From mucus plugs to amniotic fluid, birth can introduce you to bodily fluids and substances you may have never seen before. One of them is vernix caseosa, a white, creamy coating that often covers a newborn’s skin at birth. While it may look surprising at first, vernix is a normal part of birth and offers many benefits for both you and your baby.1,2,3
Maybe you’ve seen photos of a newborn covered in this white coating, or perhaps your own baby had it and you wondered what it was. Or maybe you’re hearing about vernix for the first time as you prepare for birth. Here’s what vernix is, why some babies have more than others, and whether you should leave it on your baby’s skin after delivery.
Key Takeaways
- Vernix is the white, creamy coating some newborns have on their skin at birth.
- It helps protect, moisturize, and support a baby’s skin before and after delivery.
- Some babies have a lot of vernix, while others have very little or none visible.
- Leaving vernix on the skin may help support hydration and skin protection.
- If your baby is born without visible vernix, it is usually not a concern.
What Is Vernix?
Vernix caseosa is the thick, white, creamy coating that can cover a newborn’s skin at birth. Translated literally from Latin, vernix means “varnish,” and caseosa means “cheese.“1
In simple terms, vernix is a natural protective coating that forms on a baby’s skin before birth and helps protect and moisturize their skin during the transition to life outside the womb.1,2,3
Some babies are born with a visible coating of vernix over much of their body, while others have only small amounts in skin folds and creases, such as the armpits, neck, or groin. Some babies may not have any visible vernix at all.2
Related: The First 24 Hours of Baby’s Life: What To Expect
What Does Vernix Look Like?
Vernix typically appears as a thick, white, creamy coating on a newborn’s skin.2
Babies born very prematurely may have little visible vernix because they have not had enough time to produce much of it yet. Slightly premature babies often have the highest concentration because it is at its peak production and has not begun sloughing off into the amniotic fluid.2
Overdue babies may have a yellowish coating. They are also more likely to have no coating left, as it has all been washed into the amniotic fluid by the time they are born.2
Vernix can have a different appearance if the baby has a blood disorder or has experienced fetal distress. If newborns have their first bowel movement (meconium) before birth, their coating could appear stained green or black.2
When Does Vernix Develop?
Vernix begins developing around the middle of the second trimester and peaks during the third trimester. It remains on the baby’s skin until birth, though the amount you see can vary depending on when your baby is born.2
Related: Delayed Cord Clamping: What It Is, Benefits, and Risks
What Is Vernix Made Of?
Vernix is mostly made of water, but it also contains fats and proteins that help moisturize the skin and support its protective role. Its exact composition can vary based on factors such as gestational age, fetal sex, maternal medications, and lifestyle.1
Why Is Vernix Important?
Vernix helps support your baby before birth, during delivery, and in the first days of life. Some of its benefits include:
- Waterproofing: In utero, vernix waterproofs the baby’s skin so it does not wrinkle or swell as adult human skin does.2
- Barrier: Vernix acts as a protective barrier between the birth canal and the baby, thereby protecting the baby’s skin from any pathogens present in the vagina.1 Its barrier properties also help protect the baby against losing too much water through evaporation once exposed to air.3
- Lubrication: Vernix can act as a vaginal lubricant during delivery, helping the baby progress more smoothly through the birth canal.1
- Immunity: Some proteins in vernix help a baby fight off potential infections and even kill certain germs.1 It may also assist in intestinal development and the gut microbiome.3
- Skin benefits: Vernix helps hydrate the skin, and some research suggests vernix may also have wound-healing properties, which may also support healing after delivery. Those same wound-healing properties may also benefit the birthing parent. If you experience perineal tearing from birth, your baby’s vernix may help you heal.2
- Temperature regulation: It is thought that vernix helps keep newborn babies warm by preventing heat loss before their first bath.3
Should You Leave Vernix on Your Baby?
For many years, newborns were routinely dried, wiped, and bathed soon after birth. Drying and stimulating newborns was thought to encourage their first breaths, and many people viewed unbathed babies as unhygienic. As research has continued to demonstrate the benefits of vernix, however, more hospitals and birth professionals now support leaving it on the skin after birth.2
Research suggests that newborns whose vernix was left on had more well-hydrated skin.4 It has a higher water content than over-the-counter barrier creams, which may better moisturize the skin. Vernix also acidifies the skin’s surface, which helps fight off bacteria looking to multiply there.2 Besides adjusting the pH of your baby’s skin, vernix acts as a barrier or “second skin,” helping block harmful germs.2
As a parent, you can choose whether to leave the vernix on your baby’s skin, but doing so may offer additional benefits. If left alone, vernix naturally absorbs into the skin over about five days, though small amounts may remain in skin creases for up to 10 days.2
The main reason to bathe a baby soon after birth is if they are stained with meconium, or their first stool. If you’d like vernix left on your baby’s skin, include that preference in your birth plan and let your birth team know before delivery so it isn’t removed unintentionally. You can also request that your baby’s first bath be delayed.5
Related: Why You Shouldn’t Give Your Baby a Bath Immediately After Birth
Is It Okay if My Baby Is Born Without Vernix?
Yes. It is usually completely normal for your baby to be born without visible vernix. While vernix has many benefits, there is generally no cause for concern if you don’t see any on your baby.
The thickest vernix coating is usually present between 36 and 38 weeks of pregnancy.5 If your baby was born much earlier or later than that, they may have missed this peak coating. Babies born very prematurely may not have produced much vernix yet. If pregnancy continues beyond this point, vernix gradually detaches from the skin and dissolves into the amniotic fluid, making it appear whiter and less clear.2
Vernix may also have been partially wiped away during the birth process, with small amounts remaining in your baby’s skin folds. There are many reasons a baby may have little or no visible vernix at birth, and it usually isn’t a sign that anything is wrong.
While cleaning your new baby before snuggling them may be tempting, vernix is a normal and beneficial part of many babies’ transition to life outside the womb. It helps protect and moisturize their delicate skin during those first few days after birth.2
If your baby is born with vernix, you can choose to leave it alone or gently rub it into their skin. And if your baby has little or no visible vernix, that’s usually normal too. Within several days, it will naturally absorb into your baby’s skin or gradually disappear on its own.2
