Cradle Cap

In rare cases, cradle cap can lead to cracked skin that itches and oozes clear yellow drainage. It is important to know that cradle cap is not contagious and it is not an indication of poor hygiene. Many times, a doctor will recommend a medicated shampoo or lotion if the case is severe. Most of the time, however, it will go away with the use of daily washing of the scalp and a mild shampoo.

The exact cause of cradle cap eludes researchers to this day but it is believed to be the result of an overproduction of skin oil known as sebum which comes from the glands around the hair follicles. A type of yeast known as malassezia grows in this sebum along with bacteria and this is thought to result in the scaly, crusty formation that is characteristic of cradle cap. Seborrhea is known to run in families, meaning it could be passed from mother to baby. There are some things that make cradle cap worse. These factors include weather extremes, oily skin, obesity, lotions that contain alcohol, and other skin disorders.

What are symptoms?

Cradle cap doesn’t look the same on every baby. It sometimes is bunched together and other times it is spread far apart. Some children have thick plaques while others only have skin flakes that are dandruff. Some babies have greasy, oily-looking patches on their skin, groin, armpits, eyebrows, eyelids, ears, and nose while others only have the scalp affected. Some experience hair loss while others have red, itchy areas underneath the hair.

Should I take my baby to the doctor?

Most cases of cradle cap can be treated at home. There are sometimes when the parent should consider consulting a doctor. These include:

• You are treating cradle cap for the first time.
• Your child has seborrhea dermatitis in places where she doesn't have hair.
• You've tried home treatments and not had success.
• The seborrhea dermatitis is worsening and covers large parts of the body.
• The seborrhea dermatitis is causing hair loss or becomes itchy.
• The affected skin shows signs of infection by becoming firm and red, starting to drain fluid, or feeling warm.
• Your child has a weakened immune system and develops seborrhea dermatitis.

How do I treat cradle cap?

Some cases of cradle cap do not require any treatment at all, you simply must loosen and remove the scales from your baby’s scalp. This is done by gently massaging the scalp with your finger pads (avoid use of nails) or using a soft washcloth when you wash your baby’s hair. Try to choose a mild baby shampoo and wash this once a day for a while. After the scales disappear, you can reduce the washing to two or three times a week, just to control the symptoms. Brush the child’s hair with a clean, soft brush and massage the scalp with this. This will loosen the scales before you rinse the hair.

If the scales do not loosen easily, you should consider rubbing a small amount of mineral oil onto your baby’s scalp and letting it set for a couple of minutes to soak into the scales. Then use a soft baby brush to loosen the scales and shampoo as usual. Do your best to wash the excess oil away because leaving it on the scalp may make the cradle cap worse.

If regular shampooing isn’t working, ask your baby’s doctor to recommend a medicated shampoo. Some of these are available over-the-counter or by prescription. Many of these contain ketoconazole, an antifungal agent that is excellent. Others contain ingredients like coal tar, zinc, salicylic acid, and selenium. Just rub some of this shampoo on the scalp, work into a light lather, and leave on for at least three minutes. Wash the shampoo out and repeat this process. This should be done a couple of times each week to get the cradle cap under control.

If your child has seborrhea dermatitis on other parts of her body, hydrocortisone cream can help. Be sure you consult with the child’s pediatrician before using anything stronger than 1%. Avoid putting this on the genital area, too, as it can thin the skin and make matters worse. Don’t use 1% hydrocortisone longer than seven days without giving the skin a rest. Just apply a thin layer ONLY to the affected areas a couple of times per day for five or so days. If the condition worsens or if your child doesn’t improve, consult a doctor.

What is dandruff?

Dandruff is just another name for the condition seborrheic dermatitis (also called seborrhea). Seborrheic dermatitis mainly occurs on the scalp and can lead to cradle cap or dandruff. This is a common condition for children, as well as adults and it occurs in all races and nationalities. Dandruff is more noticeable if a person wears dark clothes, as it causes flaky, white particles that flow down onto the neck and shoulder regions. Seborrhea also affects the eyelids, ears, eyebrows, back of the neck, belly button, groin, and armpit. With dandruff, there are crusty, flaky yellow or white skin pieces that are lightweight and fly off the scalp. This can be very embarrassing for children, especially teenagers. For rare cases, dandruff can lead to hair loss and bald spots on the scalp. Some people with dandruff get a red scalp and some complain that it itches pretty bad.

It is important for you to know that dandruff is not contagious and it is not related to poor hygiene. It can be controlled by using a gentle shampoo and shampooing the hair daily. For really serious cases, your child’s doctor can prescribe a medicated cream or special shampoo. There are many available over-the-counter, too, and you could try them. These are recommended to be used a couple of times each week to control the dandruff.