Cradle Cap
Cradle cap is a scaly, crusty, scabby rash common in infants. In the worst cases it looks gross, but actually, it’s just a natural condition that babies frequently get. The oil glands in their scalp are hyperactive, in part due to the hormones they get from their mother while in utero. The glands excrete oil that keep old cells from falling off.
Dr. Greene.Com says this:
We are constantly making new skin cells at about the rate that we lose old, dry skin cells. The old skin falls off and we usually don’t even notice the process. In many healthy infants, the skin cells on their scalp grow faster than they can fall off, leaving a layer of somewhat crusty, extra skin.
Babies get cradle cap most commonly in their first three months and rarely after a year of age. There are a variety of shampoos designed to treat cradle cap, like this one, and this one.
The shampoos are good, but the real key to getting on top of a cradle cap situation is to loosen the scales that are plastered with head-oil to your dear baby’s scalp. In the hellacious hour before Noah’s bedtime, while I’m nursing or when he’s sitting in my lap, I give him a gentle and thorough head scratch. Then, we go up to the bath and I shampoo his head very well with a regular Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo. After a few days of this the scales have greatly decreased and I think we are on top of the scabby situation.
You can also use an ultra-soft baby hair brush to loosen the scales before shampooing.
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