Question:medium
Which layer of the epidermis is underdeveloped in Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) infants in the initial 7 days?
Which layer of the epidermis is underdeveloped in Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) infants in the initial 7 days?
Show Hint
The barrier stratum corneum matures late in fetal life, so it is thin in VLBW infants right after birth.
Updated On: Jul 8, 2026
- Stratum Germinativum
- Stratum Granulosum
- Stratum Lucidum
- Stratum Corneum
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Picture the epidermis as a stack of layers.
The stack, from the bottom up, runs basal layer, spinous layer, granular layer, and finally the tough outer corneum. This outer layer is what actually meets the outside world.
Step 2: Ask which layer forms last before birth.
Skin barrier development is one of the last things to finish in fetal life, concentrated in the final weeks before term. A baby born early misses much of this final step.
Step 3: Connect this to VLBW infants.
VLBW infants are almost always premature, so they are born before the outer corneum layer has thickened and keratinized properly. In the first 7 days this layer is still catching up.
Step 4: Use the clinical clue to confirm.
Preterm babies are known for high fluid loss through the skin and a greater chance of skin injury and infection in the first week. Both problems trace back to a weak outer barrier, which is the stratum corneum, not the deeper layers.
Step 5: Conclude.
\[ \boxed{\text{Stratum Corneum}} \]
The stack, from the bottom up, runs basal layer, spinous layer, granular layer, and finally the tough outer corneum. This outer layer is what actually meets the outside world.
Step 2: Ask which layer forms last before birth.
Skin barrier development is one of the last things to finish in fetal life, concentrated in the final weeks before term. A baby born early misses much of this final step.
Step 3: Connect this to VLBW infants.
VLBW infants are almost always premature, so they are born before the outer corneum layer has thickened and keratinized properly. In the first 7 days this layer is still catching up.
Step 4: Use the clinical clue to confirm.
Preterm babies are known for high fluid loss through the skin and a greater chance of skin injury and infection in the first week. Both problems trace back to a weak outer barrier, which is the stratum corneum, not the deeper layers.
Step 5: Conclude.
\[ \boxed{\text{Stratum Corneum}} \]
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