Etretinate treatment for Harlequin baby

This report of a Harlequin foetus surviving is due essentially to two factors. a) the intensive care provided to the erythrodermic infant, looking after its nutrition, temperature control and controls of infection and b) the use of a new synthetic Vitamin A acid--Etretinate in the management of dyskeratinisation syndromes. As this is of autosomal recessive inheritance, besides genetic counselling, Singapore has to develop its prenatal diagnostic techniques viz-amniocentesis and ultrasound studies of the skin, to detect dermatological problems.