The lanugo is the hair that many babies have at birth, this hair can appear on the face, arms, back, ears, etc Seeing your baby born covered in this layer of body hair is shocking, a normal feeling among parents.
this hair usually goes away before the baby is born, but on some occasions, some of them keep it a few months after its birth.
It usually occurs from most common among babies born prematurely, that does not exempt non-premature babies from suffering from it. But it is not a cause for concern.
What is lanugo and what functions does it have?
As we have told you, lanugo is a layer of very fine, low-pigment hair that develops on the body of the fetus. The main function of this hair is to protect the skin of babies, that skin that is so delicate that newborns have and that lacks subcutaneous fat.
In addition, fulfills the function of maintaining the child's body temperature and protecting the skin effects such as cold, dehydration or irritation.
Lanugo appears in fetuses between 13 or 14 weeks of gestation. It begins in the baby's head and as the weeks of gestation progress, it appears in all parts of his body. When the mother is in the last weeks of pregnancy, this layer of hair begins to shed inside the uterine cavity, leaving these villi in the amniotic fluid, which will help the production of meconium.
When does lanugo fall off?
the lanugo, goes away naturally before the baby is born, around the 40th week of gestation.
If instead your baby is born with it, do not worry, it does not require treatment. The most normal thing is that it disappears in a few weeks, and it will be replaced by new hair, finer and less visible.
If your baby was born with lanugo, you have to follow some tips to take care of your body hair.
The first thing is that you parents, be patient, you don't have to worry, you don't have to be obsessed with touching it, because in the end it will disappear.
The most important thing, and pediatricians will tell you, is that don't even think about waxing the baby, this may be a joke, but it's never a bad thing to remember. This process is not safe for children, as it could cause skin irritation.
The Massages on the skin of babies with specific oils can help the fall of lanugo accelerated, but always with great care not to damage the babies' skin. Always use products recommended for your skin.
If you see that it is taking time or you are simply worried or in doubt, do not hesitate to go talk to your pediatrician, he is the one who will best answer your questions and it will guarantee that your little baby having lanugo is not a serious reason, nor something to worry about, it will end up disappearing over time, on its own.