Baby's development this week:
- Vernix (white protective coating) is forming on the skin- Nerve cells for taste, hearing, sight, and smell are forming in the brain
What to add to your daily menu:
- Vitamin A (in your food)
- Lipids (including essential fatty acids)
Vernix is a fascinating cream-cheesy-looking substance (though it doesn't look so fascinating after your baby is born, so it gets scrubbed off after birth). It is beginning to form on your baby's skin in the 19th week to protect baby from the long period in amniotic fluid and to shield against infection. Scientists have studied the properties of the coating and have found it extremely antimicrobial against bacteria and fungi (it even wards off E. coli!).
Vernix has a high lipid content. Lipids are a group of molecules and they encompass those essential fatty acids that we've discussed in other posts. Some good sources are:
Milk
Meat
Baked Goods
Nuts (80-90% of their calories come from lipids)
Fast food (note: this also contains high levels of trans fats, which are harmful to your body, so if you want to indulge, do it only occasionally...not on a daily basis)
- Lipids (including essential fatty acids)
 |
| This little newborn has not had the vernix scrubbed off of her yet. |
Vernix has a high lipid content. Lipids are a group of molecules and they encompass those essential fatty acids that we've discussed in other posts. Some good sources are:
Milk
Meat
Baked Goods
Nuts (80-90% of their calories come from lipids)
Fast food (note: this also contains high levels of trans fats, which are harmful to your body, so if you want to indulge, do it only occasionally...not on a daily basis)
 |
| A hamburger is a plentiful source of lipids. Enjoy occasionally. |
Another thing that scientist found in their analysis of vernix is that it contains high levels of Vitamin A. It absorbs Vitamin A that is excreted into the amniotic fluid and holds onto it.
Many prenatal vitamins contain a small percentage of your daily vitamin A requirement, and the rest can be found in the foods you eat. A word of caution: Vitamin A is good for you and your baby, but too much can be toxic. In your baby, it can cause the skull to be too soft, cause a bulging fontanelle (the soft spot) and contribute to a low birth weight. Vitamin A toxicity could show up in your body as blurred vision, headache, cranial pressure, and even permanent liver damage. So while you observe your Vitamin A intake, be sure that you get enough, but not too much.
These are the top 10 foods with Vitamin A:
- Carrots
- Mangos
- Spinach
- Cantaloupe
- Milk
- Egg Yolks
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Dried Apricots
- Sweet Potatoes
- Liver
(notice that many of these foods you may already eat to get your daily dose of protein or calcium)
If you would like more information on vernix and the scientific studies about it, please visit: The US National Library of Medicine: Vernix caseosa as a muilti-component defence system based on polypeptides, lipids, and their interactions
Many prenatal vitamins contain a small percentage of your daily vitamin A requirement, and the rest can be found in the foods you eat. A word of caution: Vitamin A is good for you and your baby, but too much can be toxic. In your baby, it can cause the skull to be too soft, cause a bulging fontanelle (the soft spot) and contribute to a low birth weight. Vitamin A toxicity could show up in your body as blurred vision, headache, cranial pressure, and even permanent liver damage. So while you observe your Vitamin A intake, be sure that you get enough, but not too much.
These are the top 10 foods with Vitamin A:
- Carrots
- Mangos
- Spinach
- Cantaloupe
- Milk
- Egg Yolks
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Dried Apricots
- Sweet Potatoes
- Liver
(notice that many of these foods you may already eat to get your daily dose of protein or calcium)
If you would like more information on vernix and the scientific studies about it, please visit: The US National Library of Medicine: Vernix caseosa as a muilti-component defence system based on polypeptides, lipids, and their interactions
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