Woman finds out she is allergic to her own baby

Team Udayavani, Feb 11, 2022, 10:20 AM IST

Source: unsplash

A new mother is suffering from a rare and terrible postnatal disease that affects only one in every 50,000 women worldwide.
Fiona Hooker is allergic to her own baby, she develops blisters and red itchy spots on her stomach.

When she was 31 weeks pregnant, the 32-year-old discovered red itching spots on her tummy. As time passed, the allergies worsened.

She still experiences itching spots on her belly, occasionally with blisters, even after having given birth.

Fiona was diagnosed with Pemphigoid Gestationis, a rare autoimmune pregnancy disorder that affects one out of every 50,000 women.

According to accounts, her immune system attacks her own skin as a result of a gene in her son’s DNA.

“I got a few tiny, really itchy marks around my belly button that felt like nettle stings. I went to the doctors after a few days because it was getting more and more itchy and unbearable,” said Fiona.

A general practitioner urged the 32-year-old to see a dermatologist, she claimed. She complied, and she was prescribed a heavy steroid cream to use.

“Two days before I was due to give birth it started to get unbearable again and 24 hours after I’d given birth it just exploded and turned into blisters,” added Fiona.

She developed blisters and rashes on her breast, arms, and legs after giving birth. Basically, everywhere she would hold the baby.

She was later prescribed a high dose of oral steroids as well as a cream to help control her allergies.

Thankfully, six months after she began taking the steroids, her allergies began to fade. However, the change isn’t permanent because she has to use the creams frequently.