Spotting the symptoms
and treating cradle cap.

Treating cradle cap is fairly easy. It is a common condition of the scalp that usually occurs after three months and is gone by twelve months of age. The scalp can have dry, flaky skin that may look like dandruff or even thick, scaly, yellowish patches.

The cause of it is not exactly known but what experts DO know is that it is NOT caused by poor hygiene but may be caused by hormones that the baby gets from the mother in the third trimester of pregnancy. There has been no definate conclusion.

This condition is not usually treated unless it bothers the baby. There can be some occasional itchiness.

The most gentle at home treatment that I have tried is to rub some baby oil on the scalp and let sit for a few minutes. Then gently comb the scales off of the scalp using a baby comb.

You may need to wash the babys' hair two or three times to get the baby oil out but this does work.

If you believe that it is a severe case then check with your doctor and he may suggest an over the counter seborrhea shampoo or may prescribe one. Just be very careful because these are not "tear free" and will burn if gotten into the babys' eyes.

Once it is gone, chances are, it will not come back. Just to make sure, a gentle shampoo two or three times a week should be plenty.

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