There is a reason why vernix is present. Read below for some very technical language which essentially says vernix protects newborns from fungi, parasites, and makes pathogens susceptible to our immune system. In other words, vernix protects newborns from infection which is why it is beneficial to not wash your baby and scrub away all that vernix, immediately after birth.
Published in the journal “Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences,” “Vernix caseosa as a multi-component defence system based on polypeptides, lipids, and their interactions” found:
Vernix caseosa is a white cream-like substance that covers the skin of the foetus and the newborn baby. Recently, we discovered antimicrobial peptides/proteins such as LL-37 in vernix, suggesting host defence functions of vernix. In a proteomic approach, we have continued to characterize proteins in vernix and have identified 20 proteins, plus additional variant forms. The novel proteins identified, considered to be involved in host defence, are cystatin A, UGRP-1, and calgranulin A, B and C. These proteins add protective functions to vernix such as antifungal activity, opsonizing capacity, protease inhibition, and parasite inactivation. The composition of the lipids in vernix has also been characterized and among these compounds the free fatty acids were found to exhibit antimicrobial activity. Interestingly, the vernix lipids enhance the antimicrobial activity of LL-37 in vitro, indicating interactions between lipids and antimicrobial peptides in vernix. In conclusion, vernix is a balanced cream of compounds involved in host defence, protecting the foetus and newborn against infection.
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