Is Cradle Cap as Bad for Your Baby as it Looks?

Cradle cap is a common skin condition that may affect your baby. It is also known as infantile or neonatal seborrhoeic dermatitis. It is characterized by the appearance of yellow flakes of skin on your baby’s scalp. It is most common in babies up to three months of age, though it may be found even after one year in rare cases.

These are the common symptoms of cradle cap:

• Redness of the skin on the scalp
  
  


• Scaling or flaking of the skin
  
  


• Formation of yellow crusts
  
  


• Oiliness or greasiness on the scalp

Usually symptoms of cradle cap subside naturally within a few weeks.

Here are some things you can do to control cradle cap:

• Massage your baby’s scalp using mineral oil at night. Next morning, wash your baby’s hair with a baby shampoo. Then carefully remove the crusts with a soft brush. Do this every day until the crustiness disappears.
  
  


• If this does not help, wash your baby’s hair with a mild antidandruff shampoo. However, take care not to let this come in contact with your baby’s eyes.
  
  


• Sometimes cradle cap may cause the skin on your child’s scalp to develop an infection. This will be indicated by the appearance of red blisters. If this happens, have your child examined by a doctor.