Extraordinary pictures show baby girl born with almost no skin
Tot born in Nagpur, Maharashtra is believed to be India's first known case of Harlequin Ichthyosis - a severe genetic disorder
THESE shocking images show a baby girl with an extremely rare condition which has left her without any skin.
The baby born in Nagpur, Maharashtra is believed to be India's first known case of Harlequin Ichthyosis - a severe genetic disorder which leaves the entire body encased in armour-like thick white plates, separated by deep cracks.
She was born by caesarean section to a 23-year-old woman from the Indian city of Amravati at the Lata Mangeshkar Medical College and Hospital.
Paediatrician Dr Yash Banait said the poor child faces a lifetime of treatment and daily skin moisturising.
He said: "There is no cure for this disorder. All that medical science can do is try to keep the baby alive."
Doctors say they're applying petroleum jelly and coconut oil onto the child's skin and giving her a special nutritional supplement.
Harlequin Ichthyosis, which affects approximately 1 in 300,000 births, requires intensive care at birth.
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Dr Banait added: "The baby is not finding any difficulty in breathing and is now stable."
According to the him, a baby with the same condition lived for 24 years after being born in Pakistan in 1984.
Another child with the severe condition was reportedly born in the USA in 1994.
What is Ichthyosis?
According to the NHS website, Ichthyosis is a long-term condition that results in persistently thick, dry, "fish-scale" skin.
There is no cure, but a daily skincare routine usually keeps the symptoms mild and manageable.
Most people with ichthyosis have inherited a particular faulty gene from their parent.
The signs and symptoms of inherited ichthyosis appear at birth or within the first year of life.
This faulty gene affects the rate at which their skin regenerates – either the shedding of old skin cells is too slow, or the skin cells reproduce at a much faster rate than they can shed old skin. Either way, this causes a build-up of rough, scaly skin.
Ichthyosis can also be acquired as an adult, caused by developing certain health conditions.