You might have heard of vernix, that greasy substance that covers the baby’s skin during the last months of pregnancy. Let’s find out everything there is to learn about the protective barrier called vernix caseosa and all its health benefits.
Vernix caseosa
The term ‘vernix caseosa’ was first published in 1846. In Latin, vernix means ‘varnish’ and caseosa means ‘cheesy’. This thick and waxy substance does actually remind most people of some sort of cream cheese. Although vernix caseosa sounds very technical, this protective layer is called ‘cheesy varnish’.
What is vernix caseosa made of?
As the third trimester of pregnancy begins, the outer layer of the baby’s skin is very immature and desquamates (peels or flakes off) abundantly. The baby’s sebaceous glands produce a large amount of sebum that mixes with the desquamated skin and forms caseosa. The coating is also full of water; more than 80% of vernix, in fact, is pure water.
As the pregnancy continues, the skin matures and gets ready for its big moment: the birthing process – the transition to life outside the uterus – when the skin becomes the baby’s protective shield. The sebaceous glands are now mature and ready to keep baby’s delicate skin hydrated and soft, soft, soft. The vernix is reabsorbed and nourishes the baby’s skin as the due date approaches.
Benefits of vernix caseosa
As you might have guessed, vernix plays an important role in newborn skin. Let’s look at the benefits of vernix and how vernix acts as a protective layer before and after birth.
Benefits of vernix caseosa before birth
The main reason vernix caseosa is developed is to protect babies inside the uterus as they grow and develop. Let’s look at the most important functions of vernix caseosa before the baby is born.
#1: Protection in the womb
The baby’s delicate skin is developing inside the womb. The amniotic fluid also helps with skin protection. While the baby’s skin is developing and growing, it is there to make sure all the skin is protected and there are no areas that have friction rub. At these early stages, it is very important for the skin to be fully covered and protected. It’s also easier for the body temperature to remain constant.
#2: Moisture
The amniotic fluid certainly keeps the baby’s skin moist but the vernix helps keep the moisture at the skin level and helps prevent dehydration. It acts like a fat layer, to prevent water from coming out of skin cells. Anything the body needs to take in through the skin will take it from the coating, moisture included.
#3: Lubricant
Vernix is full of fatty acids, which are not only good for protection but also lubricate the baby’s skin. A slippery substance on the baby’s body will help during labor, when the baby has to negotiate the birth canal. A small amount will keep the baby’s skin protected, moist and well lubricated.
Benefits of vernix caseosa after birth
Not long ago it was thought that vernix had no true function once the baby was born. Removal was a thing, and in some places, was wiped off the newborn’s immediately after birth.
#4: Protection and hydration after birth
Research has shown that the protective layer of vernix that remains on the baby’s skin has many benefits once the baby has been born.
One of the biggest changes a baby needs to adapt to, immediately after birth, is body temperature regulation. Even if there is a comfortable room temperature where the baby is born, bear in mind that babies are born wet. When the room temperature is just a few degrees lower than the baby’s skin, the little one will feel this difference. Leaving the vernix on the newborn’s skin help the baby regulate her own body temperature.
It has beneficial substances that will boost the baby’s immune system. Antimicrobial properties protect the newborn baby from any harmful bacteria.
Another of the benefits after birth is hydration. It ensures that the delicate skin of the newborn remains hydrated and moist. The elements can be a bit aggressive on a newborn’s skin and can break it.
When mother and baby have skin-to-skin contact, the baby’s and mother’s skin share their bacteria. The mother can then develop the right immunity response to provide her milk with the specific immune responses for the exact bacteria strains around her baby.
#5: Guidance
During pregnancy, everything the baby needs is provided through the umbilical cord. Once birth has taken place the baby must start feeding to meet their needs. Babies born naturally (without drugs that can hinder optimal adaptation to extrauterine life) will look for food right after birth.
Babies have a keen sense of smell and they will find the breast by smell. The amniotic fluid that covers the baby’s skin during pregnancy also leads the baby towards the mother’s breasts after birth. Amniotic fluid and breast milk have a very similar odor.
Following recommendations from the World Health Organization, once the baby is born, they are usually placed on the mother’s abdomen. Skin-to-skin contact will not only regulate the baby’s temperature and help with adaptation to life outside the womb, but it will also promote voluntary movements towards breastfeeding. As the baby licks her fists the taste will guide the little one towards the breast that is excreting a very similar odour. This helps keep the smell of the amniotic fluid trapped on the baby’s skin. That way it is much easier for the baby to find the breast and latch on the first few times until she gets the hang of it.
Read more about this in BellyBelly’s article Benefits Of Skin To Skin Breastfeeding.
What are the benefits of not washing off vernix?
There is absolutely no good reason to remove the vernix from a newborn’s skin. Leaving it on the baby’s skin will protect the baby against nasties, help with temperature regulation and prevent dry skin. It will also help to develop a consistent and healthy gut microbiome and guide the baby to find the breast and latch successfully on her own.
Vernix protects the newborn at many different levels; therefore, it is recommended to leave it on the baby’s skin so the baby’s skin will reabsorb all of this amazing white substance.
For information, read; Delayed bathing
Delay the first bath
Make sure you delay your baby’s first bath so that the newborn baby has all the benefits of vernix. As it acts as a skin cleanser, making it unnecessary for the baby’s first bath to happen soon after birth.
Delayed bathing will help your baby’s immune system and make it stronger. It will also help the newborn keep that yummy baby smell that will trigger oxytocin production in the mother, to help with bonding and attachment as well as getting breastfeeding well established.
Sometimes the protective layer covering the baby’s skin is dirty. Sometimes the baby passes meconium as the bowel is squeezed out of the birth canal and the area is covered in meconium. Let’s admit that meconium doesn’t have the beautiful color you would wish to keep as a covering for your baby’s skin; you might be more than willing to give your baby their first bath.
Even so, delaying the baby’s first bath for as long as possible. Small amounts of the thicker layer can be gently wiped away, only when strictly necessary. Let baby enjoy all the beautiful properties vernix caseosa has.
Read more in our article Meconium – What Is It? 9 Things You Need To Know.
Baby born with lots of vernix caseosa
You might have realized that some babies have more vernix than others; that’s completely normal.
Babies born with lots of vernix caseosa are usually babies that have spent less time than average inside the womb. Babies born before or around the estimated due date tend to have more than full-term babies or babies born way past their due date.
Preterm babies, because they’re born before their due date are usually born covered in lots of vernix caseosa. Nothing should be done about it, as it will reabsorb itself in the first few hours following birth. If there’s a specific area where it might cause trouble – for example, if it doesn’t allow the baby to open their eyes properly – just gently wipe away any excessive amounts of this wonderful protective biofilm with a soft cloth. Gently massage the area until it is removed or reabsorbed.
Vernix has so many healing properties that the least possible amount should be removed.
Baby born without vernix caseosa
The longer a baby has been in utero the smaller amount of vernix caseosa the newborn baby’s skin will have.
One of the main roles of this protective coating is to care for the baby’s skin while inside the womb. As the birth day approaches, the baby’s skin becomes more prepared to function outside the womb and vernix starts to be reabsorbed.
When a baby is born with little or no vernix caseosa, it just means that the baby’s skin is fully ready – and has been for a while – to face life outside the womb.
Don’t worry if your baby is born with no vernix. Your baby has had a thick layer of this natural moisturizer, full of amino acids with antioxidant properties, and has already received all the benefits it carries.
For more information, read What Is Vernix Caseosa? How This Protects Your Baby.
