Paleness

[Summerland]

My son is almost 4 and quite pale most of the time. I dont know if it's just how he is supposed to be or if there is something wrong. People say im pale too, alot of the times, so it may just be genetic. Im just wondering if any of you have a pale child who is healthy. Sorry about the dumb question im just worried. Thanks

[faythe]

do you do well child visits with your doctor? This would be something to bring up, imo. Many people are very fair, but it's not the same as being pale, yk? When I hear someone say pale I think that they are missing their natural color, no matter how light their skin tone is.

[nonnymoose]

When my sister took my 2-yr-old nephew in for his adenoid surgery consult, one of the doctors asked if he was albino. I guess he's pretty pale.

[katallen]

I would take him in to get tested for anemia because that is one of the symptoms of it. They will give him a fingerprick and test his blood and it is a quick test. I believe they treat it by having you feed more meet with iron as iron is most available in animal meat and possibly an iron pill, that is what they did with my cousin but it was several years ago.

[sunshinesmommy]

My brothers kids are all very healthy...but the are so white skinned ( i don't mean caucasion or fair I mean white like a ghost) it's weird. I used to think maybe they don't bring them outside, but the last 2 years they have a small swimming pool and are outside all day. All the kids in my family are blond/blue (except my dd who has her dads browneyes) and all have fair skin, but are nice and tan by this time of year, except my brothers kids who still look like they have never been outdoors. go figure.

[Rainbowbird]

I recently had the same concern about my son, who is 3 and a half. He was very pale this summer, even though I keep him out of the sun a lot it was still too pale. I kept noticing it and worrying. He looked so peaked, not normal at all for his rosy-cheeked self, though he acted normally and ate well. He was also complaining of leg pains at night and sometimes during the day, so I took him to the dr. He found nothing wrong and said it was likely growing pains and maybe combined with a summer virus.

2 weeks later I took him back to the dr. This time he did bloodwork (CBC, Lyme, and sediment test) even though the exam was again normal. All tests came back normal, too. That week my son started to look better. A week later he was looking totally back to his old self again. He has not complained of the leg pains for awhile now and his color is great.

I think he was fighting off a summer virus that never took hold, also probably having a growth spurt by the looks of him now! It was really weird. I had myself in quite a tizzy over it!

If you are worried, go for the anemia test and an exam. Your doctor should be able to tell whether or not the paleness is a health issue. I would also increase iron rich foods, esp. beef if you eat it, since red meat really has the most easily-absorbed iron. If you don't eat meat, try adding more things like spinach, raisins, nuts, eggs, blackstrap molasses, etc.

Good luck!

[Leilalu]

B vitamins are very important for "rosiness"

Does your son eat meat at all? or would he take some blackstrap molasses (make sure the kind you buy has ample amounts, many do not as they are made differently)
Does he eat eggs?

[RiverSky]

Well, I do know of some children who have always been pale, pale, pale, white hair, translucent skin, much fairer than my fair blonde children. Lo and behold, at 4, they went to an optometrist and found out for the first time (despite regular pediatric visits their entire lives) that they had albinism (were albino) and needed to be extremely careful with their eyes and skin in the sunlight. The mother and I joked about it when the optometrist asked about it, but after further investigation, we were both wrong to take it lightly as they really did have that condition, we just truly weren't educated about it.

I have no idea if this might be the case in the OP's story, but I really wonder about Sunshinemommy's story. Those children sound like they might have albinism to me.

[lindberg99]

He might just be very fair skinned. I am very fair. I ran cross country in high school and my nickname was Luminous Legs because my legs were so white! But I've never been anemic. My kids are all fair too. I think they are always going to be the "white kids." It makes them pretty easy to find at the swimming pool!

Are his gums reddish? I think if he was pale due to anemia, his gums would be pale too.

[wifty]

I am pale and don't tan (even when living in CA or Las Vegas!) and my almost 3 year old is the same way. She comes from a long line of pastel white people and it doesn't seem that she tans at all either.

My brother acutally looked blue when he was little because his skin was so pale, translucent, you could see the veins underneath. He grew out of it.

However, it you are worried about it, talk to your doctor.....paleness can be anemia or other things. However, if he has always been this color and you are pale.....its probably just the genes doing their thing. :-)

With smiles!