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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffCradle cap usually doesn't require medical treatment. It clears up on its own within a few months. In the meantime, wash your baby's hair once a day with mild baby shampoo and brush the scalp lightly with a soft brush to loosen the scales.
If frequent shampooing doesn't help, consult your baby's doctor. He or she may recommend a stronger shampoo — such as an adult dandruff shampoo containing tar, 2 percent ketoconazole or 1 percent selenium — to help dissolve the scales. Hydrocortisone cream applied daily or every other day is sometimes helpful to reduce redness and inflammation.
For older babies, scalp ringworm infections may resemble cradle cap. This condition may require a prescription antifungal shampoo. Another condition resembling cradle cap is infantile eczema.
- O'Connor N, et al. Newborn skin: Part I. Common rashes. American Family Physician 2008;77:4.
- Belsito D. Dermatitis, including atopic, contact, seborrheic, and stasis. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/education/students/dermatitis.htm. Accessed April 6, 2010.
- Johnson BA, et al. Treatment of seborrheic dermatitis. American Family Physician. 2000;61:2703.
- Plewig G, et al. Seborrheic dermatitis. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2951940. Accessed April 6, 2010.
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