# Gross Medical Question: Doctors, Nurses, , , **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 14, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-medical-question-doctors-nurses/132265 "2002-10-14T19:13:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-medical-question-doctors-nurses/132265/1 "2002-10-14T19:13:40Z")
- and the morbidly curious/informed: - - - I’ve seen photos of a particular type of deformed infants on the net, on various sites that carry on with that sort of thing. None had any explanation of what the circumstances were. Up until now, all the photos I’d seen were only single ones of any particular infant, so there was no way to tell if the infant was alive or not, and I just assumed “not”. I recently found a site that has two photos of the same baby in the same setting in two different positions though, so apparently it was still kicking when the photos were taken. Fair warning, they aren’t pretty: [http://www.badact.com/biz/biz0008.jpg](http://www.badact.com/biz/biz0008.jpg) [http://www.badact.com/biz/biz0009.jpg](http://www.badact.com/biz/biz0009.jpg) * * * A few questions, , -Are these pictures real? Like, of a real person? All the photos I have seen of this appeared to be different infants, but all looked very similar. -What is the nature of this condition? -I haven’t ever seen a photo of an adult that looked like anything like this. Do infants born like this recover eventually? or, not…? ~ ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-medical-question-doctors-nurses/132265/2 "2002-10-14T20:49:48Z")
I don’t know if those are real or not, but they looked kind of fake to me. But I do know that at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris they have a large collection of ‘human monsters’ on display. Some authentic photos can be found here- [WARNING-GROSS/DISTURBING IMAGES] [http://www.ewjm.com/cgi/content/full/175/3/174](http://www.ewjm.com/cgi/content/full/175/3/174) ---
**Author:** ![Margeuerite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Margeuerite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Margeuerite)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-medical-question-doctors-nurses/132265/3 "2002-10-14T22:06:41Z")
Yes, the images are real. The condition is called harlequin ichthyosis (or “harlequin fetus”), a condition that usually leads to stillborn births. (These pictures are unusual in that regard; I’m not sure why the woman is feeding the baby, since it is not going to live long). Infants with this skin disease have hardened, plate-like scales on their bodies, and sometimes the scales look completely white, with only the red breakages to tell you where the natural skin creases would be. What you see in place of the eye is actually an inverted eyelid. Infants usually die from respiratory failure, since their mucosal membranes are so dried out, and they are hopelessly unable to retain moisture. On a side note: there are adults with lamellar ichthyosis, a disfiguring skin condition in its own right–but the particular type of ichthyosis in OP’s pictures is always fatal. If not stillborn, the infant will die within days. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-medical-question-doctors-nurses/132265/4 "2002-10-15T23:45:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by the\_secret\_hamster \* > I’m not sure why the woman is feeding the baby, since it is not going to live long Cripes - maybe we shouldn’t bother feeding YOU because you ain’t gonna live forever, either :rolleyes: If feeding the kid does no harm I would think it would be needlessly cruel NOT to do so! ---
**Author:** ![Teebone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teebone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teebone)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-medical-question-doctors-nurses/132265/5 "2002-10-16T07:54:16Z")
Well my first post… I’ve seen this baby in a video I rented and the baby was well and alive. Actually, seemed pretty good except for the condition. I also looked Harlequin Ichthyosis on the web and one site said there are sometimes survivors, so I’m not sure why hamster said the baby will die. Teebone ---
**Author:** ![Mad\_Matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Mad\_Matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mad_Matt)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-medical-question-doctors-nurses/132265/6 "2002-10-16T18:37:44Z")
I found this site: [http://asylumeclectica.com/malady/archives/harlequin.htm](http://asylumeclectica.com/malady/archives/harlequin.htm) which has more pictures and info on this condition. I warn you now, it may well cause distress (well it made me feel very uneasy). ---
**Author:** ![Margeuerite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Margeuerite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Margeuerite)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-medical-question-doctors-nurses/132265/7 "2002-10-16T19:40:23Z")
I cede defeat! Teebone, you are correct, although the infant mortality rate is high. I spoke too soon in my post. :smack: And Broomstick, I meant no offense, and I certainly didn’t mean to sound calllous. You have a good point. My apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Margeuerite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Margeuerite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Margeuerite)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-medical-question-doctors-nurses/132265/8 "2002-10-16T19:56:31Z")
I cede defeat! Teebone, you are correct, although the infant mortality rate is high. I spoke too soon in my post. :smack: And Broomstick, I meant no offense, and I certainly didn’t mean to sound calllous. You have a good point. My apologies.