Cradle Cap
Help-My Baby Has Dandruff
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Cradle Cap is a form of dermatitis call Seborrheic dermatitis. It is characterized by a whitish scaley scalp on babies. It is not uncommon,nor contagious and will go away with time. There however certain treatments that can help. Treatment Steps: 1. Massage your baby's scalp gently with your fingers or a soft brush to loosen the scales and improve scalp circulation. 2. Give your child daily, gentle shampoos with a mild soap while scales are present. After scales have disappeared, you may reduce shampoos to twice weekly. 3. Be sure to rinse off all soap. 4. Brush your child's hair with a clean, soft brush after each shampoo and several times during the day. 5. If scales do not easily loosen and wash off, apply some mineral oil to the baby's scalp and wrap warm, wet cloths around his head for up to an hour before shampooing. Then, shampoo as directed above. Remember that your baby loses a lot of heat through his scalp. If you use warm, wet cloths with the mineral oil, check frequently to be sure that the cloths have not become cold. Cold, wet cloths could drastically reduce your baby's temperature. 6. If the scales continue to be a problem or concern, or if you child seems uncomfortable or scratches his scalp, contact your physician. He may prescribe a cream or lotion to apply to your baby's scalp several times a day. 7.If the scales continue to after 6 months of age, you could also wash the hair with a seborrhea shampoo (adult dandruff shampoo), such as those containing selenium, salicylic acid, or tar. These shampoos don’t have the "no tears" factor, so be careful or your child may not like bath time as much as he or she usually does. If your baby's scalp is especially reddened or inflamed, a small amount of over-the-counter cortisone cream may help. Generally, cradle cap does not need to be treated as long as it doesn’t bother you or the baby. Sometimes it can itch.
Infant Care Concerns
Cradle Cap Treatments
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