Written by Dr. Adel Haque, Board Certified Dermatologist, December 22, 2021

As Published in the Pediatric Dermatology Journal: Glistening film on the dorsal hands and feet of a newborn

Adel Haque, MD, December 22, 2021 

Acral self-healing collodion baby (ASHCB) is a rare variant of collodion baby, in which the collodion membrane is confined only to the dorsum of the hands and feet. Collodion baby is the term used to describe the temporary appearance of an infant encased in a glistening, transparent, tight film at birth. Most commonly, the collodion membrane is generalized and involves the majority of the skin. Approximately 90% of the infants born in a generalized collodion membrane develop autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis, and 10% of the cases are self-healing with no subsequent skin problems.1 Both clinical forms appear to be a result of an autosomal recessive mutation. The genes that have been implicated include TGM1, ABCA12, ALOXE3, ALOX12B, NIPAL4, and CYP4F22.2,3.