Collodion baby treated at a tertiary hospital in Tanzania: a case report

Abstract

BackgroundThe term “collodion baby” is used to describe a newborn covered with a translucent, parchment-like skin sheet. It is an extremely rare condition with an estimated incidence of 1 in 300,000 live births. Clinically, the baby will present with a collodion membrane with fissures, ectropium, eclabium, and hypoplastic digits. Shedding of the membrane increases risk of dehydration and infection.Case presentationWe present the case of an African baby girl, who died when she was 7-months old, who presented with features of collodion membrane at birth. She later developed hypernatremic dehydration and a constricted band on her lower limb that required urgent surgical release. She stayed in our hospital for 35 days; she was then discharged home after improvement for 6 months of follow-up clinics at Muhimbili National Hospital: neonatal; dermatology; ear, nose, and throat; and physiotherapy units. She died at 7 months of age.ConclusionDespite limited resources, the early survival of these babies can be improved by providing basic care.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13256-018-1912-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Babies in dermatology

“…Collodion baby: the term "collodion baby" was first introduced by Hallopeau and Watelet in 1884. 11 It describes a neonate often born prematurely, completely encased in a yellowish, translucent, taut parchment-like membrane, causing minimal restriction of movements in the baby often leading to ectropion and eclabium [Figure 3]. The collodion membrane soon gets dried up resulting in cracks and gradually sheds off completely within the first two weeks of life.…”