A hair growth drug is suspected of causing 'werewolf syndrome' in Spanish babies, leaving their bodies covered in hair.
“Werewolf syndrome” results in abnormal hair growth on the face, arms and other parts of the body caused by minoxidil - Photo: DAILY MAIL
Since 2023, Spanish medical experts have recorded more than 10 cases of newborns in Europe suffering from "werewolf syndrome" after using the hair growth drug minoxidil, causing hair to grow all over the babies' bodies.
Werewolf syndrome, or hypertrichosis in medicine, is a condition in which abnormal hair growth up to 5cm long occurs on the face, hands and other parts of the body.
There is no cure for the syndrome, forcing sufferers to deal with temporary solutions such as shaving, plucking or cutting the hair.
One of the first cases recorded in Spain was in April 2023, when a boy in Navarra province developed unusual hair growth on his back, legs and thighs in just two months.
Investigation by medical professionals found that the child’s father had used the hair growth drug minoxidil to treat baldness while on maternity leave. Once he was discovered and no longer exposed to the drug, the child’s symptoms subsided.
In other cases of newborns with minoxidil-related syndrome in Europe, Spanish newspaper El Economista reported that all of the babies later had their symptoms improve when they stopped using the drug.
Minoxidil comes as a foam or liquid solution in concentrations of 2% or 5%. It works by increasing blood flow to the hair follicles to stimulate hair growth.
The product can be easily purchased on Amazon or at most pharmacies without a prescription.
However, health authorities warn that infants exposed to the drug may be at risk of heart and kidney damage.
According to experts, "werewolf" syndrome in infants is likely due to exposure to drugs through the skin or mouth, for example, when the child sucks or touches the hands or head of the parents after they apply the drug.
In response to this situation, minoxidil sold in Europe now has to carry a warning label about the risk of causing "werewolf syndrome" in newborns, and advises users to avoid letting young children come into contact with the skin where the medicine has been applied.
The UK National Health Service (NHS) also recommends that minoxidil should only be used to treat hereditary hair loss. It should not be used to treat hair loss caused by stress, illness or iron deficiency.
This is not the first time the hair growth drug minoxidil has been investigated in connection with "werewolf syndrome".
In 2019, at least 17 children in Spain developed a similar condition after taking an anti-reflux drug that was mistaken for a hair growth drug.
These children started growing hair all over their bodies after taking omeprazole, a drug that helps reduce stomach acid reflux.
After investigation, authorities discovered that this batch of drugs was actually hair growth medicine containing minoxidil.
Health Minister Maria Luisa Carcedo said at the time that the faulty batches came from a mistake by a laboratory, which mistakenly packed hair growth medicine into bottles of stomach medicine and distributed them to pharmacies.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bo-su-dung-thuoc-moc-toc-tre-so-sinh-bien-thanh-nguoi-soi-20241209163340735.htm
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