Harlequin Fetus: the scariest congenital birth defect

No other congenital birth defects are as disturbing to the eye than this photo of a baby that is suffering from a rare disease called Harlequin Ichthyosis or commonly known as Harlequin Fetus. In this rare genetic disorder, which occurs in 1 in 300,000 births, babies are born with a massive horny shell of dense platelike scales and contraction abnormalities of the eyes, ears, mouth and appendages. Basically, wherever a fold would normally occur in a newborn baby, these poor souls have cracks.



Most babies born with this condition die within the first few hours or days after birth from the undernourishment caused by the rigidity of the lips, and underventilation and pneumonia because of respiratory distress. Abnormal water loss through the skin and poor temperature regulation lead to risk for infection beginning in the skin as well.



What really causes Harlequin Fetus? The answer is unknown but this disease is commonly inherited from the parents. Most often, the parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition, each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but do not show signs and symptoms of the condition. The mutated gene can be passed to the developing fetus, resulting to this really horrific malady.



All i can say is that, these babies are fortunate enough not to survive than be punished by the excruciating pain and suffering that this disease will surely bring throughout their lifetime.