Currently, there is a belief among pregnant women that "taking Chinese medicine will darken the skin of the unborn baby". As a result, many pregnant women consider Chinese medicine as forbidden during pregnancy, and some even refuse to take medicine prescribed by traditional Chinese medicine doctors. So, does taking Chinese medicine really darken the fetus's skin?
The color of a person's skin mainly depends on the amount of melanin in the epidermis. Other factors, such as the thickness of the skin, the amount of other pigments in the skin (such as carotene), and the blood supply to the dermal vascular bed, also affect the color of the skin. Melanin in the human body is produced by melanocytes. Melanocytes are located between the basal cells of the epidermal cells, and contain a substance called tyrosinase. Under the action of this enzyme, tyrosine can be oxidized into melanin.
Melanin is a black or dark brown particle. If it accumulates in the surface cells, it will cause the skin to darken. In addition, melanin also has the ability to absorb ultraviolet light, which can protect deep tissues from sunlight and UV damage. When a person is exposed to sunlight for a long time, melanin will also transfer and increase in the surface cells. This is because sunlight or UV rays promote the activity of tyrosinase in melanocytes, leading to the formation of melanin granules and an increase in melanin production. Therefore, people who work outdoors for a long time tend to have darker skin.
In summary, the black or white color of human skin is mainly due to the differences in the size, shape, and quantity of melanin granules produced by melanocytes, as well as the degree of melanin production. This has nothing to do with pregnant women taking Chinese medicine. On the contrary, traditional Chinese medicine has the advantages of minimal side effects and good efficacy in treating threatened miscarriage, pregnancy vomiting, pregnancy edema, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and other chronic diseases during pregnancy. This has been confirmed by long-term medical practice. Therefore, as long as the treatment is appropriate, it is safe for pregnant women to take Chinese medicine, and it will not give birth to a "little charcoal".
