A baby with no nose and unable to open its eyes has been born to Moreen Chikalamba at Salima district hospital, a condition described as “Arhinia” by the doctors.
This baby comes barely two weeks after another with no eyes, nose, ears, cracked body and partly haired head was born at the same hospital with a condition described as Harlequin Ichthyosis by medical practitioners. It died few days later at Kamuzu Central hospital.
Chikalamba of Mkochi Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chiwere in Dowa District, bore the child in the morning hours of Wednesday, 3rd April, 2013 at Salima District Hospital.
Salima District Hospital Spokesperson, William Kaunda has identified the condition as “Arhinia” which is the congenital absence of the external nose, nasal cavities and offertory apparatus.
He said it is a genetic and it’s being associated with the inversion and trisomy of chromosome 9. He said cases of that nature rarely happen in the world. Kaunda recalled that for the past four years of 2009-2013, the world has so far recorded 25 cases and that the one for Salima is the 26th.
“Cases of this nature are rarely country wide. The world has for the past four years recorded 25 cases having the current one as the 26th. We need by all means to refer the child to Kamuzu Central Hospital where our friends there should assist us. The child, having no nose has problems with breathing and in view of that, we are referring it to Lilongwe,” said Kaunda.
According to a study so far, surgical repair of such cases is staged beginning at an appropriate age of 5 years and that the final revision on the same, is conducted near puberty stage.
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