India’s third harlequin baby died at Kasturba Gandhi Hospital

| | NEW DELHI
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India’s third harlequin baby died at Kasturba Gandhi Hospital

Wednesday, 26 September 2018 | SUGANDHA | NEW DELHI

India’s third harlequin baby died hours after its birth in Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Hospital on Monday. It was a premature delivery and the baby was caesarian (C-section), said doctors. 

“Due to thick scales all over the body, the chest couldn’t expand. The baby was unable to breathe properly and died after 2 hours of its delivery,” said Dr Sangita Nangiya, Medical Superintendent (MS), Kasturba Gandhi Hospital.

Because of the condition, doctors were unable to insert tubes for ventilation which deteriorated the condition further, she added.

According to Dr Maruti Sinha, Senior Gynecologist, the baby was in breech condition which is why caesarian was considered.

“The baby took birth at 6 pm in the evening but died in the nursery. The mother was in 34th week of pregnancy so the baby was premature as well,” she said. Despite medical supervision, the baby managed to live for only 2-3 hours after its delivery, she added.

Dr Sonia Kataria, who was the specialist on duty, said that the birth of such a child in the family was no less than a shock for the parents.

“It was their first child. The mother did not even see the baby. We did not show it to her. We showed it to the father who almost fainted after seeing the baby,” she said. The baby was extremely dehydrated and could not receive any breast feeding from the mother, added Dr Kataria. 

The body was handed over to the parents on Tuesday. The parents originally hail from Bulandshahar.

‘Harlequin Ichthyosis’ is a severe genetic disorder that mainly affects the skin. Infants with this condition are born with very hard, thick skin covering most of their bodies. The skin forms large, diamond-shaped plates that are separated by deep cracks.

As per the doctors, the life expectancy rate of these children is not more than a month however, in some cases, with extreme medical intervention, the patients can live longer. The deaths in these cases occur because the skin and external organs

become exposed to various infections. Moreover, the condition is not detected in ultrasound and only comes into light after delivery, informed the doctors.

The first case of harlequin baby in India was recorded in 2016 in Nagpur. The baby died after 48 hours of taking birth.

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