Babys Hair On Ultrasound Vs. When Born (What To Expect)

Recent studies have shown that pregnant women who reported having significant heartburn have a greater chance of delivering a baby with a head full of hair. Conversely, pregnant women who didn’t experience heartburn mostly gave birth to bald babies. Interestingly, it’s an old wife’s tale, but it might just be what you need to determine if your baby will be born with hair. Genes and DNA may play a role in this. These hairs are more likely to be seen on a 2d ultrasound towards the end of your pregnancy than at the start or in the middle of the pregnancy.

Prenatal ultrasounds are very exciting moments for all expectant mothers. It’s nothing short of magical to see your little one’s fingers, toes, and chubby cheeks in the uterus. 

But if you’ve never had an ultrasound before, you’re probably wondering if you’ll be able to see your baby’s luscious locks, and if you do see them on that screen, what does that mean?

Will your expected bundle of joy arrive with a head full of hair?

What does seeing hair in an ultrasound mean?

An excited pregnant couple are sharing a picture of their recent ultrasound, where you can start seeing the baby's hair.

Seeing hair on your baby’s head during an ultrasound doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be born with a head full of hair.

What you’re seeing could be temporary hair called lanugo, which is soft, unpigmented hair found on fetal and newborn babies. 

It protects your baby from skin damage and encourages growth. It grows all over your baby’s body, but it is thickest around the shoulders, ears, forehead, and back.

It can be mistaken for scalp hair, especially if the baby is at an angle that’s difficult to get a clear view.

On the other hand, not seeing hair on the ultrasound doesn’t necessarily mean that your baby will be born bald.

Due to the amniotic fluid, your little ones’ hair is wet, and this can skew the image you see on the ultrasound because the hair may be slicked down on the scalp.

While ultrasound might hint at whether your baby will be born with hair or not, you won’t know for sure until delivery.

Additionally, the sound waves emitted by the ultrasound have to travel through amniotic fluid, fat, and skin on their way to mirror your baby.

This could cloud the final image and make any hair growing on the baby’s scalp difficult to see. 

What determines whether your baby will be born with hair or not

Every baby is unique. Even premature babies can be born with a head full of hair.

A newborn baby is laying on his back with his eyes closed

So it’s difficult to predict how much hair your baby will have when they are born, but genetics and hormones are thought to play a significant role. 

If babies in your family tend to come out bald, then there’s a good chance yours will be born bald too.

Newborns with lighter skin tend to have less hair at birth than newborns with a darker complexion, which is another example of how genetics influence the amount of hair a child is born with.

Do babies lose hair in the womb?

Yes. As we mentioned before, lanugo is a temporary type of hair that developing babies grow.

It typically falls out in the third trimester, shortly before birth. 

By the 15th week of your pregnancy, your baby’s hair pattern starts to develop as the hair pushes through the scalp, and it will be visible on the ultrasound.

As gestation continues, the initial crop of lanugo hair will shade and regrow. This will happen two or three times before birth.

After it falls out, it decomposes in the amniotic fluid and is replaced by vellus hair, also known as peach fuzz, which is the fine hair covering most of our body.

When it comes to a baby’s hair, most changes come after birth, with the one they’re born with shedding within the first six months after birth.

The one that grows afterward, called the terminal hair, is often a different color, thickness, and texture from the one the baby was born with.

FAQs 

Why is my baby bald?

According to the AAP, most babies lose some or even all of their hair in the first few months of life, and it is entirely normal.

This hair loss is called alopecia, and in babies, it can have several triggers, from hormones to sleeping positions.

Do babies get hair from mom or dad?

Babies inherit multiple pairs of genes from both parents that play a significant role in determining hair color and texture as well as eye color.

Most traits that babies inherit are a result of multiple genes working together. Some of the effects are amplified while others are not.

Still, others are completely turned off.

What to eat for baby hair during pregnancy?

When pregnant, eggs should be consumed to promote good health and the hair growth of the child.

It’s okay to eat eggs either as a breakfast substitute or an evening meal. 

According to science, it is the best source of Omega-3 and fatty acids found in fish as they promote hair growth. 

What determines if a baby is born with hair?

It’s the follicles that grow while they’re in the womb from a hair pattern they’ll have for the rest of their lives.

The follicles they have are the only ones they’ll ever have because new follicles don’t form after birth.

The hair is visible on the baby’s head and may grow quickly or slowly during the weeks leading up to birth.

Take away

Whether your little one is born with a head full of hair or none at all, you can rest assured knowing that it will eventually grow.

Their hair situation will change whether they are born bald and stay that way for a while or come out with a long luscious mane. 

In the meantime, give that little head plenty of kisses and take lots of photos because, in a few years, you’ll all have fun marveling at the hair they were or weren’t born with.

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Hello, I am Emelda from Nairobi, Kenya. They simply call me mama Lilly. A fun of long road trips and a very good cook, along with my mommy duties to a super active girl. She inspires and challenges me in equal measure, and that is how I get to share with you our journey of triumph as we grow and tag you along.

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