Newborns can have many different appearances when they are first born. Here are a few of the most common appearances to look for…
Vernix: is the waxy substance, produced by the baby’s oil glands, that coats the skin of your newborn. This waxy film covers the baby’s skin to keep it supple in the amniotic fluid.
Mongolian Spot: is a bluish-green or gray birthmark that is found on the baby’s lower back. It is most common among Asian, Polynesians, Native Americans, and African Americans. This is caused by some pigmentation that didn’t make it to the top layer when the baby’s skin was being formed. They are harmless and usually fade away by school age.
Stork Bites: are temporary birth marks that look like patches of deep pink skin on the baby’s face and/or neck. Most will go away by around 18 months, but some Stork Bites on the back of the neck will never completely go away.
Milia: Are tiny white spots/bumps that often appear on a newborn’s face during the first week. These white bumps go away by themselves in a few weeks and aren’t harmful.
Caput: An irregularly shaped head, often referred to as the “cone-head“, is most common with babies who are born vaginally. This happens because of the soft boney plates coming together to help the baby’s head squeeze through the birth canal. Usually the head shape returns to normal in a few days to a week.
Lanugo: Thin, tiny hair that covers the newborns body. Most baby’s develop this around the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy.
My sweet Hugo had all of theses except for caput. And that was because he was born by Cesarean Section and never made his way down to the pelvic canal. I can remember all of the lanugo on my little boy’s back… it was all over! He actually still has his little Mongolian Spot on his backside! 🙂
If there is ever an appearance you are worried about with your newborn, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or nurse. But know that there are many changes these little bodies are going through in the first couple of days/weeks.