Dealing with Cradle Cap - advice

run_Forrest_run

Our 6 week old is developing cradle cap. Is it safe to say this does not affect them/hurt/irritate them? We are currently rubbing some aqeous cream onto the affected areas...does anyone have any tips/advice on how to treat this or how long should we expect to see this hanging around??

thanks!

Elara Lady

Hi,

i found this site while looking up the same problem for my friends little girl. she said the baby oil did the trick for her.

hope this helps

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Cradle_cap?Open

Nevyn

Both mine had it but it didn't last that long and once the flakes came off it cleared up pretty quickly.


http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babyills/babyrash/80.html

Cradle cap is very common. If your baby's scalp has flaky, dry skin that looks like dandruff, or even thick, oily, yellowish scaling or crusting patches, it's most likely cradle cap. Cradle cap isn't pretty, but it's harmless. Most often it shows up in the first few months of life, and it usually clears up on its own after several months — six or seven at the most — although some babies have it until they near their first birthday.

You might notice the same condition around your baby's ears or eyebrows, or even in his armpits and other creases. When it's not on his scalp, it's called seborrheic dermatitis.

What causes it?
We don't know. For some time, experts believed that the hormones your baby received from you at the end of pregnancy overstimulated your baby's oil-producing (seborrheic) glands, resulting in cradle cap. But with further research there seems to be less agreement about the culprit. What we do know is that it's not caused by poor hygiene or allergies. It's not contagious, and it probably doesn't bother your baby at all, although if it gets severe it might itch.

How should I treat my baby's flaky scalp?
You don't really need to do anything, but if it bothers you, try more frequent shampooing and gently brushing your baby's scalp with a soft brush or a terrycloth towel. Some parents find a vegetable oil remedy helpful, especially to loosen any dry flakes. If you want to give it a try, rub just a small amount of vegetable oil (such as olive oil) on your baby's scalp, and leave it on for about 15 minutes. Then comb out the flakes with a fine-tooth comb or brush them with a soft brush. Make sure you follow up by washing your baby's scalp with a gentle baby shampoo — the last thing you want to do is leave oil (which can cause the flakes to stick) on his head. You might try leaving the shampoo on for a few minutes before rinsing, to help cut the oil.

Should I take my baby to the doctor?
Talk with your baby's doctor if your baby's cradle cap persists beyond age 6 months, is severe, or spreads beyond his scalp. She may suggest an over-the-counter or prescription seborrhea shampoo, or, for an inflamed scalp, a cortisone cream.

Can I prevent it from coming back?
Once your baby's cradle cap is completely gone, it's unlikely to return, but to help remove dead skin while it's waning, you might want to give your baby more frequent shampooing. Don't overdo it, though, or you can further stimulate his oil-producing glands. A cleansing two or three times a week with a mild shampoo should be plenty.

run_Forrest_run

thanks for the info folks. Will try those things.

Lorcul

My first child had this and I found baby oil on affected areas, leave it for a while and then wash out as normal. It will soon clear up so try not to get worried

ixiathor

Vaseline worked wonders for our kids .. tip from Granny ...

Hugh_C

run_Forrest_run wrote:

Our 6 week old is developing cradle cap. Is it safe to say this does not affect them/hurt/irritate them? We are currently rubbing some aqeous cream onto the affected areas...does anyone have any tips/advice on how to treat this or how long should we expect to see this hanging around??

thanks!

All 3 of my kids had it at some stage in their early months. Olive oil seemed to do the trick - baby oil maybe OK but I think it's scented, which might cause irritation, especially since my kids had a touch of eczema too. Anyway, dab on the olive oil and let it soak in for a bit, then use a fine comb to remove the flakes. No harm leaving it in for a few hours. Personally, I wouldn't bother washing it off as the soap might dry up the skin even more.

Can't remember which chef it was (Elizabeth David?) who said that when she was young just after WWII, olive oil was used only as a medecine - it wasn't generally known that it was useful for cooking too.

hc

MyBaby

I use Silcocks Base on my babies cradle cap amnd it works wonders. Put it on in the morning and brush it out later when it has dried in

run_Forrest_run

excellent...equipped with more oils and gels one could shake a stick at I will tackle this head one! thanks all.