Seeking Alternative Diagnosis for Cradle Cap

I cannot help with the diagnosis, but when my child had cradle cap, my mother in law stepped in and suggested olive oil for a treatment and it did work.

Hi Allison,

My son has had cradle cap since 2 months. He's 5.5 months now. No matter how many times I try to rid of it, it is never completely gone. After the initial hard crusted stage it became much better but I'd also like to know what the cause is. Please share if you get any answers. Thank you!

J.

My son too had cradle cap and he was breastfed. I noticed his cradle cap increased once his baths increased. I thought is was in part from the baby shampoo resadue. I hope it is that simple for you. if that is the case put baby oil in her hair and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then take a fine tooth comb and brush up the flakes. It could be tedious and may take a few days to get it all out.

Hi- I am an integrative pediatrician in Manhattan- there are several causes of cradle cap, and often it is as simple as the shampoo you use. Cradle cap is a fungal infection like athletes foot or ringworm, and comes often from a build up of moisture in an area that secretes sebum ( skin oil). SOMETIMES it means that the baby has an overgrowth of yeast from too much yeast or sugars in the diet. Sometimes its a simple as the fact atht the shampoos you use are full of preservatives. If your child also has a coated tongue, it may mean that your child has an overgrowth of yeast.
I treat my patients with Cradle clear- a mixture of olive oil and other natral herbs that are natural anti-fungals.
Hope this helps- N.
www.vedapure.com

Hello, A.

Although this may be against the rules of this site, (I don't know,) but I feel obligated to tell you about the wonderful, non toxic products that me company offers. I won't go into it now, but I'd be happy to talk with you at any time. Check out this site...http://seeproducts.ToxinCheckList.com.

Many young mothers love our products because of thier excellant, nontoxic, environmentally safe quality.

We have children's shampoo and a special oil to use for this problem.

No matter what your decision, I wish you and your little one well. Enjoy being a mom, as it all ends all too quickly!

God bless,
J.

1.The skin on her scalp produces new skin cells too quit not unnatural. So the upper layers of old skin need to be removed.
2.The other reason could be dry scalp. For both of these use some olive oil lightly massaged into the scalp.Then gently remove the exsess, with finger nails or a cradle cap brush. Wash her hair affter this. But let the oil sit for abit maybe with a hat on.
3 While washing her hair gently use your nails to sratch her scalp making up a good lather, rinse and repeat.

Dear A.,

I know you practice Alternative medicince, However Its fairly common for your baby to get cradle cap, at 8 months their hair is either falling out or comming back in, I have been told that cradle cap is a form of Eczema,OR dry skin. You merely scratch it off with a comb and make sure to moisturize the head with lotion afterwards, easy to do.

That being said, Look at it closely, If its a small circlular patch it could actually be RING WORM, which is very common in newly crawling babies.

Without actually seeing the spot I can't help you diagnos it properly, so i would suggest before trying several treatments, speak to your doctor.

NOW I have never heard that a coated tongue means toxins in saliva and OTher fluids. But all of my children have had a WHITE tongue from the breast milk, as you know MILK in any form has bacteria, you have heard of the terms CULTURED and pastureized, YOUGURT has cultures aswell,

YOUR breast milk has these same cultures, and it leaves behind residue. Totally normal, just brush her tongue with a tooth brush, to remove the PLAQUE.

ON the other hand you mentioned PRO BIOTICS,
BE very careful you aren't actually causing health problems
BY taking too many vitamins and health products, while nursing and then DOUBLE treating HER by giving her these vitamins ASwell, Everything you ingest she ingests.

LOOK inside your daughters mouth, ARE there WHITE patches, in her mouth, do her lips and cheeks look like they are Chapped?
Because she could have THRUSH.
Thrush is a ORAL yeast infection, which can be caused by Anti biotics, and build up and become very painful.

My youngest had thrush , its difficult to clear up.
I used the Oral Nystain, but there is a BLUE dye I believe found in health stores that coats the bacteria, and clears it up.

Again with out actually seeing her, Its hard to decide what is actually going on,

Good luck,

M
Mother of 3

Cradle cap is just yellowish scaling and crusting on top of the head what happens is the scales pile up and most people are scared to wash the baby's head throughly. Baby's are susceptible to bacterial infections and candidiasis so use tea tree oil ( melaleuca oil) with olive oil and just rub it on the cradle cap. I have 4 children 2 of mine had it a couple of time and this got rid of it tea tree oil has great healing properties. Wal- mart has it but it isn't really a pharmaceutical grade like they say but it will work. If you want a high grade let me know.
Each property in Melaleuca Oil meets a different need:
1. Naturally Antiseptic
Melaleuca Oil’s antibacterial properties help prevent topical infection at the first sign of trouble.
2. Gently Soothes
Thanks to terpinene-4-ol, the "ahh" sensation of Melaleuca Oil stops the scratching, which helps skin heal faster.
3. Safely Penetrates
Melaleuca Oil moves quickly to the source of the problem, even through unbroken skin. Cineole, another key ingredient, helps the oil penetrate your skin.
4. Beneficially Non-Caustic
Melaleuca offers two grades of oil, T36-C5 Melaleuca Oil, non-irritating for most all skin types, and T40-C3 Melaleuca Oil, for more sensitive skin. Skin doesn’t feel raw after using Melaleuca Oil.
5. Effectively Solvent
Melaleuca Oil’s natural solvency helps dissolve dirt and stains.
6. Pleasantly Aromatic
The fragrance of Melaleuca Oil will comfort you with its pleasing aroma (sometimes described as a combination of eucalyptus and nutmeg).

I hope this helps. If you need more information let me know. ____@____.com
I nursed all my kids and my son is 14 months old now and he is still breastfeed. It is the best think for them but is will leave a film on their tongue. Also I am very much into homeopathy medicine.

Good Luck.
R.

My son had that too when he was a baby. My pediatrician sent us to the pharmacy to get some OTC danruf shampoo. Sorry I can't remember what it was called, but it really worked. We only had to use it once and had to be careful not to get any in his eyes. It came in a light green bottle and I think the name began with an "S." My hubby held my son over the sink facing up, while I washed the top of his head.

The problems with your child's cradle cap is probably allergies .My son had a terrible time with it as well.I have recently found a line of products from Usana. I did a great deal of research even going to Utah to see first hand that all the products were as claimed. I was very impressed.There are over 100 vitamin companies in Utah and Usana was voted #1 5 years in a row. This company was started by scientists and doctors and their products are amazing. Did you see the recent report on chemicals in baby shampoo. Usana has a shampoo and conditioner with no chemicals. They also have a body nourisher that totally erased my exema and is safe for everyone. check it out at ____@____.com good luck Carol

good morning A.,

i know of 2 free things that one you should have and the other is kinda strange-i only know because my sister did it.

ok they are: 1. baby oil. works wonders massage it on leave it for a few minutes then wash it of with some light rubbing and it should help.

the second one.... my sister would put breast milk on her sons head. really not sure how well it works but i know people will tell you about it.

hope this helps,
K.

Is she teething? Cradle cap is often a by product of a new tooth coming in (as are diarrhea and/or low fever). A good scalp massage with olive oil (or any gentle oil) and a soft brush will generally loosen up the flaking, which can then be rinsed away. This is not preventative of course, but it definitely helps once it's there.
Best of luck!
Trae

My daughters and I have extremely sensitive skin and can't use any of the suggestions used below. Avalon Organics brand baby line found in most grocery stores health food sections has been the only brand I have been able to use and helped both my girls with their cradle cap. Its very gentle and made for very sensitive skin--the ingredients are all natural (you can recognize all the names). Its a pretty reasonable price too compared to a lot of natural stuff out there. 8 months is still pretty young though. I struggled with it for a while with my girls, especially because they had lots of hair from birth and so it was harder to scrub the dead skin cells away. Good luck.

I know you'll be interested:

http://www.stankurtz.com/biomedical/comprehensive-antivir...

http://www.stankurtz.com/biomedical/tongues-chronically-i...

Hi A.!

Sometimes cradle cap can be a fungal infection. Using a special shampoo that includes tea tree oil can help heal and prevent future outbreaks. The coated tongue is probably fungal as well. antioxidants and the pro-biotic are great! You are on the right track. I have more remedies if you are interested.

A.
____@____.com

I agree with Susan R on the possibilities of cause. Definitely NO mineral oil! Alot of people have been posting things about using vaseline or baby oil which IS mineral oil! Its a form of petroleum. No good! I think the alternative medicine is a great safe way of treatment. I used to work for a holistic Doctor/Chiropractor. Alot of problems people had came from yeast, so check into that. That Dr. is now using Arbonne products for certain skin conditions. Their products are Vegan and are made of only botanical oils such as safflower, apricot, and orange blossom. The best known thing to make cradle cap dissapear for good is the Arbonne baby oil from the ABC line. Its so safe because it contains no chemicals. I can send you a sample if you send me your address or you can go straight to the site www.arbonne.com. Use consultant id# 17295923 and let us know how it turns out and if you found the exact cause. Good luck.

Hi,
My daughter had it as well. I have always thougth it to be yeast based so your idea of a probiotic sounds good. At the time, I practiced homeopathy on my kids but nothing worked. A homeopath prescribed a "constitutional" remedy and that worked. My current homeopath argues against constitutional remedies. In any case it worked and it still works whenever she is out of sorts. Sometimes, you need the help of a professional who has a knack for diagnosis.

I commend you on all your efforts. It is not easy.

The Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis Balch suggests that cradle cap has been associated with food allergies which can be helped by supplemental biotin (if there is a deficiency) The absence of intestinal flora may be responsible for biotin deficinecy in infants. According to Ms. Balch "studies have shown that treating both the nursing mother and her infant with biotin can be successful in resolving cradle cap." The trick is checking that out with a doctor before supplementing. In the same book, she suggests supplementing just one vitamin is no good, it is better to supplement with a whole vitamin and essential fatty acids.

Good luck,
Ana M.

Olive Oil was recommended by my pediatrician and it worked!!

D.

Seriously, when bathing the baby use a baby hairbrush to wash the baby's hair instead of your hand and it keeps the scalp massaged and dead skin from collecting on the scalp. You can put the shampoo on the brush before starting the bath and not have to worry about that during the bath and it worked great. It's really easy to avoid, harder to get rid of as we usually use the "no more tears" shampoos on our babies which doesn't treat the cradle cap and scrubbing tends to irritate the scalp.

from my experience it really is just dandruff. i used a dandruff shampoo carefully and it got under control.
s

my daughter barely had any cradle cap when born, everyone said most likely it was because she was c-section and didn't have all that extra nastiness on her on the way out (like vaginal delivery...but no dr. answered my question, so idk for sure). when she was around your daughter's age, she started showing the cradle cap (through a thick abundance of hair) i would gently pick at it while i brushed her hair AFTER it was washed, and wet. though i was told by many ppl to just put baby oil on her head, and use the brush a little harder then normal, just not too hard to hurt! the ONLY reason i didn't do that was because i'm neurotic and couldn't stand the thought of oil in her hair after every bath! by just gently picking/scraping at it after her bath while it was still soaked and soft from being washed it mostly went away with that. the rest, it just went on it's own i guess..unless the brushing took the rest away. either way, she did have it at a later date, and it was almost as thick as i've seen on other babies, and at almost 2 yrs old, there's NO sign of it anymore! hope this was of some help.

Hi A.,

My daughter had cradle cap as a baby and still suffers from something similar now at 3 1/2 years old. It is just extra oils that some kids just naturally produce. I use a dandruff shampoo (head & shoulders extra gentle) once a week. I gently rub her scalp with a washcloth at bathtime. I am not sure if you should use those shampoos on someone so young so check with your doctor.

Hi A.!

My son had it twice, once around that age, and once around 4 months. My Pediatrician said it is caused by the baby's regulatory system not being mature, so it does not produce the correct amount of oil and does not shed dead skin cells properly. I exclusively breast fed my son until he started solids at 7 months (first tooth!), and was always and still am extremely careful with what I eat.

It is usually just a layer of dead skin that is saturated with natural skin oil, so it stays stuck to the head until it flakes off. Adding more oil will only moisturize the pieces that are about to fall off anyway. My pediatrician recommended brushing his scalp firmly with the baby brush very often (a few times a day) to sweep away the flakes & oily layer, and washing his scalp every day, using my regular baby shampoo ( I use all natural products), not dandruff shampoo because it can burn their skin and eyes.
I tried this for 2 days and it was working, just not fast enough for me. So while my son was napping I held him and used my finger nail to gently scape his scalp. I did this paying careful attention not to stay in one spot too long, going over his entire scalp. You can actually see the difference while you are doing it. He didn't even move while I did it. After 3-4 times (over 2 days) it was gone. No one even knew that he had it except my mom, who I told about it and she told me this is what she had done when I or my sisters had gotten cradle cap. Funny how we think alike. He also never got it again after the second time. Hope this helps!

Perhaps the cradle camp is due to a food allergy. I know you exclusively breastfeed but allergens do cross into breast milk. Look at your diet,what do you eat a lot of - nuts, dairy, peanuts, eggs? My son developed cradle cap from an egg allergy while exclusively breast feeding.

I am sorry to hear you are having such issues with your new baby; however, I searched cradle cap in yahoo and found this website and this is what it said(http://www.drgreene.com/21_1062.html).

"Cradle Cap
Introduction:
We are constantly making new skin cells at about the rate that we lose old, dry skin cells. The old skin falls off and we usually don't even notice the process. In many healthy infants, the skin cells on their scalp grow faster than they can fall off, leaving a layer of somewhat crusty, extra skin.
What is it?
Cradle cap is a crusting and scaling rash found on the scalps of many healthy babies. The sebaceous glands in their skin are hyperactivated often because of mom’s hormones that crossed the placenta just before birth. These glands pump out a greasy substance that keeps the old skin cells attached as it dries.

Cradle cap is a specific timing and location of seborrhea.

Who gets it?
Cradle cap can occur in any baby, and most commonly begins sometime in the first 3 months.

It is not common after the first year of life until the teen years when hormone levels rise and exuberant growth returns. Teens often have a similar scalp condition, but for them we call it seborrhea (though I think “cradle cap” when I see it, remembering how far they have come).

What are the symptoms?
Your adorable baby develops patchy scales and redness on the scalp, even though the early baby pictures showed beautiful baby skin. The scales may appear cracked, greasy, or even weeping.

The same rash is often prominent around the ear or the eyebrows. It may appear in other locations as well, where it is called seborrheic dermatitis rather than cradle cap.

Is it contagious?
No

How long does it last?
In most children, cradle cap is gone by 8 to 12 months and often long before that.

How is it diagnosed?
Cradle cap is diagnosed by physical examination. If it has not improved with simple treatment, other diagnoses should be considered and other tests may be necessary.

How is it treated?
Generally, cradle cap does not need to be treated as long as it doesn’t bother you or the baby. Sometimes it itches.

The gentlest treatment is to simply rub a small amount of baby oil or olive oil onto your baby's scalp. Wait several minutes for the oil to soften and loosen the scales, and brush them away with a soft brush or a dry terry-cloth washcloth.

If the cradle cap is especially pronounced, or if your baby is over six months old, you could also wash the hair with a seborrhea shampoo, such as those containing selenium, salicylic acid, or tar. These shampoos don’t have the "no tears" factor, so be careful or your child may not like bath time as much as they usually do.

If the cradle cap is especially reddened or inflamed, a small amount of over-the-counter cortisone cream may help.

These measures may be needed, off and on, until your baby outgrows the condition. Nevertheless, if the cradle cap does not respond rapidly to these treatments, be sure to inform your pediatrician.

How can it be prevented?
Preventing the rapid scalp growth and active sebaceous glands of cradle cap is not easy (or desirable). Frequent gentle shampooing may prevent the build up of scales"

When my 2 yr. old was young, he had cradle cap. I went to a beauty salon and bought Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Scalp Treatment (it's natural...made with euclyptus, mint, etc.) Within a month it cleared up and never came back.

My son also had cradle cap when he was a baby. My pediatrician suggested saturating his head with olive oil and covering it with a light weight hat...especially overnight. I tried it, it's messy, but it worked. Use only good quality olive oil.

The OTC dandruff shampoo Leona is referring to is Selsun Blue, it worked for my daughter as well. Hope thsi helps, I really have no knowledge in alternative medicine so i am not sure what you are looking for.

I don't know where it's coming from but this can help to get rid of it. I know this isn't the info your looking for but I figured since your into homeopathic remedies this is pretty harmless. When my son had cradle cap, I didn't try any of the store bought remedies that everyone always pedals. While he was nursing, I would use a fine tooth comb, usually the one they give you in the hospital, and comb his head. Yes, his head. Kind of like scratching the top of his head to get the flakes off. It worked great and it was way easy. Since he was nursing he sat still long enough to have it done. It didn't hurt and it was really easy to get rid of that way.

The digestive and immune system of a baby is immature, and cradle cap can come and go as she is introduced to new foods. I believe like you do, cradle cap is often a reaction to something. You should talk to your doctor about her coated tougue, she could have thrush or a yeast infection, which could be passed from breast feeding (in otherwords, you may be the source).

Olive oil massaged into the scalp, and washing it off works the best. Don't use mineral oil products, the oil is not the right consistancy. Don't use nut oils, either, since she could have a reaction to peanuts or nuts at this age. I tried several products when my son was little and none really worked as well as olive oil. I also switched to home cleaners that do not have any chemicals, and I market for the company, if you are interested in a presentation, I would love to give you one.

When I took my son to an allergist for asthma when he was about 2, the allergist said that cradle cap and eczema are more likely to be present on children who later develop allergies.

Hi Allison,
I have 5 children and all of them have had cradle cap. Paul Mitchell has a baby shampoo, that you can purchase at salons...it is the only baby shampoo they make. After using it for a few washes it will go away, it is unbelievable

A lot of babies get cradle cap, it has something to do with their oil glands. It is said that if you wash their hair too often it can stimulate their oil glands. The easiest way to get rid of it that requires no medicine and very little time is to bathe the baby and put mild shampoo in her hair and then massage it in with a soft hairbrush. Rinse it out very well. No need for baby oil and no need to pick it off, the massaging you do with the shampoo and the brush will take it off. You should see almost an immediate result. If you keep doing this even when there is no sign of cradle cap it should minimize the chances of it recurring. It's suggested that you do this 2-3 times a week. As for a coated tongue that I don't know much about but if it turns white and thick looking it could possibly be thrush which is a yeast infection. Hope that helps.

Marigold cream! It is wonderful!