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I'm having a baby in about 4 months, so I've been doing some research on newborns and birthing practices. I'm still in the process of gathering information, but from what I've heard and read, leaving the vernix on the baby is not only safe, but recommended.
My mom, who works in the medical field and is a well read woman, suggested massaging it into the skin. I've heard that some mothers don't wash it off for a couple days. Others have said that removing the vernix has the potential to cause skin disorders in the newborn that are rather long lasting, but if nothing else, it's removal has an immediate effect on the newborns reaction to it's new dry environment.
A Nursing Journal recommended that it only be washed off after SPONTANEOUS drying. Which I would assume would mean that it should be washed off after it has dried up on it's own, not after the child has been rubbed down or manually dried. I'm assuming because of sebaceous nature of vernix, it has a longer drying time than water based liquids. Therefore, once the baby is dry doesn't automatically mean the vernix is completely dry as well. In my opinion, the fact that the vernix has to be scrubbed off leads me to believe that nature is telling us "leave it alone". This journal also documented the antibacterial properties of vernix, which leads me to believe that this milky substance isn't just for protection while in the womb, but would adequately serve as a protective cover for sensitive skin once it is exposed to a bacteria ridden environment outside of the womb.
However, I'm only in the beginning stages of my research on this issue and others such as the timing of cutting the umbilical, fetal monitoring, and other medical interventions, so, I apologize that I have mostly word of mouth information at this point. I hope these comments serve as a catalyst for a very interesting and important topic.
Aloha!
Mrs. Watanabe, Honolulu, HI
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Hi, I've been researching the same question. I found this article to be very helpful in making my decision. http://www.nature.com/jp/journal/v25/n7/full/7211305a.html
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