Fine downy hair, normally found abundantly in premature babies, is called:

Appeared in: ESIC Nursing Officer -2019 (Shift -1)

Explanation

Lanugo is the medical term for the fine, soft, unpigmented hair that covers the body of a fetus.
It is most abundant on premature infants and serves as a physical characteristic used to assess gestational age.
This hair typically appears around 20 weeks of gestation and is shed into the amniotic fluid around 36-40 weeks, though it can persist after birth, especially in preterm babies.
Its presence helps to insulate the fetus and allows the vernix caseosa to adhere to the skin.

Option A: Caput, short for caput succedaneum, is swelling of the scalp in a newborn. It is not hair.
Option B: Vernix, or vernix caseosa, is the waxy, cheese-like white substance found coating the skin of newborn human babies. It is not hair.
Option C: Naevi (singular: naevus) are birthmarks or moles. They are skin lesions and not the fine, downy hair described in the question.

Visual 1: Photograph - A close-up image of a premature infant's back and shoulders, clearly showing the fine, downy lanugo hair.
Visual 2: Chart - A component of the New Ballard Score chart, highlighting the section for assessing lanugo, showing the difference between sparse, abundant, and no lanugo at different gestational ages.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Assessment of the Newborn as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
The assessment of lanugo is a fundamental part of the initial newborn examination, specifically for determining gestational age using the New Ballard Score. An abundance of lanugo is a classic sign of prematurity.
Nurses should educate parents that lanugo is a normal finding in premature infants and that it will naturally shed over a few weeks. They should advise against rubbing or trying to remove the hair, as this can irritate the baby's delicate skin.
What if? If a full-term or post-term infant is born with excessive lanugo, it could be a sign of certain congenital or metabolic conditions, and this finding should prompt further evaluation.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the key phrase in the question: "fine downy hair" on "premature babies."
This is a factual recall question testing your knowledge of neonatal terminology.
Systematically review each option:
'Caput' refers to scalp swelling.
'Vernix' is the waxy skin coating.
'Naevi' are birthmarks.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full ESIC Nursing Officer -2019 (Shift -1)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.