A Spanish toddler has developed “werewolf syndrome” after his parents took a popular over-the-counter hair loss treatment, according to a new report, with nearly a dozen cases reported since last year.
The Navarra Pharmacovigilance Center detected 11 cases of infant hirsutism (commonly known as “werewolf syndrome”) across Spain, with each caregiver using 5% topical minoxidil. discovered. According to a report from El Economista.
Infants with hirsutism grow thick hair all over their backs, legs, and faces, and in extreme cases, their appearance can resemble the Wookiee from Star Wars.
Researchers believe that 5% minoxidil used topically by an infant's parents will be absorbed by the infant either topically or orally, the report said.
Minoxidil is the active ingredient in several popular over-the-counter hair loss treatments, including Hims, Rogaine, Keeps, Equate, and generic products.
Before the spike in 11 “werewolf syndrome” incidents in the past year, Fewer than 100 incidents have been recorded since the Middle Ages..
According to El Economista newspaper, a 2023 incident in which a breastfed baby began to grow hair all over its body over a two-month period starting in April brought “werewolf syndrome” to the attention of medical researchers and the public. Collected.
According to the report, health officials learned from family interviews that the father had been using topical 5% minoxidil.
After the father stopped treatment for male pattern baldness, the child's symptoms completely resolved, according to the report.
In all cases in Spain, the infant's unwanted hair receded when the caregiver stopped applying topical minoxidil solution.
Last year, a case of a two-year-old girl with a rare form of hirsutism emerged in Malaysia, leading the island nation's monarchs to call her a “child from heaven.”
The child has congenital hirsutism, unlike the case of environmental exposure to minoxidil reported in Spain.
According to the European Committee for Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment, health experts have warned that minoxidil can adversely affect the health of infants and cause hirsutism.
A French girl was hospitalized with tachycardia and hypotension after ingesting a teaspoon of minoxidil. According to Reuters.
In 2017, at least 17 children in Spain developed “werewolf syndrome” after minoxidil was accidentally mixed with a drug used to treat acid reflux disease, according to reports.
