Girl born with skin missing from her scalp, body, arms and legs, treated with her own lab-grown skin
She had instead was a membranous covering through which doctors could see her organs and blood vessels.
Sumayyah, a baby born in 2020, was born with aplasia cutis congenita (ACC), a rare birth defect leaving her with missing skin on nearly 40% of her body. She was given a membranous covering over her scalp, torso, and limbs, through which her organs and blood vessels could be seen. Previously, most babies with extensive ACC had not survived.
SGH neonatologist Alvin Ngeow stated that Sumayyah is a living survivor with the largest extent of missing skin in Singapore. Doctors immediately moved her to the NICU, where she received care similar to that of burn patients. A multidisciplinary team, including a dermatologist and plastic surgeon, worked on creating skin to cover her head and prevent complications.
Plastic surgeon Cheryl Hui cultured and grew skin from Sumayyah's groin, eventually using it to graft over her body, which took 29 days. Sumayyah was discharged after six months, and the team continued to change her dressing every two to three days until her skin grew.
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