One day, a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law brought their 2-month-old baby to health care to have their blood drawn. The young mother pointed to the "cradle cap" on the top of the baby's head and complained, "The child's ** was very good when he was born, but it has been cold recently, and his head is rarely washed, and a layer of scabs has grown on his head. The grandmother on the side was anxious, "You can't remove it, the older generation has said that this is the "zenith cover" protector, which protects the baby. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have different opinions, and no one can convince anyone, so quickly and patiently explain. 
What exactly is this scab?
This grayish-yellow or yellowish-brown membranous crust, commonly known as "cradle cap," is a common seborrheic dermatitis in infants. Dandruff in older children or adults is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis.
Why do babies have "cradle cap"?
1. Excess sebum secretion
Infant cradle cap is caused by overproduction of sebaceous glands. Newborns have many sebaceous glands and can secrete a large amount of sebum, especially when newborns get more androgens from the mother's body, so that the sebaceous glands secrete vigorously in the short term. At the beginning, many small red rashes the size of rice grains can be seen on the ** or scalp, and later form yellow-red patches, such as after being stained with dust, a thick layer of yellow scabs can be formed, and over time it can turn black and form hard scabs.
2. Incomplete cleaning
The cause of infant cradle cap is also related to incomplete cleaning. Due to the delicate baby, many parents do not dare to wash their children's hair, let alone the fontanelle. Over time, the oil and dust condense into lumps and stick to the scalp, forming cradle cap that is more difficult to remove. In fact, the fontanelle is not a point that cannot be touched, as long as the action is gentle, the fontanelle can be washed, and it will not scab over if you wash your hair frequently. 3. Other reasons
1) Genetics: If the parents have a lot of dandruff or have suffered from seborrheic dermatitis, the baby is prone to cradle cap.
2) High-fat diet: If the diet of breastfeeding mothers and babies is high in fat, it is also easy to develop cradle cap.
What are the effects of "cradle cap" on babies?
"Cradle cap", or seborrheic dermatitis, is a ** disease that causes inflammation, scaly or scaly patches, and sometimes itching; Areas with many sebaceous glands are often affected, including the scalp, face, upper chest, and back.
Cradle cap is "harder, close to the fontanelle, will limit the cushioning function of the fontanelle retraction, if there is intracranial hypertension encephalopathy in the baby, the fontanelle will lose the effect of buffering high pressure. When a child has a dehydration disease such as the gastrointestinal tract, because the "cradle cap" covers the fontanelle, the doctor cannot detect important signs such as dehydration (fontanelle depression) and increased intracranial pressure (fontanelle full bulge) in time to help diagnose the severity of dehydration. "Cradle cap" contains dirt, which can affect the baby's heat dissipation in summer. If you forcibly remove it with a hard object such as a fingernail, it is easy to damage the scalp and lead to infection.
How to remove "cradle cap"?
1. Soften scalp smegma:Apply a small amount of oil to your child's head to loosen the "cradle cap", such as petroleum jelly, vegetable oil, or baby oil, and leave it on for a few hours to 1 day as needed.
2. Massage the scalp:Parents can gently massage the baby's scalp with the entire palm or fingertips to soften and peel off the scalp. Do not use your fingernails to pick it, so as not to break the baby's delicate **.
3. Wash your hairPrepare warm water 38 40 and soak your baby's head first, gently brush off the "cradle cap" on the scalp with a soft bristle brush, and then wash the area with baby shampoo.
Note: If your child persists in cradle cap after trying these measures, tell your health care provider.
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