Scalp eczema in babies

The baby’s seborrheic scalp eczema is colloquially better known as head gneiss. It appears in the first months of life and disappears with time and without treatment. It is often confused with milk crust, i.e. neurodermatitis.

In contrast to milk crust, head gneiss typically does not cause itching. In addition, milk crust usually appears after the third month of life, i.e. later than head gneiss. The reason for the seborrheic eczema of the newborn is largely unknown.

It is suspected that hormones that the child has absorbed through the mother during pregnancy play a role in its development. The hormones promote the production of sebum, while excessive sebum in turn leads to a clumping of dead skin cells, which then become visible as dandruff. Since the head gneiss does not cause any discomfort to the child and does not cause any permanent damage, therapy is usually not necessary.The dandruff can be combed out of the hair with a soft brush after bathing, using shampoo suitable for babies, if it is considered visually disturbing.

What is the risk of infection?

The seborrhoeic eczema does not pose a risk of infection for outsiders. The triggering skin fungus is also found on the skin of healthy people. The faulty sebum production, which contributes to the development of the disease, is individual and genetically determined.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is usually based on the typical appearance of yellowish scales on the reddish, eczematous skin. In uncertain cases, however, it may be useful to exclude other, similar looking skin diseases, which also occur in the same localization in the scalp area, by means of further diagnostic steps. One of these diseases is psoriasis, also known as psoriasis.

This autoimmune disease is characterized by whitish scales in the area of the scalp, elbows and knees. The seborrheic eczema typically does not manifest itself at the last two locations mentioned above. In addition, the scales are not whitish but yellow-greasy.

If a diagnosis cannot be made with certainty, it is possible to take a small skin sample (biopsy) under local anesthesia and examine it under a microscope. In children, neurodermatitis should also always be considered, which typically manifests itself in the head area as well. In contrast to neurodermatitis, seborrheic eczema does not cause itching in infants. Accordingly, in the case of neurodermatitis, scratch marks are very often found on the child’s skin.