Welcoming a baby in this world is wonderful and difficult at the same time but along with all the happiness and joy, parents face some concerns as well. Babies have soft and smooth skin but many newborn get rough scaly patches on their scalp. When you see those patches you might get tensed, but do not worry as these patches are called cradle cap.
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What is cradle cap?
Cradle cap is also called crib cap, it is the baby version of seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis causes dandruff in adults, but in babies, it causes extremely thick and flaky skin on the baby’s scalp. It is commonly harmless and goes away eventually. It happens in babies up to 3 months old, but can last up to a year or longer.
Cradle cap is commonly found on the head and maybe behind the ears. Sometimes, it also affects the skin under the eyebrows or on the nose, armpits and groin. The flakes may be either dry or greasy, and are generally white or yellow.
Source Prime Health Channel
Cradle cap doesn’t cause any harm and it’s not medically essential to get rid of it. It is not infectious and usually disappears by your baby’s first birthday. But if you want to remove it, you can try a few methods at home. There is one misconception about cradle cap that it is an indication of poor hygiene, but this is false.
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Causes?
As per researchers 10% of baby boys and 9.5% of baby girls develop cradle cap. This condition is the result of the baby’s body adjusting to the new environment. Though it is a very common skin condition, but some of the reasons may be:
Maternal hormones
Fungal infection
Immunodeficiency (Very rare)
Home remedies to get rid of it:
- Hydrate your baby’s scalp
Hydrating the scalp is great for loosening flakes and it also nourishes the scalp underneath. You have to do oiling on your baby’s scalp. Apply a thin layer of oil to the scalp, gently massage the oil for one minute, leave the oil for few minutes and then wash the oil with a baby shampoo.
- Hair Wash
Source Baby Pibu
Hair hygiene can help you remove the cradle cap from your baby’s scalp. Using a baby shampoo for hair wash is enough to treat it. But remember too much shampooing might dry the scalp so do it accordingly.
- Brushing
Source iPlay Baby
Another great way is to gently brush your baby’s scalp. You can find special brushes made for cradle cap or new toothbrushes with gentle bristles can also be used. Brush your baby’s scalp once a day as this will remove flakes and promote good scalp health.
- Prescription creams
In extreme cases of cradle cap, you might need to see a doctor and he may recommend an antifungal or zinc cream. Follow the instructions given on the tube and use it.
Cradle cap is a very common condition, you need not to worry about it.
