Collodion Baby

Collodion baby is rare condition, in which the newborn baby's skin has one or more of the following characteristics:

-Skin appears smooth, waxy with a shiny membranous covering
-There are contractures and tight skin on facial features
-Contractures can lead to malformed ears, ectropion (inability to close the eyes) and eclabion (inability to close the mouth).

The commonest cause of collodion baby is an autosomal recessive genetic condition called Lamellar icthyosis. Other associated diseases include:

-Sjögren Larsen syndrome
-Gaucher Disease type 2
-Hay-Well syndrome
-Trichothyodystrophy
-Comel-Netherton syndrome
-Ectodermal dysplasia
-Neutral lipid storage disease.
-Conradi syndrome
-Dorfman-Chanarin syndrome
-Ketoadipiaciduria
-Koraxitrachitic syndrome
-Ichthyosis variegata
-Palmoplantar keratoderma with anogenital leukokeratosis.

The main issues in the neonatal period are the risk of infection associated with loss of skin integrity. Fluid balance and intravascular access are also significant challenges. Treatment is usually in a high humidity environment, and liberal use of emollients.

Lamellar ichthyosis, also known as ichthyosis lammellaris and nonbullous congenital ichthyosis, is a rare inherited skin disorder, affecting around 1 in 600,000 people.

The skin of the collodion baby is shed 1-2 weeks after birth, revealing the extensive scaling of the skin caused by hyperkeratosis. With increasing age, the scaling tends to be concentrated around joints in areas such as the groin, the armpits, the inside of the elbow and the neck. The scales often tile the skin and may resemble fish scales.