There are so many things to worry about as a parent with a baby
in the house -- the foods your baby eats, the toys he plays
with, the daycare center you use. So if you see scaly, flaky
patches on your baby's scalp, you might stress out. Your baby is
most likely suffering from nothing more than a bad case of
cradle cap, or infantile sebborheic dermatitis. If a child has
cradle cap, thick crusting and white or yellow scales may appear
on his or her head. And although it may look pretty gross,
cradle cap isn't actually harmful to your baby. It's a
relatively common condition among newborns. No one knows for
sure what causes it, but scientists think that genetics,
bacteria that live on the human skin, stress, environment and
general health may have a hand in causing the scaly disorder.
Fortunately, cradle cap usually goes away fairly quickly. The
goods news is that parents can easily treat and manage cradle
cap. Gentle and frequent washings can help loosen and remove the
scales, improving your baby's condition. I