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Cradle cap

The reason why babys and toddlers can develop cradle cap plus information on how it can sometimes be cured with special treatment shampoos.

Cradle cap (infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis) is a crusting and yellow scaling rash found on the scalp of a baby. The scalp can also appear red in patches.

It is thought that cradle cap occurs as a result of sebaceous glands in the skin becoming hyperactive due to hormones being passed across the placenta during pregnancy. This results in the skin cells on the baby's scalp growing faster than they can fall off, resulting in additional, 'crusty' skin. It is not caused by an infection, allergy or poor hygiene, so it is not contagious in any way.

Cradle cap is a very common condition that can occur in any baby. It is most common in infants up to 3 months, although it can occur any time up to about 12 months.

The most gentle method of treating cradle cap is to rub a little baby oil onto your baby's scalp. Wait a few minutes for the oil to soften and loosen the scales, then brush them away with a soft brush.

Alternatively, you can try washing your baby's scalp regularly using a mild baby shampoo.

If the symptoms don't improve over time by using the above treatments, your doctor can prescribe a medicated shampoo or cradle cap cream.

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I use baby oils by mama nature that are 100% natural and are great for simon's cradle cap and dry skin. Coconut oil, olive oil and almond oil are all super for cadle cap and much better than the shampoos that are filled with chemicals.
by Mindymu	23rd Feb 2012, 9:29am

My son had cradle cap,we used a shampoo called Dentinox and it cleared it,odd thing was that it came back but we used it again and got rid of it. its unsightly and we were told not to pick it tempting tho it is.Olive oil on a night can b helpful too.
by suzi2	12th Aug 2010, 10:19am

hi my baby is 3 months and hes got cradle cap on his face and its gone red and sore and weeping hes on atibiotics has any1 else ever had this problem with there child
by zara9876	14th May 2010, 4:41pm

my son of 3 months keeps rubbing his head because of cradle cap and making it bleed . I am thinking of swaddling him until it goes away, does anyone have any ideas. Thanks
by zedder	11th Jan 2010, 3:20pm

My first son had really bad cradle cap on his scalp from about a few months old. I used dentinox shampoo and it took a little while but it did the job and it cleared up. I carried on using it until the bottle was empty (about 1yr) to stop it from coming back.
by shanc1978	24th Aug 2009, 9:05am

my baby is now 7 months old and still has bad cradle cap, tried everything but no good, can anyone suggest what to do next?
by lizzire	3rd Jul 2009, 9:09am

i remember my lil brother havin it wen he was born, ma mum did use baby oil on his scalp but it dint budge so she did go to the doctors n they prescribed a really smelly but really effective shampoo... best bet is to get advice from ur gp
by nikkz08	3rd Nov 2008, 10:08am

my little boy is nearly 3 years old and he has come out with cradle cap on is scalp and he has got little red patches on his face any advice on what i should do
by jakeanna	7th Feb 2008, 8:52am

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