What should you know about cradle cap on soft spot?

The soft spot, or fontanelle, is a normal flexible area between the skull bones. Cradle cap affects the skin on top of the scalp, not the brain or skull beneath it. Scales may cross the area and can look yellow, white, or flaky. The soft spot should look and feel as it normally does for the baby; changes in its shape or firmness are not explained by ordinary skin scale.

Wash with a mild baby cleanser using light fingertip pressure, then rinse without rubbing. You can soften nearby scale with a small amount of plain emollient, but do not massage firmly over the soft spot or use a comb to scrape it. Allow loosened flakes to come away during washing. Do not apply essential oils, adult dandruff products, or medicated creams unless a clinician has advised them for this baby.

Get prompt medical help if the soft spot is persistently bulging when the baby is calm and upright, unusually sunken, or accompanied by fever, repeated vomiting, marked sleepiness, poor feeding, or a change in behaviour. For the skin itself, seek advice for pus, spreading redness, warmth, bleeding, persistent clear fluid, or significant tenderness.

Ask whether the soft spot looks normal, how to clean the area, and whether an emollient is suitable. If scales are thick or recurrent, ask which treatment is safe near this location and when it should be stopped.