Hi moms! My son's exactly a month old now and I think he has cradle scalp. He has some kind of yellowish crust on his scalp and rash on his face and ears. he was born a day late and it is normal for an infant to have cradle scalp when he/she is born a little late. My son's pediatrician said to put baby oil on his scalp and 1/2% Cortaid (hydrocortisone) ointment for his rash. He likes putting his hands in his mouth. What happens if he touches his face and put his hands in his mouth? Is this safe? Are there any options to apply on his rash besides cortaid? Any safe home remedies, say corn starch or something? Thanks!
My doctor told me for my daughter to give a bath and rub vaseline on it. Don't have your baby wear hats the heat makes it worse
Hi C. - I hope before you put anything on your baby's scalp/skin you visit some links regarding the safety of ingredients in many of the commonly used skin care products, including those specifically for babies. Please visit www.findgreenhere.com (safe cosmetics page, link to cosmetic data base) and insert the name of products you are considering to be sure they are in a safe range. I know it is hard to believe, but even some oils specifically for baby's skin falls into the "moderate hazard" range. We now check all of our personal care products and have tossed lots of them which had hazardous ratings. I wish you and your family (especially daughter and son) many blessings. V. G. :o)
Hi C.,
My guy had awful cradle cap. I hated it!
A girlfriend of mine made a terrific suggestion and it really worked. Everynight we'd wash his hair and I would use that little soft white brush for nearly 10 minutes. Just doing circular movements all over his head with a fairly light touch. When we were done, I'd towel dry his hair and massage in regular organic olive oil (I'm not into the baby oil thing). It TOTALLY cleared up and didn't come back.
If it has gotten really bad, you might want to use the hydrocortisone to treat it now and keep it at bay using the method described above.
Oh and no, it's not safe for the baby to eat the cortaid but if you get the cream vs the gel it absorbs more quickly. Oh and I have recently heard REALLY great things about apricot oil and Burts Baby Bee has an apricot oil you might want to look into.
Have a great day and enjoy the time with your sweet baby!
T.
Hi, C.~
I mix a little organic olive oil and tea tree oil and rub it on my son's scalp. No worries if he touches it at all!
Good luck!
D.
Ditto for the other moms' advice about olive oil and gently brushing the crusty flakes off. I found that to be effective and safe. I remember picking them off during breastfeeding and having a yucky mess of dead skin! During the early months, I also stopped using the Johnson's Baby Shampoo (too harsh for my boy) and I switched to the Mustela Baby Shampoo, which I still use for my 11-month old! It doesn't dry out his hair and scalp. I also followed up with a bit of Aquaphor applied on his head (a lot safer than hydrocortisone) With time and a little work, it will go away and you'll see that beautiful smooth head!
Don't use cortaid... just use the olive oil mixture or the burts bees apricot oil... i used the burts bees and just gently scraped it off with my clean fingernails... he was fine.
Hi, C.!
Take a look at my website: www.mccluckfarms.com. I make a natural remedy for skin irritation (great for abrasions, rashes, hives, eczema and psoriasis) that you might want to try. Other moms have had luck using it to treat cradle cap.
Good luck!
