What is Vernix Caseosa, What are the Benefits for the Baby?

What is the vernix caseosa, which we can call a protection shield that wraps the baby in the mother’s womb, and what does it do? We answered your questions in this article.

What is vernix caseosa?

Remember that white layer that covers all of babies’ skin when they’re born? This layer, which envelops them when they emerge from the mother’s womb, is called vernix caseosa. This layer, which forms in the mother’s womb and protects the baby until it is born, is called the baby’s first shield.

This layer begins to form on the baby’s skin in the third month of pregnancy. Vernix caseosa contains approximately 80% water and 20% many beneficial protein substances. All of these have serious benefits for the baby. We have explained the benefits of vernix caseosa for the skin and other issues below.

What does vernix caseosa do?

Protects the baby against germs and infections!

Don’t say what infection and microbe in the mother’s womb! Since the baby starts to urinate into the amniotic fluid, he may face these problems, albeit a little. But it fights against this problem thanks to vernix caseosa, which intensively carries the lysosome substance that develops on its body and fights against microbes.

It stabilizes the heat!

You can also see the heat balance as the vernix caseosa task. Thanks to the vernix, it ensures that the baby’s body temperature remains the same as in the mother’s womb so that the baby does not experience heat shock due to the changing temperature in the delivery room at the time of birth.

Makes childbirth easy!

Vernix caseosa has a slippery and creamy texture. The lubricity provided by this structure allows the baby to pass through the birth canal easily during normal delivery. In this way, an easier birth occurs.

Keeps baby’s skin moist!

Vernix caseosa features include maintaining the moisture, elasticity and fluid balance of the baby’s skin. It also supports the formation of new skin.

When should vernix caseosa be removed? Should the baby be bathed after birth?

As the beneficial properties of vernix began to be investigated, it became clear that it is very important for the baby to stay on the baby’s skin longer after birth. For this reason, it is advocated by a certain group that the vernix should stay on the baby’s skin for at least 6 hours. Thanks to these benefits, it is considered appropriate to postpone the bath as much as possible, to wipe the vernix layer if necessary, and to have a bath after a while.