Congenital Epidermolysis Bullosa Disease (EB) is a very rare disorder caused by a mutation in the keratin gene. The disorder is characterized by the development of blisters following minimal pressure to the skin. Blistering often occurs during infancy in response to simply being held or handled. It is estimated that the prevalence of EB is about 1 in 100000. Often, many cases of Epidermolysis Bullosa are not accurately diagnosed and are hence not reported.

Here is a case of a 25-day-old child who was brought to Dr. Batra’s^® by a young couple from Thane.

This child had multiple fluid-filled blisters all over his body including the area near his eyes. The blisters kept rupturing and discharging blood. The eye specialist also observed some superficial corneal abrasion. This condition had developed within just a few hours of the child's birth.

The doctors at Dr. Batra’s^® diagnosed the disorder as Epidermolysis Bullosa, the cause probably being the consanguineous marriage of his parents. At that time, the parents felt helpless and had lost hope as they had gone from doctor to doctor in Mumbai, albeit without any relief. The mother wept continuously as the doctor at Dr. Batra’s^® recorded a detailed case history.

Based on this history and the disease symptoms, a homeopathic remedy was prescribed for the child. Since the infant also had mouth lesions that made oral medication difficult, the doctor decided to administer the medicines through the skin. A cream was prescribed, which was to be applied twice daily over the webs in between the fingers and toes. The doctor asked the parents to take three additional precautions:

1. To maintain proper hygiene for the prevention of any secondary bacterial infection
2. To use a cleansing lotion instead of soap
3. To avoid any form of mechanical injury to the skin by way of traditional massages given to newborns as the child's skin was very fragile

Miraculously, the child started improving rapidly. Within the first month of treatment, the frequency of appearance of his blisters reduced and they started healing fast. His skin lesions started clearing up without any trace of pus or blood discharge. The parents were able to clean the child properly without the fear of rupturing the lesions. His overall development remained normal with physical and mental milestones met on time. As the mouth lesions healed, his mother was able to feed him properly. The treatment also helped him to gain weight. In 3 months, he doubled his birth weight; and thereafter, continued to grow normally.