A baby girl born with a rare genetic disorder is "rejected" by her own mother. The devastated mother refuses to feed the baby - who was born prematurely - and called her an "alien." The report comes just months after another baby in India was born with similar condition, but died after just two days.
"Alien" Baby Was Born With Harlequin Ichthyosis
According to Mirror, the 28-year-old mom, who refused to reveal her identity, gave birth to the baby at a government-run hospital in Patna district of Bihar, in eastern India on Sunday. The rare genetic condition is called Harlequin Ichthyosis - which happens due to an acute case of malnutrition causing thickening of the skin and facial deformities, making her look like an "alien."
Express reported that the baby's parents were traumatized by the birth, called the child a curse and refused to accept her. Just hours after the baby was born, scores of locals flocked to the hospital to have a glimpse of her. Doctors had to intervene to remove the number of people gathered outside the hospital to see the baby.
Doctors Predict That The Baby Will Not Survive Long
When the baby was brought home, the mother refused to feed her or hold her in her arms. "I have no idea how did this happen. Me and family are completely devastated. I am in shock as I was really looking forward to becoming a mother of a healthy child, be it a girl or a boy," she said.
Doctors say that the "alien" baby will not survive long since none of her organs have developed properly. The survival rate of such case is probably only one in a million. Harlequin Ichthyosis is thought to affect one in 300,000 births. Because of cracked skin, patients with this condition are often susceptible to bacterial infections, which are often serious and fatal.
