What is the cause of the milk crust on the baby's head and how to remove it

Cradle cap is a yellow or brown scaly flake on the baby's scalp. It may make the child's head look like there are yellow patches on it, and the scalp becomes dry and can peel. So what is cradle cap on the baby's head and how to remove it?

Causes of cradle cap on baby's head

Excessive sebum secretion: The secretions of the baby's scalp are supposed to make the skin shiny and healthy, but when these oils are exhausted, scales block the ducts of the scalp, so the sebaceous glands secrete more oil to push the scales away, resulting in the growth of yellowish crusts.

Damp heat inside the body: If your baby has damp heat inside the body, it will affect the top of the body. The heat dries up the sebaceous glands of the scalp, and there is damp heat below the scalp. Children with cradle cap may also develop diaper rash.

Fungal infection: Sometimes, fungal infection is another potential cause of cradle cap. Malassezia is a fungus that grows on sebum and thus causes cradle cap.

Lack of vitamin H: Vitamin H is closely related to the health of human hair, scalp, and sebum, so if the baby lacks vitamin H, it is easy to develop cradle cap.

Conversion of sebaceous acid: Due to the lack of enzymes, linoleic acid, an important essential fatty acid, cannot be produced to convert into gamma-linoleic acid. A temporary lack of gamma-linoleic acid can cause cradle cap.

Wash your baby's hair frequently: Newborns don't actually need to take a bath every day, because they don't have sweat glands like adults that mix with bacteria to produce odor. So, if you wash your baby's hair frequently, it's easy to wash away the baby's scalp oil and cause cradle cap.

How to remove baby cradle cap

The raw materials can be vegetable oil, olive oil, and almond oil.

To ensure cleanliness, heat and disinfect the vegetable oil first, let it cool and set aside.

When cleaning, first apply cooled clean vegetable oil on the surface of the cradle cap on the scalp. Leave it for several hours or a day. Do not rinse it off immediately. After the cradle cap is softened by the vegetable oil, thin ones will generally fall off naturally, while thick ones will require more vegetable oil.

When the cradle cap falls off, the mother can comb it gently with a small comb, and the cradle cap will fall off easily. It is best to use a baby-specific comb with soft and blunt teeth.

Finally, use children's shampoo and warm water to wash the oil on your head. If it is not thorough once, repeat several times.

Baby cradle cap feeding precautions

Avoid refined sugars: If your baby is breastfed, you should avoid refined sugars as they promote bacterial and fungal growth.

Avoid allergic foods: Breastfeeding mothers should avoid eating foods that may cause allergies. According to research, allergic reactions can be transferred from the mother's body to the breastfeeding baby. Therefore, it is best for breastfeeding mothers to avoid consuming milk, wheat and eggs.

Avoid animal fats: Avoid saturated animal fats. You should include fish in your diet, such as salmon. You can also take primrose and borage oil supplements after consulting your doctor.

Acidophilus Lactobacillus: Acidophilus Lactobacillus is an important factor in fighting cradle cap. Therefore, it is best for breastfeeding mothers to take capsules twice a day. Use according to the dosage recommended by your doctor.