In a rarest of rare case, a woman here gave birth to a collodion baby girl through Caesarean Section. Incidence of this condition is one in 300,000 live births, according to medical journals. The collodion babies are born with a shiny, tight covering made of a thickened layer of skin that is packed with water and is called a collodion membrane. After the baby is born, the water begins to evaporate, the covering begins to crack, and then this membrane is shed. Shedding usually occurs within seven to 14 days, revealing reddened somewhat immature skin underneath. Sometimes the skin matures and heals well after the membrane is shed, however, the presence of this membrane may also be the first sign of a skin disorder called icthyosis. Dr. Hafez Abdul Rahman Hafez, the doctor who attended on the woman at Al-Ansari Specialist Hospital in Yanbu Al-Sinaia, has been following up the baby's case. He said the father and mother are first-degree relatives and had two children, both of whom died. Being under strict medical supervision, the baby who has completed 75 days has improved quite a lot as her skin started peeling off. He said the baby and her mother have been discharged. – Okaz __
