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An Indian couple rushed to three hospitals in six hours after their first son was born with a rare condition which makes his skin look like plastic. The newborn boy was taken to a hospital 100 miles from his home village in the north of India when doctors realised he needed urgent medical attention.
The baby, who has not yet been named, suffers from Lamellar ichthyosis which means he has tight, waxy, plastic-like skin. Parents Anita Devi, 23, and Alakhram Yadav, 25, rushed their baby to a doctor just a couple of hours after delivering him at home when they realised his skin looked abnormal and he was struggling to breathe.
In later life lamellar ichthyosis is associated with excessive skin shedding, and it is usually inherited from parents who do not have the condition but carry the gene.
It is not a contagious condition but there is no cure, and complications can include hair loss, difficulty bending fingers, overheating, tight skin cutting off circulation, and eye problems.
