No one is entirely sure where cradle cap comes from, but there are some theories. It usually occurs on areas of the body that have lots of oil glands, such as the scalp, face, upper chest and upper back, Oil glands are more active in babies because hormone levels are high during the first year of life. Another possibility is the presence of a yeast called Malassezia, which is normally found on the skin and grows in the sebum secretions produced by oil glands.
