Medical professionals have weighed in on discussion surrounding a newborn baby trend which appears to be growing in popularity.

According to reports, an increasing number of new mothers avoid bathing or washing their newborn child so as not to remove vernix – the white, waxy coating which coats and protects an infant’s body in the womb.

By choosing not to remove the coating through bathing, many mothers have reported their child’s skin stays warmer and substantially more moisturised than those whose protective coating has been washed off following birth.

Commenting on the trend which has seen some mothers avoid bathing their child for up to ten days after their arrival, midwife at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centre, Laurie McLeod, confirms the benefits of the practice.

“The vernix does not need to be wiped or washed off,” she asserted while explaining that a newborn infant is not born dirty in any way meaning that the typical coating on an infant “can be just rubbed off by the parents.”

Commenting on the composition of the vernix, Laurie continued: “It has been shown to contain immunities in it to help strengthen baby’s immune system and helps to keep the skin nicely moisturised.”

While acknowledging that some parents may be far from comfortable waiting ten days to bathe their child, the World Health Organisation suggests that delaying a child’s first bath by just 24 hours in addition to practising skin-to-skin care will help keep the baby warm.

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