Cradle Cap - Symptom, Causes, Treatment of Cradle Cap

What is Cradle Cap?

Cradle Cap is a common condition of babies in which thick, greasy, yellowish scales appear on the scalp and sometimes behind the ears. Cradle cap is not a serious condition and is only temporary. It usually clears up by the time the child is six to twelve months old but may occasionally persist for longer. Seborrhoeic dermatitis may then occur again after the child reaches puberty.

Most babies have cradle cap from time to time. In their scalps the sebaceous glands that are part of every hair follicle produce lots of sebum - the oily substance that forms a waterproof, protective film over skin surfaces. Once your baby's cradle cap is completely gone, it's unlikely to return, but to help remove dead skin while it's waning, you might want to give your baby more frequent shampooing. Don't overdo it, though, or you can further stimulate his oil-producing glands. A cleansing two or three times a week with a mild shampoo should be plenty. Perhaps the extra sebum is nature's attempt to protect babies from lasing fluid via evaporation from their bare scalps. In rare cases, the condition can spread to the face, or to the body, where it can cause eczema in the nappy region (the groin) and the armpits.

Causes of Cradle Cap

The cause is unknown. It is not due to infection, allergy or inadequate washing. For some time, experts believed that the hormones your baby received from you at the end of pregnancy overstimulated your baby's oil-producing (seborrheic) glands, resulting in cradle cap. But with further research there seems to be less agreement about the culprit. Possibly it has to do with overactive sebaceous glands in the skin of newborn babies, due to the mother's hormones still in the baby's circulation.

Symptoms of Cradle Cap

Greasy, yellow scaling patches that may, eventually, cause the baby's scalp to be covered in a thick, scaly layer. The condition is not itchy and the child is not distressed by it. Cradle cap is characterised by greasy, yellow scaly patches over the scalp. In some cases a thick scaly layer may cover the whole scalp. Over time the scales may become flaky and rub off easily. The condition is usually not itchy and in most cases babies are unaware of the problem.

Treatment of Cradle Cap

You can usually remove the scales by rubbing baby oil gently all ;over the scalp and leaving it on overnight. Next morning wash the scalp with mild soap and water, and gently rub off the scales with a face-washer. If the cradle cap doesn't improve with frequent washing or if the rash spreads to other areas, your doctor may prescribe a medicated shampoo containing ketoconazole , and hydrocortisone cream for any inflamed or reddened areas. You may need to repeat the oiling for several days to soften and remove all the layers of scales. If this fails, or if the scalp is inflamed, see your doctor. The following treatment can be effective in controlling the problem, but it may have to be repeated. The baby can be made more comfortable by loosening or removing any clothing covering the scalp.

• Rub a little olive oil into the baby's scalp before bed. Comb the hair with a fine-toothed comb in the morning.
• When the scales have been removed, wash the baby's hair with a mild baby shampoo.

Who is at increased risk?

Cradle cap is very common in babies. It usually appears during the first couple of weeks of the infant's life.

Bookmark This Page:

Home | Directory | Skin Diseases | Site Map | Cardiovascular Diseases | Hematological Diseases | Contact Us | Submit Site
Copyright © 2006 Medical-Diseases.info All Rights Reserved