Cradle cap smells odd?

[Moulesfrites]

My baby has cradle cap on his scalp, forehead and around his eyebrows and nose. The hv told us to use olive oil which is what we have been doing but now his scalp has an odd smell, he has lost his lovely baby smell. It is almost a vinegary smell.

I have got some centimos shampoo but haven't used it yet as sort of wanted to try natural remedies first. Any advice?

[mousymouse]

the odd smell is normal and nothing to worry about. mild baby shampoo will get rid of the oil and the smell, but when the oil gets rancid it smells unfortunately.

[SparkleRainbow]

Ditch the oil. Put vaseline on your baby's head every night, and muslin (tucked under the mattress at the sides) under his/her to avoid staining the sheets, if you are bothered. Then use a baby toothbrush and ordinary baby shampoo every morning. Wash your ds hair with the shampoo and gentle rub the affected` areas with the baby toothbrush before rinsing. Washing removes most of the vaseline, and toothbrush removes much of the loose cradle cap. If you do this for a week I guarantee no more cradle cap at all. This is what my gp recommended, I did it, but didn't think it was even working up until day 6 could see no change and then day 7 it was gone. You can use a fine comb, like a nit or similar fine toothed comb to remove the flaking skin if it bothers you, I did, or you can wait for it to fall out.

Really works, I mean really works, if you do it for a week. My dd2 had really bad cradle cap covering all of her head, no medicated shampoos touched it.

[Moulesfrites]

Thanks sparkle - I now have another pfb question which you will probably laugh at, but, so far I have only ever washed his hair with dh's help. He holds him like a rugby ball over the bath and I pour the water, shampoo and rinse etc- how do you wash their hair on your own - if I wash it on a morning there will just be me! Sorry for being dense!

[mousymouse]

I used a washcloth to wet the hair and then again to gently rise it off. that way you only need one hand free and the other can hold baby firmly in the bath.

[SparkleRainbow]

Have a nice warm towel ready, and make the bathroom as warm as you can. Run only a little bit of water in the bath, so when you lie him in the bath it only just comes up to the back of his ears. Then if you lie him on your left arm, if you are right handed, with his bottom in the crook of your elbow and his head cradled in your left hand, you should be able to lean over the side of the bath and lower him into the water, and hold him securely whilst you use your free hand to wet his hair and shampoo and brush. You will need to have everything ready, open shampoo etc, and get him out quite quickly as he will get cold quickly with so little water.

Alternatively, and probably the easier option, run a nice deep bath, and get in with him, you can them cradle him against you, or against your legs and be able to have a fress hand to wash him. I like this option, 'cos I liked cuddling my little babies in the bath, rather bonding actually.

Good luck.