Cradle Cap

When To Call

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

• Baby less than 1 month old with tiny water blisters or pimples in a cluster
• Your child looks or acts very sick

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Baby less than 1 month old with any water blisters or pimples
• You think your child needs to be seen

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

• Raw rash behind the ears
• Rash spreads beyond the scalp
• Cradle cap gets worse with treatment
• Cradle cap lasts longer than 12 months
• You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

• Mild cradle cap

Care Advice

What You Should Know About Cradle Cap:

• Cradle cap is a common skin condition of newborns.
• It's caused by overactive oil glands in the scalp.
• It's harmless and will go away on its own. But it takes time.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Shampoo Daily:

• Wash the hair with an anti-dandruff shampoo (such as Head and Shoulders). Do this twice a week. No prescription is needed. Note: the daily use of anti-dandruff shampoo isn't approved until after 2 years old. But, using it twice a week is fine.
• On the other days, wash the hair with baby shampoo.

Scalp Massage:

• While the hair is lathered, massage the scalp with a soft brush. You can also use a rough washcloth or your fingers for 5 minutes. Don't worry about hurting the soft spot.

Baby Oil:

• If the scalp has thick crusts (scales), put some baby oil on the scalp. Do this for 15 minutes before shampooing to soften the crusts.
• Wash all the oil off, however, or it may worsen the cradle cap. Reason: the oil blocks the oil glands on the baby's scalp.
• Do not use olive oil. Reason: may increase the growth of yeast.
• Cradle cap lotions for loosening up the scales are also available without a prescription. Apply the lotion 15 minutes before shampooing.

Steroid Cream:

• If the rash on the scalp is red and irritated, use 1% hydrocortisone cream. An example is Cortaid. No prescription is needed.
• Put this on once a day.
• After 1 hour, wash it off with soap and water.
• Do this for 7 days or less.

Expected Course:

• Cradle cap will eventually go away on its own between 6 and 12 months of age. Usually, it doesn't cause any symptoms (such as pain or itching).
• Therefore, treatment is optional. It is mainly done for cosmetic reasons.
• Shampoos, lotions and brushing will reduce the thickness of the scales. They will usually make them go away sooner.

Return to Child Care:

• Cradle cap cannot be spread to others.
• Your child does not need to miss any child care.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Gets worse with treatment
• Lasts over 12 months of age
• You think your child needs to be seen

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Photos

Cradle Cap

This shows a baby with cradle cap on the eyebrows and eyelids. Cradle cap looks oily, yellow, scaly and crusty.

Source: Self Care Decisions, LLC
From the Dr. James Fitzpatrick Collection of Pediatric Dermatology. Used with permission.