cradle cap

any ideas of how to get rid of it

They sell a shampoo for babies at WalMart-can't remember the name but it's with the baby stuff in a green bottle-that's worked on my babies' cradle cap before. I think Aveeno makes a good soap for it too.

why do they get this?

Just put olive oil on it. Then use a baby hairbrush or washcloth to gently massage the oil in. Let it sit for a bit while you bathe him or whatever. Then I brush a second time with a little more olive oil. Then shampoo with whatever you usually use.

Both my kids had CCap. Lauren had it pretty bad, she had eczema and every other skin issue for the first five months :( Nothing worked for her - I tried every oil available. She was allergic to the world and everything in it. Thank goodness I breastfed her. So far, knock on wood, no asthma.

With Ian I used Mustela Cradle Cap Shampoo and he only had if for a few days. And so far with him, knock on wood, no skin issues/allergies.

None of my four ever got it, but my mom called it cradle crap and said to use olive oil on it if we ever got it at our house.


Here is Dr. Green's advice:


Cradle Cap

Introduction:
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 (http://www.drgreene.com/54_5.html), the skin cells on their scalp grow faster than they can fall off, leaving a layer of somewhat crusty, extra skin.

What is it?
Cradle cap is a crusting and scaling rash found on the scalps of many healthy babies. The sebaceous glands in their skin are hyperactivated often because of mom’s hormones that crossed the placenta (http://www.drgreene.com/21_1033.html) just before birth (http://www.drgreene.com/54_4.html). These glands pump out a greasy substance that keeps the old skin cells attached as it dries.

Cradle cap is a specific timing and location of seborrhea (http://www.drgreene.com/21_1182.html).

Who gets it?
Cradle cap can occur in any baby, and most commonly begins sometime in the first 3 months.

It is not common after the first year (http://www.drgreene.com/54_6.html) of life until the teen years (http://www.drgreene.com/54_9.html) when hormone levels rise and exuberant growth returns. Teens often have a similar scalp condition, but for them we call it seborrhea (though I think “cradle cap” when I see it, remembering how far they have come).

What are the symptoms?
Your adorable baby develops patchy scales and redness on the scalp, even though the early baby pictures showed beautiful baby skin. The scales may appear cracked, greasy, or even weeping.

The same rash (http://www.drgreene.com/54_21.html) is often prominent around the ear or the eyebrows. It may appear in other locations as well, where it is called seborrheic dermatitis rather than cradle cap.

Is it contagious?
No

How long does it last?
In most children, cradle cap is gone by 8 to 12 months and often long before that.

How is it diagnosed?
Cradle cap is diagnosed by physical examination. If it has not improved with simple treatment, other diagnoses should be considered and other tests may be necessary.

How is it treated?
Generally, cradle cap does not need to be treated as long as it doesn’t bother you or the baby. Sometimes it itches.

The gentlest treatment is to simply rub a small amount of baby oil or olive oil onto your baby's scalp. Wait several minutes for the oil to soften and loosen the scales, and brush them away with a soft brush or a dry terry-cloth washcloth.

If the cradle cap is especially pronounced, or if your baby is over six months old, you could also wash the hair with a seborrhea shampoo, such as those containing selenium, salicylic acid, or tar. These shampoos don’t have the "no tears" factor, so be careful or your child may not like bath time (http://www.drgreene.com/21_200.html) as much as they usually do.

If the cradle cap is especially reddened or inflamed, a small amount of over-the-counter cortisone cream may help.

These measures may be needed, off and on, until your baby outgrows the condition. Nevertheless, if the cradle cap does not respond rapidly to these treatments, be sure to inform your pediatrician.

How can it be prevented?
Preventing the rapid scalp growth and active sebaceous glands of cradle cap is not easy (or desirable). Frequent gentle shampooing may prevent the build up of scales.

Ya know, Cassidy STILL has it... & she's almost 3. It's the yellow-scaly stuff & we first noticed it at 6mo. & I asked her dr., she laughed me off. Brought it up again at 12mo., she still laughed me off. We tried several different things to get it off & nothing worked, so we just said forget it, it should just come off at some point, right?! But, I just checked & it's STILL there! :( I don't really ever notice it as she has so much hair & it's blonde, so it blends in. But with pigtails I can see it in the 'split'... Crazy!!??

Our doctor told us to use dandruff shampoo on our girls when they had it. We just had to be careful not to get it in their eyes.

Gabby had it and Olive Oil worked great. I gently massaged the Olive Oil into her scalp before bathing and then used the baby brush in the tub before I washed her hair. SHE LOVED IT! She was all smiles and coos. I did the process a total of two times over about 5 days and the CC never returned.

Gentle Naturals Cradle Cap Treatment at CVS Pharmacy works well (I see Canola Oil as a main ingredient so you might be able to use that by itself).

Also, as an every day shampoo Paul Mitchell's Baby Don't Cry shampoo works wonders on cradle cap. Rid Natalie's in a week or so! I won't use anything else on her because she hasn't had it since!

Hope that helps,
Christy

Mason had it so bad. I don't recall what I did for it, but it was so yuck! He grew out of it quickly though.

Riley had it also and it was there for a while everyone has given great advice :D