What is lanugo?
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Your question:
What exactly is lanugo and what purpose does it serve?
The expert answers:
Lanugo is the name given to the soft, fine, downy hair
that covers a newborn. It is more frequently seen in
premature infants as it begins to be shed in-utero
during the final month of pregnancy.
Some post-term infants are born with minimal lanugo. The amount of lanugo is variable and some parents are concerned by the amount of hair covering their new infant. The hair can cover all skin except for the lips, palms of the hands and soles of the feet, sides of the fingers and toes, nails, glans of the penis and insides of the labia minora and majora.
This hair will invariably be shed by three to four months after birth. It is replaced by hair covering the same surfaces called vellus hair, but this hair is finer and more difficult to see. The more visible hair that continues into adulthood is called terminal hair. This forms in specific areas and is hormone dependant.
Lanugo, even in the most
extreme cases, will be shed and should not be treated.
Some cultures have remedies to hasten the shedding,
but this is unnecessary.
About the author: Charles J Ascher-Walsh is co-director of the Division of Minimal Access Surgery and a leading OB/GYN in the Division of Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. A highly sought after voice on gynecological research, Dr Ascher-Walsh has been called on to present his studies to various organizations including the ACOG, The Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine annual meeting and The American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. Furthermore, his work has been published in the Journal of the AAGL, the Journal of Pelvic Medicine & Surgery, Reproductive Technologies, and Obstetrics and Gynecology. In addition to his practice, Dr Ascher-Walsh is Assistant Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sloane Hospital for Women and is an active member of the American Urogynecologic Society, the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists and a fellow of American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
