Cradle cap, also known as seborrhea dermatitis, is a relatively common and completely normal condition that can affect your baby. In fact, cradle cap is so common that it is estimated to affect at least half of all babies. Cradle cap is harmless and, for the most part, won’t cause too much irritation or difficulty for your little one.

Cradle cap generally will set in prior to the end of the third month of your baby’s life. For the most part, cradle cap tends to disappear some time before the eighth month of your baby’s life. In fact, it is extremely rare for a baby that is older than one year to experience cradle cap.

Cradle cap will look like a rash on your baby’s scalp. This rash is, very often, crusty and flaky. Sometimes, this rash will appear just in patches on the head. In other cases, it will appear on the entire head. For other babies, cradle cap can show up on the ears, on the forehead, and even on the eyebrows and the eyelids. The good news is that cradle cap is not contagious. If you believe your baby may have cradle cap, the only way to know for certain is to have your health care provider take a look.

Cradle cap can be treated in several ways. There are shampoos that contain various medications that can help with cradle cap. For some babies, more frequent shampooing may be just enough to eliminate the cradle cap. Another treatment option is cortisone cream. You can purchase cortisone cream over the counter, or you can ask your health care provider for a stronger version of cortisone cream if you can’t seem to get your baby’s cradle cap under control.

There are also more natural remedies for cradle cap. There are lotions, oils, and creams that you can use to treat your baby’s cradle cap. In some cases, these herbal remedies can be used for other purposes as well, such as for diaper rash. Some of these natural remedies are going to have herbs in them to help soothe your baby’s skin, as well as natural oils like olive oil to moisturize your baby’s skin at the same time.

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