Vernix caseosa
Vernix caseosa, also known as vernix, is the waxy or cheese-like white substance found coating the skin of newborn human babies.
Contents |
[edit] Composition
Vernix has a highly variable makeup but is primarily composed of sebum, cells that have sloughed off the fetus's skin and shed lanugo hair.[1] 12% of the dry weight of vernix is branched-chain fatty acid-containing lipids,[2] cholesterol and ceramide. Vernix of term infants has more squalene and a higher wax ester to sterol ester ratio than preterm infants.[1]
[edit] Function
Vernix is theorized to serve several purposes, including moisturizing the infant's skin, and facilitating passage through the birth canal. It serves to conserve heat and protect the delicate newborn skin from environmental stress. Vernix is also thought to have an antibacterial effect;[3] though there is little to support a chemical role of vernix in protecting the infant from infection, it may form a physical barrier to the passage of bacteria.[1]
[edit] Secretion
The sebum in vernix is produced in utero by the sebaceous glands around the 20th week of gestation. Vernix appears primarily in full term infants, while premature and postmature births generally lack any.[1] Postdates desquamation (flakey skin in babies born >42 weeks) is thought to be due to loss of vernix.
[edit] Etymology
In Latin vernix means varnish and caseosa means cheesy.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Schachner, Lawrence A.; Hansen, Ronald C. (2003). Pediatric dermatology. St. Louis: Mosby. pp. 206–7. ISBN 978-0-323-02611-6.
- ^ Ran-Ressler, Rinat R; Devapatla, Srisatish; Lawrence, Peter; Brenna, J Thomas (2008). "Branched Chain Fatty Acids Are Constituents of the Normal Healthy Newborn Gastrointestinal Tract". Pediatric Research 64 (6): 605–9. doi:10.1203/PDR.0b013e318184d2e6. PMC 2662770. PMID 18614964. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2662770.
- ^ Hoath, Steven B.; Maibach, Howard I. (2003). Neonatal skin: structure and function. New York: M. Dekker. pp. 71–3. ISBN 978-0-8247-0887-0.
[edit] Further reading
- Sarkar, Rashmi; Basu, Srikanta; Agrawal, R K; Gupta, Piyush (2010). "Skin Care for the Newborn". Indian Pediatrics 47 (7): 593–8. doi:10.1007/s13312-010-0132-0. PMID 20683112. http://www.indianpediatrics.net/july2010/593.pdf.
- Visscher, Marty O; Narendran, Vivek; Pickens, William L; Laruffa, Angela A; Meinzen-Derr, Jareen; Allen, Kathleen; Hoath, Steven B (2005). "Vernix Caseosa in Neonatal Adaptation". Journal of Perinatology 25 (7): 440–6. doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7211305. PMID 15830002.
- Haubrich, Kathleen A. (2003). "Role of Vernix Caseosa in the Neonate: Potential Application in the Adult Population". AACN Advanced Critical Care 14 (4): 457–64. PMID 14595204. http://meta.wkhealth.com/pt/pt-core/template-journal/lwwgateway/media/landingpage.htm?issn=1079-0713&volume=14&issue=4&spage=457.
 |
This medical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
