Cradle cap is a common non-dangerous skin condition that causes crusty or oily scaly patches on a baby's scalp. Cradle cap occurs when too much oil (sebum) is in your baby's skin. This is probably due to their birthing mom's hormones still circulating in their blood after birth. The extra oil interferes with the natural shedding of skin on the baby's scalp leading to a build-up of dead skin on the scalp.
Common symptoms of cradle cap include:
- patchy scaling or thick crusts on the baby's scalp
- oily or dry skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales
- skin flakes
- mild inflammation
Similar scales may also be present on their body folds such as ears, eyelids, nose, and groin.
Treatment for cradle cap
Cradle cap does not need to be treated as it usually goes away on its own. But there are things you can try to make it better.
- lightly massage an emollient/moisturizer onto your baby's scalp to help loosen the scales
- gently brush your baby's scalp with a soft brush and then wash it with baby shampoo
What you should not do to the cradle cap
- use olive oil as it may not be suitable for use on the skin
- use peanut oil as it may trigger allergies
- use soap or adult shampoos
- pick crusts which can increase the chance of infection
Here are some things on our site that can better the cradle cap!
Mustela Foam Shampoo For Newborns
Buds Soothing Organics Flaky Scalp Oil
When to see a doctor
See your baby's doctor if:
- your baby has cradle cap all over the body
- the crusts bleed or leak fluid
- the affected areas look swollen
- the cradle cap does not get better after weeks of treatment
