While it may be an ungainly sight, cradle cap is not that harmful. It typically affects babies of two years or younger. This begs the question – why are newborns constantly at risk? The exact cause of the disease is still a bit of a grey area. However, some theories have cropped up over time. Many attribute the cause to the lack of essential fatty acid, the failure of a human child’s skin to shed properly, hyperactivity of the sebaceous glands during the time of mother’s pregnancy et al. While a simpler theory suggests that it could just be a bad case of dandruff.

Symptoms vary. A dry scalp is just a mild case; a more severe case manifests in the form of a waxy crust. The latter can spread to neck, face, ears, armpits, chest, groin etc. Nowadays, there are several medically certified shampoos that can cater to this condition.

One thing to note is that cradle cap is not contagious; there is no allergy or infection associated with the condition. So, how do you rid your baby of this condition? The solution is quite simple. Put a little olive oil and rub it gently into the affected head. Leave it on for some time till the flakes go soft and then wash it off with a good anti-dandruff shampoo. This should work for a more extreme condition of cradle cap. For milder conditions, the solution can be as simple as using a brush with soft bristles and gently combing the scalp, which should be properly shampooed.

Should the condition still persist after home-made remedies have been tried out, there is always the option of availing the services of a medical doctor. He would palpably be in a much better position to suggest the appropriate cream or shampoo to be used for cradle cap.