Linea nigra

Linea nigra (Latin for "black line") is a dark vertical line that appears on the abdomen during pregnancy. The brownish streak is usually about a centimeter in width. The line runs vertically along the midline of the abdomen from the pubis to the xiphoid process — the bottom-most part of the rib cage in the center or tip of the sternum.

It is a type of hyperpigmentation resulting from increased production of the pigment melanin thought to be caused by increased estrogen, the same process that causes the areolas to darken. [http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/postpartum/post-pregnancy-body-changes/?page=9 Parents Magazine] ] Why this process of hyperpigmentation occurs on the midline of the abdomen is uncertain. Fair-skinned women show this symptom less often than women with darker pigmentationFact|date=October 2007. Before it appears it may be more faintly visible as a linea alba ("white line").

Linea nigra tends to appear around the second trimester. Some research suggests there may be a link between linea nigra and insulin.Fact|date=April 2008 Supplementing the diet with folic acid is said to reduce the discoloration.Fact|date=April 2008 After birth, the line fades slowly, but may never disappear entirely, and sun exposure may cause it to recur.

ee also

* Chadwick sign

References

External links

* [http://pregnancyandbaby.com/pregnancy/baby/Whats-my-line-All-about-the-linea-nigra-4210.htm She Knows Network: "What's that line? All about linea nigra"]