Lanugo
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| ICD-10 | Q84.2 |
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| ICD-9 | 757.4 |
| DiseasesDB | 30821 |
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Lanugo refers to hair that grows on the body in an attempt to insulate the skin because of lack of fat. It is a type of pelage. Lanugo is very fine, and may grow densely on the body in places where significant amounts of hair does not normally grow. Lanugo occurs on fetuses as a normal part of gestation. Lanugo hair is usually shed and replaced by vellus hair at ~40 weeks of gestational age.
As the lanugo is shed from the skin, it is normal for the developing fetus to consume the hair with the fluid, since it drinks from the amniotic fluid and urinates it back into its environment. Subsequently, the lanugo contributes to the newborn baby's meconium. The presence of lanugo in newborns is a sign of premature birth.
Lanugo is also common on other animals. For example, seals[1] and elephants[2][3][4] are often born with a covering of lanugo.
Lanugo is also a common symptom of serious anorexia nervosa, as the body attempts to insulate itself as body fat is lost.[5]
References
- ↑ Growth and Development of Mediterranean Monk Seal Pups during Rehabilitation, E. Androukaki, E. Fatsea, L. 't Hart, A.D.M.E. Osterhaus, E. Tounta, S. Kotomatas, Monachus Science Posters, The Monachus Guardian, Vol. 5 (1): May 2002, This poster was presented at the 16th ECS (European Cetacean Society) Conference, "Marine Mammal Health: from Individuals to Populations", 7-11 April 2002, Liege, Belgium.
- ↑ Ecology of the Asian Elephant in Lowland Dry Zone Habitats of the Mahaweli River Basin, Sri Lanka Natarajan Ishwaran Journal of Tropical Ecology, Vol. 9, No. 2 (May, 1993), pp. 169-182
- ↑ The Hair, Paul MacKenzie, Elephant Information Repository website
- ↑ Elephant Hair, Elephant Anatomy, Animal Corner website
- ↑ Mori J. Krantz & Philip S. Mehler. Resting tachycardia, a warning sign in anorexia nervosa: case report. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 2004 4:10.
External links
- Lanugo article, Alan Greene, drgreene.com official website
- Lanugo Hairs radio clip, A Moment of Science, WFIU Radio, Indiana University, November 1, 2001.
- Lanugo Photo, The website of the Neonatal Unit, The Royal Infirmary of EdinburghTemplate:Med-sign-stub
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Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
