Vernix caseosa
- This article is about the substance that covers the skin of a baby at birth. See smegma for the substance that is secreted by mammalian genitals.
Vernix, also known as Vernix caseosa, is the "waxy" or "cheesy" white substance found coating the skin of newborn humans. It is secreted by the fetus's sebaceous glands in utero, and is hypothesized to have antibacterial properties. The word "smegma" is occasionally used to describe vernix.
Vernix is composed of sebum (the oil of the skin) and cells that have sloughed off the fetus' skin.
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