There is nothing more exciting than monitoring your baby’s development week by week when you are pregnant (except for when you get to actually see the baby through an ultrasound). You naturally want to know what’s going on inside as a future mother! Has your child yet to sport a haircut? Will he have the same skin tone as you or your partner? Fortunately, new technology has given doctors a fairly accurate picture of how newborns seem at different stages of pregnancy, including how their skin, hair, and nails develop. What’s going on inside your uterus is described here.
Skin Development in Fetuses:
Although you might not be aware of it, the baby-soft, smooth skin that newborns are famous for takes months to develop.
initial trimester:
The skin begins to form very early in the microscopic world, sometimes even before you are aware that you are pregnant. The fetus already develops two unique skin layers by week four: a basal layer of bottom cells and a periderm layer of outer cells. However, because the baby is so small at this stage—about the size of a poppy seed—this new skin growth cannot be seen with the human eye.
second quarter:
When you reach your second trimester at week 14, according to Desireé McCarthy-Keith, MD, MPH, a reproductive endocrinologist at Shady Grove Fertility in Atlanta, Georgia, you may see the baby’s skin’s surface on an ultrasound. The vernix, an oily, cheese-like material that the baby’s skin glands begin to create during week 19 of pregnancy, is intended to protect the skin from the surrounding, possibly irritating amniotic fluid. Vernix can be removed by rubbing or washing it off after the baby is born.
Remember that a baby’s skin at this stage of development is very different from what your child will have at birth: Instead, it is incredibly thin and translucent, allowing you to see the blood vessels underneath. In reality, there is no variation in skin tone. No of their race, all newborns will look alike during the second trimester.
Trimester three:
So when do infants get their skin tone? Pigmentation doesn’t start to form until the third trimester when fetal skin starts to thicken and lose its transparency. However, due to their developing circulatory systems, all infants, regardless of ethnicity, tend to exhibit red or bluish-purple skin tones at birth. According to Ouzounian, a baby’s actual complexion doesn’t fully develop until after delivery, possibly even during the first year of life. That’s because after birth, melanocytes, which produce the pigment melanin that gives skin its color, become increasingly active. In turn, genetics dictates how pale or dark a baby’s skin will be.
infants’ skin conditions
The skin of a newborn infant undergoes numerous changes, both in terms of look and texture.
A healthy newborn’s skin at birth consists of:
- Skin that is dark crimson or purple and has bluish hands and feet. Before the newborn draws its first breath, their skin turns darker (when they make that first vigorous cry).
- Vernix, a thick, waxy material coating the skin This material shields the skin of the fetus from amniotic fluid inside the womb. Vernix should be removed from the newborn during the first bath.
- Lanugo is a fine, smooth hair that can cover the back, shoulders, cheeks, forehead, and scalp. When a baby is delivered earlier than expected, this happens more frequently. Within the first few weeks of the baby’s existence, the hair should fall off.
Depending on the length of the pregnancy, the skin of the newborn will differ. Infants born prematurely have delicate, translucent skin. A fully developed newborn has thicker skin.
The skin begins to pale a little by the second or third day and may start to flake and dry out. When the baby cries, the skin still frequently turns red. When a newborn is chilly, the lips, hands, and feet may become bluish or mottled (spotted).
Other alterations could be:
- Milia are little, pearly-white, hard, raised pimples on the face that go away by themselves.
- mild acne that typically goes away within a few weeks. Some of the mother’s hormones that persist in the infant’s blood are to blame for this.
- The poisonous erythema. This is a typical, painless rash that resembles tiny pustules on a red background. About one to three days after delivery, it usually starts to show up on the face, trunk, legs, and arms. It vanishes after a week.
Various colored birthmarks or skin blemishes can be found:
- Congenital nevi, or birthmarks with dark pigmentation on the skin, are moles. They can be as small as a pea or as big as an arm, a leg, or a significant section of the back or trunk. Skin cancer has a higher chance of developing from larger nevi. The medical professional must adhere to all nevi.
- Blue-gray or brown patches are known as Mongolian spots. They typically appear on the back or buttocks of babies with dark skin. Within a year, they should disappear.
- The spots on a café au lait have a light tan tint, like coffee with milk. They frequently manifest at birth or may grow during the first several years. The disorder known as neurofibromatosis may be more common in children who have several or huge patches.
Red birthmarks can consist of:
- Blood vessel-containing growths are called port-wine stains (vascular growths). They range in color from red to purple. Although they can happen anywhere on the body, they are usually observed on the face.
- Hemangiomas are groups of capillaries, or tiny blood vessels, that can develop shortly after birth or at any time thereafter.
- Small red patches on the baby’s forehead, eyelids, back of the neck, or upper lip are known as stork bites. The blood vessels’ stretching is what causes them. Within 18 months, they frequently vanish.
Consider ways to enhance a baby’s skin tone while you’re pregnant. Well, there are a number of steps you may do to aid your baby’s complexion.
The majority of the time, your diet has a significant impact on how your baby will look. Your baby’s skin tone can be improved by eating certain meals and fruits. Therefore, if you were wondering how to decrease melanin in a baby’s skin while pregnant, you are more than taken care of.
How to Make Baby’s Skin Color Better While Expecting:
Some of the foods, fruits, and beverages you should consume while pregnant to have a fair kid include:
Coconut
Dietary fiber, minerals, hormones, enzymes, calcium, magnesium, salt, and potassium are all abundant in coconuts. Lauric acid, a potent anti-microbial fatty acid found in coconut oil, not only strengthens the unborn child’s immune system but also lightens his skin.
Additionally, coconut milk functions as a wonderful source of healthy fats during pregnancy, promoting the growth of a healthy baby and increasing the amount of breast milk.
Eggs
Eggs are nutrient-dense foods that are beneficial to the mother and developing fetus. In addition to being a good source of vitamin K, vitamin D, calcium, and zinc, eggs are also high in vitamin A, folate, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, phosphorus, and selenium.
You should eat some of these foods to give birth to a child with fairer skin.
Avocado
Aside from their beneficial lipids, avocados also include water to hydrate, vitamin E to enhance suppleness, and chlorophyll to lessen inflammation.
They could help the skin tone of the unborn child if consumed by a pregnant mother.
Ghee Ghee is thought to lighten a baby’s complexion. It enhances the body’s capacity to absorb vitamins and minerals from meals, hence enhancing skin vitality.
Fatty acids in ghee also cause skin cells to hydrate and moisturize the skin.
Safran Milk
It is also said that saffron milk helps a baby’s skin tone. Drinking it will assist the baby’s complexion.
Additionally known for its ability to purify blood, saffron is a wonderful addition to beauty products.
Milk
Another crucial component of a pregnant woman’s diet is milk. Milk is necessary for the fetus’ development and contains nutrients that make the skin smoother and more radiant.
Almonds
Almond consumption is also thought to aid in the delivery of babies with fair skin.
It is advised that you massage the newborn with almond oil after birth to keep their skin hydrated and radiant.
Caraway Seeds
A key to enhancing the skin tone of the unborn child when pregnant is for expectant mothers to consume the water from the soaked fennel seeds. It can be consumed to ease nausea as well.
a gooseberry jam
A typical Indian dish called gooseberry marmalade is thought to be very beneficial to a pregnant woman.
It is safe to eat while pregnant since it is high in calcium and vitamin C, which can help a baby have a light complexion.
