Narrabri-based scientist Dr Bec Thistlethwaite contributes a column to The Courier on the science in our daily lives. Readers are invited to send their science questions in to Dr Bec via [email protected]
One of the joys of writing this science column is sharing everyday questions with The Courier’s budding scientists, and in our house we have just welcomed a brand-new little scientist in the making.
She arrived on September 4, and while her current experiments mostly involve testing the limits of sleep and nappies, she has already sparked some excellent questions.
One of the first came from her big brother, who noticed how wrinkly she looked and said “She looks like me after swimming!”
It’s a great observation, and the answer lies in some fascinating everyday science.
Before babies are born, they spend nine months floating in amniotic fluid, their very own protective bubble.
Just like our fingers and toes wrinkle after a long bath, a baby’s skin also crinkles after such a long soak.
The difference is that babies have been swimming for months, not minutes.
Those wrinkles actually serve a purpose.
They give tiny bodies flexibility while they grow in water and help them adjust to life on the outside.
Their skin is also covered in a waxy white layer called vernix, which acts like nature’s moisturiser and stops them from getting waterlogged in the womb.
After birth, as babies feed and fill out, the wrinkles gradually smooth away.
Some cultures even wait before washing vernix off because it helps keep a baby’s skin soft and healthy as they adapt to the air.
So while those first newborn creases might look surprising, they are really just evidence of an incredible journey from floating in liquid to living on land.
And as that simple poolside comparison showed, you do not have to wait until you are grown up to start thinking like a scientist.