Don't worry Mum, It's just Cradle Cap

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I met a Mum recently whose baby had a cradle cap and of course, as a new Mum, she was worried until a nurse told her it was nothing to worry her pretty head about. Cradle cap is a harmless skin condition, it causes a white or yellow scaly patch on a baby's scalp. The scales are usually flaky or greasy, with a rash surrounding it. Parents need not panic about the presence of cradle caps as it comes with no negative health effects on the child. It wouldn't even cause itching or any type of discomfort for the child, it will also most likely clear up within a few weeks or months.
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‎Cradle cap often begins within three months after birth, most cases appear within the first year of birth and will disappear before the child's first birthday. Although rare, some babies can also develop it at the age of one or two. Cradle cap is known by other names, honeycomb disease, Crusta lacteal, pityriasis capitis, and infantile seborrheic dermatitis. It is not a parent's fault that the child has it so it is nothing to worry about.
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‎Parents are advised to wash the baby's head gently with a mild shampoo, then brush the scalp with a soft brush to help loosen the scales. The washing process should be repeated every few days even when the scales disappear, this is to prevent it from returning. If this does not help the condition to be better, a doctor or pediatrician should be consulted.
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‎What causes cradle cap is not clear, but bacterial infection, bad hygiene, or allergy has been ruled out to be the possible cause. Experts believe it may be a result of overactive sebaceous glands, a fungal infection, or even both in some cases. When there is an overactive sebaceous gland, it may produce excessive sebum, and this will prevent old skin cells from drying and falling off the scalp, making them stick to the scalp instead.
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‎The glands may also be overactive because the hormones of the mother stay in the body of the baby for months after birth. A fungal infection can occur due to the intake of antibiotics by the mother before birth, or if the child was given antibiotics a week after birth. While antibiotics are known to destroy bacteria causing damage, they can also destroy useful bacteria that prevent the likes of fungal infections. Research shows also that babies with cradle caps, usually have family members that have conditions like asthma or eczema.
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‎Having established the fact that, cradle cap is usually not serious, it also needs to be monitored in case it gets worse. Immediately you notice the area begins to have a red appearance, the patches look irritated, the development of a fungal ear infection, signs of thrush, the area affected begins to spread to the face or other body parts, or when there is a diaper rash, instant medical help is required.
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‎Identifying a cradle cap is easy, a medical expert can identify it by a simple look at the cradle cap, the signals of the rash in addition to the location it appears in, are basic clues a doctor needs to identify the presence of a cradle cap.
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‎Sometimes, atopic dermatitis is confused with cradle caps, but they are not the same. Atopic dermatitis comes with serious pruritus that interferes with feeding and sleeping. It also comes with scaly and crusted lesions poorly demarcated around the cheeks and scalp. Cradle cap is not serious but it can also turn out to be something the doctors need to check out, so watch out for some signs.
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https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15786-cradle-cap-seborrheic-dermatitis-in-infants

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/218942#symptoms

‎https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007582.htm
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https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cradle-cap/

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/cradle-cap.html

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/218942

‎https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531463/
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‎Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people.
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