While I won't go into how you diagnose seborrheic dermatitis, she wanted me to emphasize that this is a problem found exclusively in young infants within the first couple of months of life.
The reason seborrheic dermatitis is often not treated appropriately, is that people tend to forget that even though there is inflammation present, it is commonly associated with a fungal infection as well (M. Furfur).
If the family does not have private insurance, ie. has to pay out of pocket (because the government plan does not cover mixtures), then prescribe (the less expensive alternative):
- a custom mixture of 1% hydrocortisone cream in Loprox cream, mixed 1:1, applied BID for 1-2 weeks (most often effective).
If the family does have private insurance, this mixture is ideal because it does not reduce the concentration of either component used (apparently costs about $30-40):
- a custom mixture of 1% hydrocortisone powder in Loprox cream, applied BID for 1-2 weeks (apparently this tends to be more reliably effective).
Thank you to Dr. Jafarian, MCH Dermatology for her advice.
