It’s normal for newborn babies to have white or yellow dandruff-like flakes on their scalps. This skin change is called “cradle cap” or seborrheic dermatitis. If the flakes become thick and scale-like you can put baby oil on them over night and then use a baby brush to remove them once they have softened in the morning. Selsun Blue, Head and Shoulders Intensive Treatment, or T-Gel shampoo used daily or every other day will help keep this condition at bay. Do not get these shampoos in your baby’s eyes and be sure to rinse all of the shampoo off of your baby’s skin, including the folds. After several days of use, try to use the shampoo less and less, only for maintenance purposes. You also have the option not to treat at all as cradle cap is only a cosmetic issue and will resolve on it’s own with time.

Revised 3.22.09