How to Treat Cradle Cap in Infants

Cradle cap, or seborrheic dermatitis, is an inflammatory skin condition that occurs commonly in infants and toddlers, causing flaky scales to form on the scalp. The scales can be white, yellowish or even brown and can literally form a rough "cap" on the child's head. If you're parent to a young child, it can be a pretty gross thing to deal with. Of my three children, all have had cradle cap to some degree, with my youngest daughter having the worst case. Parts of her scalp felt like sandpaper at times, causing myself and my husband no end of frustration. Fortunately, cradle cap is harmless, temporary and treatable. Here are some of the best ways to control and eliminate your little one's cradle cap.

Understanding what cradle cap is can help you treat it effectively. It looks like severe dry skin, but oils and lotions or limiting baths can make it worse. The cause of seborrheic dermatitis is actually believed to be an overproduction of oil on baby's scalp combined with irritation from a yeast called malessizia. The most effective treatments for cradle cap combine a careful softening and removal of scales on the scalp with regular shampooing to cut the excess oil. While it's always good to check with your pediatrician for specific treatment information regarding your baby, here are some basic tried-and-true strategies for eliminating cradle cap.

Softening and Removing Cradle Cap Scales

If you don't already own a soft-bristled baby brush, you'll want to buy one. While they may seem silly for a child who has little or no hair, they serve multiple purposes in treating cradle cap. First, they improve circulation to the scalp. Second, they can help to loosen and remove crusty cradle cap flakes from the scalp without hurting baby's sensitive skin.

Many pediatricians suggest baby oil to help soften and loosen cradle cap scales. NOTE: If you try to remove cradle cap scales without softening them first, it can cause bleeding and irritation of the scalp. However, many parents find other products to be equally effective in treating cradle cap, including Aquaphor creams or olive oil. Each child is an individual, so a little trial and error may be required. To soften scales, apply the baby oil (or other product) liberally to baby's scalp and massage it in. You can do this before or during baby's bath. Leave the product on baby's scalp for several minutes - if you do this prior to a bath, placing a hat on his or her head can help the process along and prevent a mess.

Once the product has had a chance to soften the scales, brush baby's hair thoroughly with a baby brush or use a fine-tooth comb to remove as many scales as you can. This is a time-consuming process; expect to spend at least 10-15 minutes on this step. When you've removed as many scales as you can, it's time to wash baby's hair.

Removing Excess Oil

Using a gentle baby shampoo, wash your child's hair thoroughly. If some cream or oil remains, you may want to wash a second time to remove it. If oil is left in baby's hair, it can actually exacerbate the problem. When you're done washing baby's hair, dry it thoroughly with a towel to stimulate the scalp and remove any little flakes which may have been missed.

Frequent shampooing is one of the best ways to combat cradle cap. Some experts recommend daily shampooing, while others say 3-4 times a week will suffice. Use your best judgment, and do what works for you and your child. If your little one is experiencing redness and inflammation along with the cradle cap, talk to your pediatrician, who may recommend a 1% hydrocortisone cream.

Although cradle cap isn't cute, it isn't permanent or harmful to your baby. If you are bothered by the cradle cap, or your child seems to be uncomfortable, the tips listed above will help you eliminate and reduce the severity of your child's bout with cradle cap.

Information obtained on March 27, 2010 via:

https://health.google.com/health/ref/Seborrheic+dermatitis

http://www.babycenter.com/400_getting-rid-of-cradle-cap_1715371_345.bc