While cradle cap is mostly common in infants, your baby can get it even at 1 to 3 years old. If your baby is grown up, dandruff can still affect it.
Seborrheic dermatitis is a condition that causes the formation of crusty flakes. This condition is called cradle cap in babies and dandruff in adults. However, some differences give them different names.
Cradle caps in toddlers are not rare. Also, it is neither harmful nor contagious. It means the disease cannot be transferred from person to person. So you don’t have to quarantine your baby and its accessories. Still, it could harm your baby in severe conditions.
To ensure your baby is safe and clean, read the guide to learn about Seborrheic Dermatitis in toddlers, their causes, symptoms, and treatments.
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Cradle Cap in Toddlers
Cradle cap is a condition in infants and toddlers that causes the formation of crusty flakes or scaly patches on a baby’s scalp and other body parts. It mostly affects the scalp. However, it can spread to other body parts, including the face, eyebrows, behind ears, diaper area, and armpits.
The cradle cap in toddlers and infants usually fades out within a few weeks or months. It doesn’t need special treatment or care. However, severe conditions can cause illnesses like inflammation, irritation, itching, and redness in the affected area.
You have to be careful if you’re dealing with Seborrheic Dermatitis in your baby. Make sure to avoid factors that contribute to an increase in disease and risk of infection.
It can also cause hair loss indirectly. The cradle cap sometimes provokes itching, sparking the urge to scratch and leading to hair loss.
Causes
There is no specific cause for cradle cap in toddlers. Various factors can cause it. One of the significant causes is the hormonal transfer from mother to baby. Some hormones remain in your infant even after proper delivery.
These hormones overactive the sebaceous glands in the baby’s body that are responsible for producing an oil known as Sebum. In general, the oil is responsible for the hydration and soothing of the skin.
However, overproduction caused by hormonal transfer leads to crusty, dry, or oily flakes on the baby’s scalp and other body parts.
Melassezia can also be the cause of Cradle cap in your baby. It is a fungus which is found in almost every human being. The yeast is not responsible for causing issues on the skin. However, sometimes, it damages skin oils and makes the skin dry. The oils then convert into flakes.
Some pediatricians suggest that dead cells on the scalp take the form of crusty or oily flakes. It is often caused by the overproduction of oil by sebaceous glands. So, you must be careful about using oils on your baby.
Symptoms of Cradle cap:
It is quite easy to diagnose seborrheic dermatitis in your toddler. You don’t have to take a test to diagnose the condition. Just read the symptoms below and see if these are in your baby. If yes, then your baby is affected by the cradle cap:
- Yellow, white, and brown crusty flakes on scalp or body parts.
- Redness, inflammation, itching, pain, or discomfort.
- Flakes on scalp, face, eyebrows, skin folds, armpits, and diaper area.
- Dry or oily scalp.
These are the major symptoms of cradle cap in babies. If you have diagnosed the condition in your baby and want to treat it, read the paragraph below.
How do you treat cradle cap in toddlers?
There are some effective techniques to stop the rise of cradle cap. These treatments will work for your child if affected in mild conditions.
Regular Bath:
In infants, it is a sensitive treatment. However, it is useful for toddlers. Wash your baby’s head or take a bath regularly. Regular baths can help loosen the flakes, which you can remove with the help of a comb or brush.
Shampoo:
Only a bath is not enough to remove flakes. You should use a good shampoo for treating seborrheic Dermatitis in your toddler. Instead of regular shampoo, use cradle cap shampoo for babies, which is specialized for removing flakes and making skin smooth.
The shampoo doesn’t contain fragrances and irritants that can trigger allergies in your baby. This shampoo is FDA-approved and BPA-free.
Use a Brush:
You are bathing your baby using a medicated shampoo regularly. Using a brush with soft bristles to remove flakes would be a plus point.
Besides using a brush in the bath, you can also do dry brushing. It can help loosen or remove flakes, reduce redness due to cradle cap, relax muscles, and massage the baby.
Use the brush gently to avoid pain and hair loss.
Petroleum Jelly:
If you find it hard to lose flakes, use petroleum Jelly. Petroleum jelly is widely used for household and health purposes. It helps moisture dry skin and lose flakes. Then, you can bathe your baby and use a brush to remove flakes.
These are treatments of cradle caps. Usually, these treatments will work for you. However, you should consult a good pediatrician if you see severe symptoms or no effect of these treatments on your baby.
Preventive Measures:
Preventive measures can help stop cradle caps or speed up the healing process.
Philosopher Desiderius Erasmus Once Said:
“Prevention is better than cure.”
So why don’t you add preventive measures to your baby’s daily routine? Follow the below tips:
- Give the necessary bath to your baby. Don’t overdo it.
- Never pick or pull flakes with an object.
- Avoid applying oils to your baby’s scalp.
- Avoid scratching or hard comb.
- Don’t use harsh products.
- Use medicated shampoo instead of baby shampoo.
- Use a brush with soft bristles gently to loosen flakes.
The reason why I advised you to avoid oils is because they can contain protein and other elements that trigger allergies. It can worsen the situation.
If you are dealing with mild conditions, you must follow preventive measures. Hope this guide helped you deal with cradle caps in toddlers.
