A newborn baby in the central southern province of Binh Dinh has been found to have harlequin ichthyosis, a rare skin problem with only 200 cases reported globally so far.
A newborn baby in Binh Dinh Province has been found to have harlequin ichthyosis
The one-month-old baby whose name is not disclosed was found to have some skin problems right after birth. Her 34-year-old mother said that she did not show any strange symptoms during her pregnancy. The baby was born on December 6 and received treatment before leaving the hospital.
As the baby's conditions became worse with fever, she was taken to a higher-lever hospital in Ho Chi Minh City where doctors concluded that she had harlequin ichthyosis. She had improved after three days of intensive treatment, but doctors said she needed further monitoring.
The baby's family said that no members have had the disease before.
According to Doctor Luu Huynh Thanh Thao from Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Dermato Venereology, harlequin ichthyosis is an inherited skin disorder which may affect certain parts of the body or the entire body. The case of the baby is serious and rare, as similar cases have only been reported on 200 people worldwide.
"We currently do not have the right treatment method for this disease," Doctor Thao said. "We can only monitor and treat the damaged skin areas."
