Your Baby and Cradle Cap
What we know:
Cradle cap is a harmless and common skin condition which appears as greasy, flaky skin on young babies’ scalps. Research shows it affects around 4 in 10 babies under three months.
It will usually develop in the baby’s first few months and in many cases will go away on its own without needing treatment. In less common instances your baby may also develop it on their face, neck, nappy area and armpits or backs of their knees.
It might look unsightly but is does not hurt and is not usually itchy. It is not contagious and has usually cleared up by the time your baby reaches six months.
What we don’t know:
How it is caused. Experts say it might be more likely if your baby has particularly oily skin. Some research has also found that it could be linked to a type of yeast called malassezia.
Cradle cap has nothing to do with how clean your baby is so it is no reflection on your hygiene!
How can it be treated?
Regularly wash your baby’s hair with baby shampoo and use a soft brush to gently brush the loose flakes out. You can buy special cradle cap brushes from your pharmacy but any soft brush should do the trick.
If shampooing and brushing isn’t working try using a mild baby oil, vegetable oil or coconut oil on your baby’s scalp before putting them down for the night. This should soften the flakes so that you can shampoo and brush them out in the morning. Avoid using sunflower or olive oil as these are not good for babies’ skin.
If the methods above aren’t working, speak to your pharmacist who may be able to recommend an emollient cream or cradle crap treatment you can use.
Don’t worry if hair comes away with the flakes, it will grow back.
What not to do?
Try to resist the temptation to pick off the flakes. This could irritate your baby’s scalp, causing redness or for it to even bleed.
Don’t use peanut oil due to the risk of an allergic reaction
Don’t use adult shampoo
Don’t use soap
Avoid using shampoo if your baby has eczema.
See your doctor if:
The cradle cap is all over your baby’s body
The scalp looks swollen
The crust is leaking fluid or bleeding
Treatment is not working.
A GP might be able to prescribe an anti-fungal cream to treat it in these cases.
Final thoughts:
There is no miracle treatment for cradle cap and although it might look unsightly, it should clear up on its own.
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