Linea negra

Image:Linea nigra.jpg

Linea negra or linea nigra (Latinfor "black line") is a skin pigment condition during pregnancywhere a brownish streak less than a centimeter in width develops. 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 caused by pregnancy hormones that increase production of the pigment melanin. This is also known as hyperpigmentation. Fair skinned women show this symptom less often than women with darker pigmentation.

Linea negra tends to appear around the second trimesterand may or may not disappear within a few months after birth. Some research suggests there may be a link between linea negra and insulin. Supplementing the diet with folic acidis said to reduce the discoloration.

There is an old wives' taleassociated with linea negra: if the linea negra runs to the navel, it's a girl, and if it goes all the way up to the xiphoid, it's a boy.

See also

• Chadwick sign

External links

• iVillage: "What is that line running down my belly?"
• She Knows Network: "What's that line? All about linea nigra"
• Dr. Dubin's Collection photo link
• GPnotebook-623902654

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article Linea negra.