What are the causes of cradle cap in children?

The cause of cradle cap remains unclear, although it is suspected that it may be due to hormones passing during pregnancy causing overactive glands in the skin that produce an oily substance called sebum. When there is too much sebum present, old skin cells that would normally dry up and fall off remain stuck to the baby’s scalp, resulting in cradle cap. It is thought that the hormones eventually decrease and this is why babies grow out of cradle cap either with or without treatment.

There is no relationship between cradle cap and a lack of cleanliness. The presence of cradle cap does not mean that your little one has an infection either.