Pubile

Pubile refers to the fine, soft hair that covers the body of a fetus or newborn. It is distinct from terminal hair, which is thicker and darker, and vellus hair, which is the fine, short hair found on most of the body in adults. Pubile hair typically appears during the later stages of fetal development, around the fifth month of gestation. It is often shed shortly before birth or within the first few weeks after. While it serves no clear physiological purpose in newborns, its presence is a normal developmental marker. In some cases, if pubile hair persists beyond infancy, it may be an indicator of an underlying medical condition and warrants further investigation by a healthcare professional. The presence and shedding of pubile hair are generally considered a transient phase of human development.