Cradle cap, what it is and how to cure it?

The cradle cap or better, seborrheic dermatitis, is a very common disorder in infants, due to excessive secretion of sebum, which is a fatty substance that is emitted by certain glands of the skin.
It is so named because it occurs when the baby is fed only with milk. It can occur from the first weeks of life, and usually heals at the end of the third month, but it is not a rule.

E 'characterized by a yellowish greasy flaking, very similar to dandruff, scalp rash preference (hence the name). In fact, these scales are multiplied to cover the entire surface of the head. In some cases, the lesions may also extend to the area behind the ears, the cheeks and areas around the nose. They are often affected regions axillary, inguinal folds and neck.
The cause of cradle cap

The cause of the excessive stimulation of the sebaceous glands are not yet entirely clear: from time to time have been called in because of hormonal changes, especially maternal hormones in the blood that passed the baby during fetal life, persist until the third month. According to others would be caused by a fungus normally found on the skin. An interesting fact is that there are, in the literature and evidence that the cradle cap may be related to breastfeeding or to particular foods eaten by the nurse. It should be remembered that the cradle cap is well tolerated by the infant and resolves without specific treatment.

Probably the mechanisms that regulate the quality of the skin are not yet fully mature in the newborn and the process of replacing old cells with new happens very quickly. In practice, the cradle cap occurs when the cells instead of peeling off the skin still attached, overlapping cells should be replaced. All this has also deteriorated the activity of the sebaceous glands that produce exaggerated a large amount of fat that is stratified on the whole scalp. Despite the fact that the scales are firmly attached to the skin, they do not cause any discomfort to the particular child. Indeed, by doctors this alteration is considered only in aesthetic terms, absolutely harmless, but unpleasant to see.
The cure for cradle cap

Healing usually occurs spontaneously within the third to fourth month and is facilitated with some handy tips to eliminate these scales and prevent new ones. First you wash your head every two days with oily substances so as not to further irritate already sensitive skin. You have to pass on the scalp of cotton soaked in olive oil or sweet almond or Vaseline emollients or specific for cradle cap on sale in pharmacies, sebum and thinning, softening the scabs, they facilitate the separation.

Because of the location on the scalp and the concomitant opening of the persistence of cranial fontanel, all these operations must be made with caution, carefully avoiding undue pressure and especially the use of nails to lift the crusts still hard. To remove the scabs is advisable, once applied to the oil, wipe gently with a comb tooth comb and then dabbing with a cloth. Finally, dab with borage oil which is useful for balancing the production by the sebaceous glands. In very severe cases can be also recommended the use of steroid creams or ointments, which must be, however, still prescribed by the pediatrician.