What is the best treatment for cradle cap?
My three-month-old daughter has had it quite badly since she was a few weeks old and while I know it is not dangerous, it does look awful especially as she is very fair. Cradle cap is a form of seborrheic dermatitis and needs to be distinguished from eczema. The key features of cradle cap are that it usually starts within the first few months of life (eczema generally starts later), it is not irritating (eczema is usually very itchy) and it usually has a yellowish, greasy scale. To get rid of it you firstly need to avoid using soap – try using emulsifying ointment or Cetaphil lotion instead. You can also rub the scales gently with baby oil and then rinse away the loosened scales or maybe use a very soft toothbrush. If the cradle cap still doesn’t clear up try a mixture of 1 per cent sulphur and 1 per cent salicylic acid in Sorbelene cream. Put it on overnight then shampoo it off the next day, or you could try a very mild anti-dandruff shampoo. My husband has been using penile injection
