Claim
A distressing video of a newborn suffering from a rare skin disorder, Harelquin Ichthyosis, is circulating on Instagram with bizarre claims that a 'demonic' child was born. The video shows visuals of a newborn covered in thick scaly skin and bulging eyes and lips. The footage has been overlaid with an audio that is commonly heard in horror films and series. A text in the video reads, "Shaitan hua hai paida." (A demon has been born.)
Fact
BOOM was able to ascertain that the child in the video was born with a rare skin disorder, Harlequin Ichthyosis. Harlequin Ichthyosis means one born with dry, scaly 'fish' like skin. Newborns with this condition have very hard, thick skin covering most of their bodies; their facial features like mouth, eyes and ears, which are also deformed. Previous cases of Harlequin Ichthyosis have been reported in Delhi in 2018 and Nagpur in 2016. The survival rate of babies born with Harlequin Ichthyosis is very low as they die within few hours of birth . There is no cure for the disorder but it can be managed with treatment, reported Hindustan Times. BOOM however was not able to establish where the video is from. Another video of a newborn with the same skin disorder was earlier viral in 2019.