or forgetfulness. In addition, iodine deficiency and vitamin D deficiency were frequently detected in these children. In almost all of these children, it was observed that severe gluten and lactose sensitivity and adherence to diet were very good. All vitamin levels, especially B12, iron, folate, zinc, selenium and biotin levels were also low. It was observed that the prevalence of allergic asthma, asthma, bronchitis and various allergic diseases increased in families of children with vitiligo. This suggests that intestinal flora of this group of patients generally deteriorates in their families. At least half of these children are positive for helicobacter pylori germ (bacterial overgrowth and leaky gut syndrome in the intestines). So, it was seen that intestinal leakage syndrome developed.
How old can children start immunotherapy and how does the process proceed?
Experts states that the process should begin during the pregnancy, if the genetic risk factors are high on babies’ families. Thus, the mothers should better start Immunotherapy. On the other hand, if immunotherapy is not started during the pregnancy, it is emphasized that Immunotherapy can be started after the age of 1, but its ideal is to take the treatment after 2 and a half years in order to establish cooperation.
What is done in childhood immunotherapy?
A detailed history of illness, personal and family history is taken just like the adult. Detailed examination and thyroid doppler USG is performed. All immunity screening tests are ordered based on age and history. If necessary, pre-treatment photographs are taken using Wood Testing for response evaluation, and the patient is again told about diet training based on the test results. Body temperature monitoring is taught. Book tracking is being taught. The patient is followed up in accordance with the follow-up principles, whether living abroad or domestically, and monthly changes are made according to the recovery rates in his/her treatment. In children, products that can be as low as possible and easy to take are given orally. Cellular therapies that do not cause toxicity or accumulation can be used extensively. In the first month, liver and kidney functions are monitored especially for side effects. A complete blood count is monitored for absorption. Whether the patient is able to follow the target diet can be seen from blood tests. The response of children with naive stem cells are quicker than than adults if they are using their medications harmoniously.