To add to the surprise of wrinkled skin, baby acne and birthmarks at birth, another surprising newborn feature is lanugo hair. Read on to learn more about this normal newborn characteristic.
What is Lanugo?
The word “lanugo” is derived from the Latin word for wool, “lana”. It is the soft and downy hair that sometimes covers a newborn’s body, except for his palms, the soles of his feet, lips, genitals, nails and sides of fingers and toes.
It is most commonly seen on a baby’s shoulders, forehead, back and face.
Lanugo is the first hair to be produced by fetal hair follicles and usually appears on your baby around the fifth month of pregnancy. This unpigmented hair generally falls off or is consumed by your baby between the 36th and 40th weeks of pregnancy.
When the lanugo is consumed by your baby, it is stored in his intestines and helps form meconium, which is the first bowel movement your little one will have.
Your baby will lose his lanugo while he is still in your womb — usually when you are around seven to eight months pregnant.
Lanugo hair on newborns: can it exist even after birth?
However, sometimes, babies are born with lanugo, especially if they are premature or born slightly early. There is absolutely nothing to worry about the presence of lanugo hair, and it will fall off on its own in a few weeks.
What Does Lanugo Hair Look Like
Lanugo is commonly seen on a baby’s shoulders and back. Image: Pinterest
Lanugo hair is soft, fine, and fluffy hair. Your infant may seem to be coated in a thin coating of fur if they are born with lanugo hair.
Lanugo can grow anywhere, with the exception of the palms, lips, genitalia, nails, and soles of the feet. Anywhere there are hair follicles, lanugo can develop, although it is most noticeable on your baby’s back, shoulders, or tailbone.
Lanugo hair can be from light to quite dark in hue. Lanugo in your child can be more obvious if they have a darker complexion than if they had pale skin.
The Purpose of Lanugo Hair
Newborn babies have lanugo hair for a reason. While your baby is in your womb, lanugo protects his tender skin from amniotic fluid.
It also helps vernix caseosa adhere to your baby’s skin. Vernix is a greasy white wax-like substance that covers your baby’s skin while in-utero in order to keep it warm and moisturised. It also helps the baby slip more easily through your cervix and birth canal during delivery.
Can You Remove Baby’s Lanugo Hair?
Lanugo disappears within the first two months of life. Infants may still have fine, peach-fuzz-like hair on the tops of their ears, above the tailbone, and at the base of their neck. This is common and shouldn’t cause concern.
There is no cure for lanugo, nor should be it removed forcefully. Even if the infant has a lot of hair, there is no reason to be alarmed. For the first few days or weeks after birth, this hair will typically fall out on its own.
After birth, lanugo can be removed by gently massaging a baby’s skin. Again, though, it’s not necessary.
Receiving a massage can be helpful, but there are risks. Because a baby’s skin is so delicate, if you mistakenly massage it too much or too hard, it could become inflamed, red, or dry. So it might be preferable to let the hair grow and fall out naturally.
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When to Be Worried About Lanugo in Babies
Sometimes, if a baby’s lanugo doesn’t shed on its own within a month, it could be an indication of a condition known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or CAH, say medical experts.
CAH is a condition where a baby is born lacking a particular enzyme that initiates the production of the hormones cortisol or aldosterone. This means the child will make more male hormones (androgens), regardless of gender, leading to excessive growth of hair, especially in females.
Babies with CAH might also have a low blood sodium concentration, according to health professionals. This could lead to dehydration, heart issues and shock.
Usually, treatment involves balancing the baby’s hormones via daily artificial hormones and steroid medications. Hair growth normalises once the hormones are at the proper levels for the baby’s age and gender.
If you are concerned about your baby’s lanugo, or worried about any aspect of his health, do not hesitate to contact a medical professional without delay.
Image Source: iStock
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