Flaking can happen as early as infancy, in a condition which we have discussed earlier in The Parenting Magazine: cradle cap. Now this is not dandruff per se, as the cause may be genetic, but it still requires dedicated infant care in order to take care that this will not affect your child even worse.

The United States National Library of Medicine offered tips and guidelines in trying to work around or to prevent cradle cap. Here are a few advice:

- The brush you wouls use for your baby is very significant as it will be of direct contact to the scalp of the baby. Choose combs with soft bristles to boost circulation and help scaly patches of skin fall off.

- Maintain cleanliness at all costs. Make sure you wash the scalp thoroughly to remove all soap. Usually a good regimen is to wash the scalp with gentle soap and then follow it up with shampoo two times a week.

- If cradle cap doesn’t improve or baby continues to react to scalp itchiness, see your pediatrician about a topical lotion or cream.

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Cradle cap, known as infantile seborrheic dermatitis in medical circles, is a condition wherein the scalp of babies are covered in scaly patches. This is not sorely serious but it can result in yellowish or whitish scales in your child.

Infantile seborrheic dermatitis, commonly called cradle cap, causes scaly patches on a baby’s scalp. Similar scales may also be present on the ears, eyelids, nose and groin.Though cradle cap isn’t serious, it can cause thick crusting and white or yellow scales. Usually, it settles onits own but to help ease your infant’s situation you can use a medicated shampoo.

As bad as it may look, cradle cap doesn’t cause itchyness in your infant. It also is not contagious. Exact causes are not yet known as of this point but it is suggested that it may be influenced by hormones from the mother which cause an abnormal production of oil glands and hair follicles. Another possible reason may be a yeast called malassezia which grows in oil glands along with bacteria.

Here are some over-the-counter treatments you can do for infant care according to the Mayo Clinic:

- Gently rub your baby’s scalp with your fingers or rough washcloth to loosen the scales.
-  Wash your baby’s hair once a day with mild baby shampoo. Loosen the scales with a small, soft-bristled brush before rinsing off the shampoo.
- If the scales don’t loosen easily, rub petrolatum jelly or a few drops of mineral oil onto your baby’s scalp. Let it soak into the scales for a few minutes, and then brush and shampoo your baby’s hair as usual. If you leave the oil in your baby’s hair, the scales may accumulate and worsen the cradle cap.
- Once the scales are gone, wash your baby’s hair every few days with a mild shampoo to prevent scale buildup

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