My Baby Is Losing Their Hair - Is That Normal? By a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner & Mom of Two

You spent nine months imagining your baby, and maybe you even pictured that perfect little head of hair. So when those newborn locks start falling out in the first weeks after birth, it can feel alarming. As a pediatric nurse practitioner and a mom who has been through this twice myself, I want to reassure you: this is completely normal, it happens to almost every baby, and that hair absolutely comes back.

Why Does Newborn Hair Fall Out?

During pregnancy, your hormones, particularly estrogen, cross the placenta and actually help keep your baby’s hair in its growth phase. Once your baby is born and those maternal hormones begin to drop, the hair naturally transitions into a resting and shedding phase. This process is called telogen effluvium, and while the name sounds intimidating, it simply means the hair cycle is resetting. It typically begins around 8 to 12 weeks of age, though some babies start earlier or later.

Both of my own children went through this. I knew it was coming, and I still found myself doing a double-take the first time I spotted the little bare patches appearing. It can feel jolting at first, even when you know the science behind it. 

Safe Sleep and Hair Loss: What You Should Know

There is one more thing that can contribute to hair loss in babies - and that is sleeping on their backs. If you notice a flat or thin patch forming at the back of your baby’s head, the friction from the mattress is often part of the reason. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2022 Safe Sleep Guidelines are very clear: babies should be placed on their backs for sleep for the entire first year of life. This recommendation exists because back sleeping significantly reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths.

Hair loss is not a reason to change your baby’s sleep position. Please continue to place your baby on their back to sleep, even if you are noticing thinning or a bald patch. The hair will grow back. 

This Is Where Tummy Time Comes In

Supervised tummy time is one of the best things you can do for your baby, and it also helps relieve some of that constant back-of-head pressure. The AAP actually recommends starting tummy time as soon as you come home from the hospital. Just a couple of minutes at a time is all you need in those early days. From there, you gradually work up toward 15 to 30 minutes total (divided into 3-5 minute sessions) each day by 7 weeks of age.

Here is something important to remember: tummy time does not have to mean baby flat on the floor. If your little one fusses during floor time (and many do!), try laying them chest-to-chest on you while you recline on the couch or in a chair. Any time your baby is resting on your chest, looking around and lifting their head, those neck muscles are working - and that absolutely counts. It is a beautiful way to get in tummy time while soaking up every bit of that newborn snuggle time.

Tummy time strengthens your baby’s neck, shoulder, and core muscles - all the building blocks for rolling, sitting, and eventually crawling. Think of it as your baby’s first workout.

The Hair Does Come Back

As your baby’s body adjusts to life outside the womb and hormone levels stabilize, new hair will begin to grow in, usually within a few months. It may come in a different color or texture than the hair your baby was born with, which is completely normal too. Many parents are surprised to find their dark-haired newborn grows in with lighter locks, or vice versa.

A Note from One Parent to Another

The newborn phase is full of so many surprises - some wonderful, and some that send you straight to Google at 2 a.m. Hair loss is one of those things that can feel worrying but is truly just your baby’s body doing exactly what it is supposed to do. Keep putting your baby on their back to sleep, get in your tummy time, and know that those little locks will be back before you know it. You are doing a great job.

Reference: American Academy of Pediatrics. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057990.