Babies sometimes turn darker after birth primarily due to increased melanin production.
Here's a breakdown:
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Melanin's Role: After birth, a baby's skin is exposed to sunlight, stimulating melanocytes (cells that produce melanin). Melanin production increases, darkening the skin and providing a degree of protection from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays (as mentioned in the provided information). This protection wasn't needed inside the womb.
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Adaptation to the Environment: In the womb, the baby is shielded from sunlight. Once born, the skin needs to adapt to the new environment, including exposure to UV radiation.
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Developing Skin Tone: The skin tone a baby has at birth isn't necessarily their permanent skin tone. Your baby's permanent skin tone will likely be fully developed around 6 months.
In summary, the darkening of a baby's skin after birth is a natural process where the body produces more melanin to protect against the sun's UV rays.
