In a first-of-its-kind incident, a female infant with a severe genetic disorder and near-total missing external body skin was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra on Saturday. “It’s the first ‘Harlequin Baby’ in the country. The infant is born blind weighing 1.8 kg and the chances of her survival are uncertain,” said paediatrician Dr Yash A. Banait, who was involved in the delivery operation.

This genetic disorder is called as Harlequin Ichthyosis. This incident took place at Lata Mangeshkar Hospital. The child is currently in the NICU and being treated by a team of medicos who are conducting a series of tests and investigations on the baby. The child was born with large parts of her body without skin and internal organs visible. Her palms, fingers and toes have barely developed.

Dr Avinash Banait, one of the doctors that performed the delivery, said:

“Harlequin Ichthyosis is a very rare severe genetic skin disease. In such cases, the child’s whole body is encased in ‘armour’ of thick white plates of skin, separated with deep cracks. In addition, the eyes, ears, private parts and the appendages may be abnormally contracted.” 

“Such babies are prone to infection as their internal organs are exposed. We are keeping her skin moist by applying petroleum jelly. For now, we are not sure whether she even has eyeballs,” Yash Banait, paediatrician, told. 

This type of cases had to be detected during the fourth month of pregnancy and later through monthly ultrasounds. The baby has been born for a poor farmer who cannot afford pre-natal testing. Doctors have now investigating to ascertain if the baby girl is suffering from other serious abnormalities.

“The longest case of survival we know is of baby Shaheen who was born in 1984 in Pakistan. Her last medical records are from 2008. We are sure she survived at least till the age of 24. But normal skin never grows back in this condition,” Banait said.