What is it and why does it happen? My 11 week old baby has it bad on the top of his head and he also seems to have it on his forhead. I've found that soaking him in water then applying baby oil gel with aloe and vitamin e seems to help. When he was first born he had pimples covering his entire body. Now he only has red bloches that look like something had bit him. They really show up during a bath. Does eczema cause this? Is that why older people have dandruff, dry scalp but in babies it's called cradle cap?
So, I make a doctors appointment because the little boys forhead is cracking and bleeding. By the time the doctor appt comes this little man looks like he has a slight rash on his face and slight cradle cap but nothing serious! That's a good thing don't get me wrong but made me feel like an overreacting mom. The doctor suggest nutragena t gel(sp) for his head. I did change our laundry detergents and softners to the free of dyes and perfumes. I've been using dreft to wash the kids clothes. My sister in law gave me the cradle care that has winnie the poo on it. I tried it on his head and forhead and it made it dry out a ton even when I had oiled it after. I will just stick to his head with that product.
I'm trying Aquaphor from Eucerin, seems to work well on his face. Also I have been experimenting with Olive oil. Makes me want to get some bread and dip it everytime I put it on him. He explained that our skin has fats and oils in it. Maybe a slab of beef roast fat would work? ;) ha ha. It seems to just have a water bath with no washing, just scrub his head with the brush and oil after seems to work the best as I'm not washing any oils off with wash product but giving his skin more to help keep him happy. Thanks for all of your comments and advice. I hope to get this cleared up soon! Some advice I can use on my 3 year olds eczema also!
I know you have a lot of responses...I also used baby oil. I also used Aquaphilic cream, you usually have to ask the pharmacist for it. It has no perfumes or dyes. It works really good and it doesn't feel greasy. My son is 2 now and I still use it on him and myself.
My mom said she used to use head and shoulders shampoo on us, but I haven't had to use it yet. For my daughter we use a soft bristle brush everytime we wash her hair and it keeps it controlled.
It's normal, as was the baby acne. Using a little water to soften it and then sloughing it very gently with a baby brush or soft washcloth and some baby shampoo or olive oil will help. It's only a cosmetic problem and should improve fairly quickly with this routine. Olive oil is better for baby than baby oil, which is made from petroleum. Your baby does not need any special products or shampoos and you should check with your doctor before using anything more harsh than a baby shampoo.
The red blotches sound like he may have sensitive skin. It's unrelated to the cradle cap (which is just built up dead skin and oils) but you might want to look for triggers in the future. Some common triggers are detergents and dairy. If you are using a scented lotion on him you might want to change to an unscented, mild one like Eucarine.
Use a dandruff shampoo and the soft brush they give you in the hospital to scrub it off.
GL:)
Hi T.,
My son also had baby acne and cradle cap. I used Desonide on it. I got it from my sister in law, and I think it may be only available by prescription. It was AMAZING! Cleared up the FIRST time I used it on him, but then of course I continued to use it every other day or so, just a little bit, to keep everything clear. Eventually it all went away. Good luck, and try the desonide! (Ask your pediatrician!)
Most babies have cradle cap. It doesn't mean that they will have eczema or dandruff when they are older. It usually goes away in a couple months, and almost always by the time they are a year. A good way to help get rid of it is to put baby oil on it, let it sit for a little while, then wash it off and gently comb off the flakes. My son had it really bad and I put tea tree oil on it and it never came back. Be really careful with tea tree oil tho, that can sting if skin is sensitive. So only use a very little bit of that. But it works really well. But don't worry, it will lessen and lessen and finally go away. :)
My son also had/has cradle cap (he is 5 months old and it's almost gone). From literature I read, they suggest putting baby oil on the head about an hour before you bathe the baby. The oil is suppose to help loosen the cradle cap. The information stated that if you put the baby oil on and leave it on (i.e., you don't wash it off within an hour or two), then you may actually make the cradle cap worse. I found washing my baby's head helped the cradle cap go away faster. I hope this helps you out.
Someone just asked this. Yes, it's like dandruff. I would apply baby oil to his head for a while. I did this with my kids. It helped and usually it doesn't come back. I would also try switching shampoos or baby soaps to sauve or something else. My kids both were allergic to johnson and johnson's and others that were for babies.
Be sure to take care of it ASAP. My 4 yr old still has it because I didn't get rid of it when she was a baby.
I don't think it's eczema. I think it's pretty typical for babies to get. The advice given so far is good and what you are already doing is good, too. The only thing I would add is to use the fine tooth comb, or just the baby brush they give you in the hospital and scrub at it after the bath and baby oil. It will turn their heads red, but it doesn't hurt them. I really worked at it and my 18mo old doesn't have it anymore, but once they have a full head of hair it's nearly impossible to get rid of.
Good luck.
M.
Hello,
My daughter had the same problem as an infant. I put baby oil on her head and massaged her scalp with it prior to washing her hair. Then I would wash her hair to get the oil and flakes out. As far as the bumps on your baby's face, my pediatrician said that our daughter's bumps were caused by dry skin and to keep it moist. He said that bathing her or washing her face (not necessarily with baby wash) and then applying a really good cream such as Eucerin would help. He was correct.
Good luck, I hope this helps!
My son had both eczema and cradle cap...he's now two and both have cleared up. For the cradle cap I used Cradle Cap Treatment by Gentle Naturals. I would put it on 5-10 minutes before bath time and let it sit. With it still on I would brush it gently with a toothbrush to get the loose flakes off. Then I would wash it with baby shampoo. This worked fairly well, it's hard to get the flakes off totally. It will probably clear up eventually.
Hi T.,
I'm sorry to hear about your little guy having such problems! That's got to be uncomfortable for him and nerve-wracking for you as a mom. It sounds to me like he may be having problems with some of the personal care products that come in contact with his skin (between the pimples and the rashes and such). Most of the personal care products for babies/toddlers (and adults too) contain potentially harmful ingredients that can lead to all sorts of health issues, including allergic and sensitive reactions of the skin. Things like SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate can clog pores and prevent the skin from breathing - which the skin needs to do in order to stay healthy! Others to check for include 1-4 dioxane (it's been in the news alot recently) and parabens. Check the labels on the products in your bathroom and see if any of those items are there. Especially considering that babies skin is extra sensitve and their immune systems aren't fully developed, it's important that moms (and dads too!) know how and why to choose safe products. I know I changed my purchases when I read up on it. When looking for safe baby/toddler products, I recommend to all the moms I know to use the "Dirty Dozen" list from the Cancer Prevention Coalition which is a list of the 12 most common harmful ingredients to avoid and WHY. It's a PDF file (I don't know how to attach it?!? Lol...) but you can find it on the website below. I hope the information there helps you and your growing family!
Happy New Year!
E.
T., I have all of my friends use the Arbonne Baby Line. It is amazing and has been known to help clear up eczema. These are products are pure and safe. Nothing you would have to worry about them ingesting, no medicines, dyes, fragrances. It can only be ordered through independent consultants because it is not available in stores, but it is amazing!!!!
Hi T.. You are going to have to soften it and then really scrub on the scalp to loosen in. Taking a fine comb and carefully lifting it off the scalp will help too. Xiomara is right about the chemicals in the products we have avaliable these days and the products that the Stayin home and loving it team is connected with are one great answer to your problem. You don't have to go and buy new stuff, you just replace the stuff you buy now with the safer and healthier products.
You can get the information at Xiomara's site or mine at www.stayinhomeandlovinit.com/marciab . There are other gals that have suggested these products for eczema too. Any of us can help you but you will need to contact us. Just click on more information and fill out the form or give me a call.
Thx. M. B.
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Yes cradle cap is what causes an older person to have dandruff. As a doctor had told me we have it from birth to death once your baby had cradle cap they will have it all their life but it is called dandruff as they are older.
When my daughter had cradle cap, my pediatrician told me to use johnson and johnson baby shampoo. He told me that when bathing my daughter, put the shampoo on her head FIRST and let it sit on her head for the remainder of the bath ( 3 to 5 min). I would rinse her hair very last. I saw an immediate improvement and after a week of this, her cradle cap was all gone! Good luck! I hope this helps!
If you use only olive oil it will help take it away. Clean it really good at first then use the oil.
it might be the detergent your using and the baby soap cause all of those things have harsh chemicals in them my son has a mild case of eczema were he was getting this bumps all over hes body with clear liquid in them and the doctor told me he had mild case of eczema so she prescribed a special medicated cream that fixed it but as soon as i stopped it came back with a bad dryness and i used all different lotions that helped a little but not much so i changed all the products in my home with natural based products that i learned about on this website http://www.stayinhomeandlovinit.com/joy2vic2000 and my son eczema has gotten so much better it surprised me. but alot people dont realize how much harsh quemicals are being used in are daily hygeine stuff
My baby had really bad cradle cap for about the first three months. I bought a product from the store that was specifically made for cradle cap. It was in the baby aisle with the shampoos and other products, and it's called something like Cradle Care. It has Winnie the Pooh on the bottle. I'd put it on my baby's head and use a toothbrush to gently loosen the scales. It worked really well, but it leaves a yucky feeling in the hair for a bit, and his scalp was flakey afterwards because it was clearing it all off, but in the end I was really pleased with it.
The red blotches may simply be dry skin. My baby looked like he'd developed a rash so I immediately changed his soaps and detergents. It didn't help. Lotions and oils didn't clear it up either. The doctor told me to use Aquafor or Vaseline on him. After weeks of worry, the Aquafor cleared him up within hours. If it's patchy and rough it could be eczema, though.
I hope that helps. Good luck!!
