my baby has cradle cap. what do i do? how did she get it? i wash her hair all the time!!?

Question

i have a 7 month old and she has cradle cap. she gets a bath all the time. my older daughter, who is 14yr, never had it. so this is new to me. any suggestions.

Answer 1

Paul Mitchell makes a shampoo for that. And you may want a good soft head scrubber in the baby area at walmart you can find one and gently remove it all and put something good for baby on the scalp that is oily to keep it away. When you go into a salon ask them if they sale PM hair products they will know the name of it if they do.

Answer 2

It is natural. My daughter had that when she was a month old. I use to wash her hair and their after I would brush her hair with a soft brush and the dry skin would flake away. She loved it! It feels good!

The shampoos dry out the scalp out, even the gentle baby shampoos (if her hair is washed too often). Wash hair every other day (every three days until the cradle cap clears). My doctor said NEVER use any of the cradle cap shampoos unless told by a doctor that has SEEN the cradle cap because some can make it worse. She also said do NOT use baby oils or lotions. She just told me to do the above, after a bath (or the night you wash her hair) brush her hair it will flake like dry skin and they just love it! It feels SO GOOD! Especially don't use cornstarch for ANY reason ANYWHERE on your baby. Cornstarch holds moisture (which her scalp is already dry, you don't want that) and it also creates a breeding ground for bacteria and can cause yeast infections (like if you use it in her diaper).

Just take a soft brush or a fine tooth baby comb or even a toothbrush and just brush or comb (very gently with the comb) the flakes away. AGAIN, it just feel good to have that dry itchy skin flake off! If you want to use some oils my doc said you can use olive oil (very very little, it wasn't worth it to buy it for my daughter, the brushing worked).

It is not an infection it is just old skin that didn't flake off when the new skin grew or it is dry skin.

Contact your doctor if irritation occurs, the cradle cap extends to cover the skin of the face, neck or trunk, the condition seems to worsen, despite your best efforts.

It will normally clear up on its own by the time your baby is 12 months old, normally.

Answer 3

Don't pack away those dark-shouldered outfits just yet. Cradle cap, a seborrhoeic dematitis of the scalp common in young infants, doesn't doom your daughter to a lifetime of dandruff. Milk cradle cap, in which greast surface scales appear on the scalp, often responds well to a brisk massage with mineral oil to loosen the scales, followed by a thorough shampoo to remove them and the oil. Tough cases, in which flaking is heavy and/or brownish patches and yellow crustiness are present, may benefit from the daily use of an antiseborrheic shampoo and/or ointment that contains sulphur salicylates (make sure that you keep it out of baby's eyes) after the oil treatment. (Some cases are aggravated by the use of such preperations. If your baby's is, discontinue use and discuss this with the doctor). Since cradle cap usually worsens when the scalp sweats, keeping it cool and dry may also help - so don't put a hat on baby unless absolutely necessary, and then remove it when you're indoors or in a heated car.

When cradle cap is severe, the seborrhoeic rash may spread to the face, neck, or buttocks. If this occurs, your baby's doctor will probably prescribe a topical ointment.

Occasionally, cradle cap will persist through the first year - and in a few instances, long after a child has graduated from the cradle. Since the condition causes no discomfort and is therefore considered only a cosmetic problem, aggresive therapy (such as use of topical cortisone, which can contain flaking for a period of time) isn't usually recommended, but is certainly worth discussing with your child's doctor as a last resort.

'What to expect the first year' Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway

Answer 4

Generally, cradle cap does not need to be treated as long as it doesn’t bother you or the baby. Sometimes it itches.

The gentlest treatment is to simply rub a small amount of baby oil or olive oil onto your baby's scalp. Wait several minutes for the oil to soften and loosen the scales, and brush them away with a soft brush or a dry terry-cloth washcloth.

If the cradle cap is especially pronounced, or if your baby is over six months old, you could also wash the hair with a seborrhea 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 they usually do.

If the cradle cap is especially reddened or inflamed, a small amount of over-the-counter cortisone cream may help.

These measures may be needed, off and on, until your baby outgrows the condition. Nevertheless, if the cradle cap does not respond rapidly to these treatments, be sure to inform your pediatrician.

How can it be prevented?
Preventing the rapid scalp growth and active sebaceous glands of cradle cap is not easy (or desirable). Frequent gentle shampooing may prevent the build up of scales

Answer 5

cradle cap is not ur fault, don't worry as long as u keep it under control and clean shell be ok. it is dry skin on the head. try getting a a baby brush or a soft comb, then put baby oil in the hair where it is then lightly work it with the brush o comb, washing to much also dosent really help u should only be bathing the baby every other night or something not every night, try a wipe down at bedtime. bathing to much rids the body of natural oils it needs to keep the skin healthy

Answer 6

Getting cradle cap has nothing to do with whether or not you wash your baby! My oldest daughter had it, turns out she just has more sensitive skin than her siblings. Cradle cap is really a form a dandruff. NOT from a virus or a dirty baby!

Rub ALOT of baby oil into her hair, then use one of those fine little white baby combs, and comb the chunks out. Gently - so you don't pull at her hair. It won't all come out the first time, so do this every day. Then wash her hair like you normally would.

I always recommend Johnson & Johnson's - used them for 13+ years. They're less irritating on baby's skin than other brands that I've tried. I love their head to toe body wash - I stocked up on the big bottles, getting ready for my twins.

Answer 7

By 7 months old, cradle cap should be long gone. It's the dead skin/hair from babies when they're in utero. If she's 7 months old and still has it, sounds like she has a skin condition to me. Is it possible you're washing her hair too often and drying her scalp out? 7 month old babies don't really get "dirty" per se... Most people I know make the mistake of bathing their young babies daily. Their skin gets very dry, and they have to goop them up with lotion.

Another problem might be anything you're putting in her hair? Maybe it's causing a build up?

Answer 8

I hate cradle cap too. My daughter had it bad within the opening and when I have an understanding of that it flaked off with olive oil and my fingernail i have been obsessed about flaking off each little bit as I see it. My daughter has alot of hair and many times it might probably build up in spots. It took me three days of scraping it off for it to all solve. You just have to preserve on it in order for it to go away. But there maybe something distinctive with your daughter's case due to the fact it should be oozing anything as cradle cap is only dry skin that comes in contact with the sweat of the baby's scalp.

Answer 9

Cradle cap is a very common skin condition found in perfectly healthy babies. Cradle cap is created when a newborn’s oil-producing glands become over-active due to hormonal changes. This results in dry, crusty patches on the scalp called “cradle cap.”
Although it may not be pleasant to look at, cradle cap is harmless, causes no discomfort or itching, and disappears fairly easily with proper care.

Try this stuff, it's all natural and I found it at CVS: http://www.gentlenaturals.com/products/cradle_cap.cfm

Answer 10

My son had this. Nothing worked. It didn't matter if I waited 3 days to wash his hair or not. But, when I started using Mustela Infant foam shampoo for cradle cap it went away. Mustela products are expensive. I've had my bottle for four months it is still full! But, they work. I bought mine from Amazon.com

I don't know about drying it up. Something about cornstarch makes me think of my black haired baby with clumps of white goo.

Anyway, I used regular baby lotion on his scalp. I started doing it to lay his hair down (he was and is a troll baby)...but the nurse at the doctors office said this was the best way to get rid of the cradle cap.

BTW, its nothing you did. It just happens...

Answer 11

I hate cradle cap too. My daughter had it dangerous within the establishing and as soon as I detect that it flaked off with olive oil and my fingernail I've been obsessed approximately flaking off each and every little bit as I see it. My daughter has alot of hair and many times it may construct up in spots. It took me 3 days of scraping it off for it to all resolve. You simply have got to maintain on it to ensure that it to depart. But there maybe anything special together with your daughter's case considering that it must be oozing some thing as cradle cap is most effective dry dermis that is available in touch with the sweat of the youngster's scalp.