Cradle cap is an ailment babies can get shortly after they are born. It involves a child having what looks like dry scales on their forehead, which are harmless, but quite unsightly. These scales may show up on the scalp, as well as other parts of the body.
Causes
Cradle cap has no definitive cause. However it is sometimes thought to be caused by an abundance of oil being produced in a baby’s glands. Another possible cause is an allergic reaction. A child could be having an allergic reaction to something that it in its diet or something it has been around. A third cause is that a baby is simply suffering from dry skin.
Treatments
Although cradle cap usually clears up over time, it may bother you to look at. This can lead to you wanting to take care of the problem as soon as possible. There are a few ways to do so.
One way is to gently remove the scales from your baby’s body using your hands. If you are unsure of this, you can wear gloves when you are taking them off your child’s forehead and other places. This will not hurt them, but remember to be gentle anyway, so you don’t cause any injury or scratches. The condition is not contagious, so you can’t catch anything from doing this, although some people may find it off-putting. This is not a necessary step, but some people want to remove the problem in this manner and there is absolutely no harm in doing it.
Another method is to bathe them regularly and apply a moisturizer to the affected areas after each bath. Make sure that the child gets dried off properly before apply the moisturizer. This should be able to lessen the scales or make them go away entirely.
Furthermore, take care to only wash your child with gentle soaps and other products because young kids are sensitive to chemicals of all types. You may also opt to use coconut or olive oil in lieu of a moisturizer, so you don’t have to worry about weird ingredients on its delicate skin. You can even use the oil to get the flakes off a baby’s skin. To do so, doctors recommend rubbing oil on the areas that need help and letting it sit there for around 15 minutes. Then you simply rub the dry areas to get the scales out of the way and get rid the skin of any excess oil that may be left.
If moisturizing doesn’t help, then they may have an allergic reaction. Check the ingredients on the formula if they are using it, and make sure you wash all of baby’s clothes and bedding regularly with a mild detergent.
In the case of dry skin, you can continue to use lotion or moisturizer on the little one, and make sure that the air isn’t too dry in your house. Invest in a humidifier to keep baby’s room at the optimal humidity level. You can purchase simple hydrometers that will help you monitor humidity in your house, if you need to know precise amounts.
If you are still at a loss after trying each of these methods, it may be time to visit your doctor. They will be able to test the baby to make sure the skin condition isn’t more serious and give you different creams or ointments that can clear it up. It is most important to remember that many babies get cradle cap, so it isn’t a huge cause for concern unless it doesn’t clear up after the first 12 months of life.