What is Seborrheic Dermatitis?
Seborrheic Dermatitis (also known as cradle cap) is a common noncontagious skin condition in infants which usually appears on the baby scalp. It causes redness, scaly patches, and stubborn dandruff. Babies develop cradle cap before the age of three months, and it usually resolves by the age of 6-12 months.
What causes Seborrheic Dermatitis in babies?
The exact reason for cradle cap is unknown. But scientists say it is a combination of different factors including:
- Too much skin oil production due to developing sebaceous glands;
- Genes;
- Yeast that normally lives on the skin;
- Circulation of maternal hormones;
- Stress;
- Dry or cold weather, etc.
Symptoms of Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seborrheic Dermatitis usually appears on the parts of a baby’s body with the highest number of oil-producing glands including:
- Scalp
- Nose, chin, and mouth area
- Forehead
- Back of the ears and neck
- Natural skin folds
- Buttocks and diaper area, etc
Cradle cap appears as yellow brown scaly patches on a scale that can be thick and greasy. Usually, it’s not itchy and doesn’t bring any discomfort to the baby. From the face, it can spread to other parts including diapers area. In folds, the skin can look red, moist, and flaky.
Treatment
It usually resolves on its own within a few weeks or months. But you might want to loosen or remove scales from your baby’s body:
- Wash baby’s hair once a day with a soft baby shampoo
- After that gently remove scales
- If the scales do not go away easily, apply olive oil before shower or overnight. And after that remove scales using a soft brush.
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