Why Is My Child's Nail Bed Missing

[BBLECH]

My daughter is 11.  When she was 4, all of the bases of her fingernails started to disappear.  There was no nail growing.  After a couple of months, her nails began to grow again.  The doctor said it was probably from a fever she had weeks prior.  Now, she has the same problem happening to her left thumb.  There is a large circular area at the base of her thumb nail that is void of nail.  She went to the doctor yesterday and they said they have no idea why it did that.  She is healthy, but was a premature baby (32 weeks).  She is also a nail biter.  The doctor referred us to see a dermatologist...but that isn't for another three weeks.  The area without nail is not painful.

Any thoughts?

[BBLECH]

Thanks for the input.  I sure hope there is no other disease process going on, hopefully it is some type of fungus...but it sure is odd!  Thanks for the help!

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

Conditions affecting the nails may suggest an underlying disease process. In your child's case, there are several factors to consider. It may be that she was born premature would be contributory to this. Also, localized skin conditions like a  fungal conditions may be considered. However, this does not seem likely since this has been present even previously and it used to involve all her fingers. A biopsy may be able to ascertain the diagnosis. This does not sound like a nutrient deficiency or psoriasis as these conditions do not lead to loss of entire nails.