It's to "waterproof" the baby, like wearing a little mackintosh. You know how wrinkly your skin gets in the bath after a couple of hours? Imagine being in nice warm fluid for nine months and how you'd look then! It is very needed in the womb, but not really needed once the baby is outside. You'll have to wash it off sometime, and whilst you don't need to do it right away, it's nicer to cuddle a clean baby the day afterwards. Plus it saves changing the baby's bedding the next day for the staff - I think the bedding thing may be a major reason.

Animals clean their children, licking the vernix off, straight after birth, so there may well be a scientific reason too.

Deb - I wish my midwives thought like you! They all think I'm a bit mad for asking "why" to thinks like vitamin K injections and asking about what I've heard. They much prefer it when people accept what they say. I did have some who weren't happy AT ALL with me (including the first two that DH has seen), so now he thinks I'm wrong for researching things too. Luckily the third midwife DH saw was happy to answer questions and seemed to appreciate the thoughts we were having! We're seeing her/a birth centre midwife again next Sunday, so I'll save my questions for her!