A strange disease causes a mother to have an allergic reaction to her own child

A new mother who developed painful blisters during her pregnancy said she was stunned when she learned she was "allergic" to her own baby.

Rarely, a mother is allergic to her own child.

Fiona Hooker, 32, from Hampshire, England, was pregnant with her second child in early 2021. She first noticed red itchy areas on her belly when she was 31 weeks pregnant. As time went on, the allergy worsened.

The woman discovered she was allergic to her own baby, a rare condition that affects one in 50,000 people. Pemphigoid Gestationis is a rare pregnancy condition. Her body reacted to a gene in her son's DNA that caused her immune system to attack her own skin.

After giving birth, the allergy becomes more severe. Fiona Hooker developed blisters and red itchy patches on her stomach, and a rash on her chest, arms and legs. Basically, everywhere she comes into contact with the child.

Itchy, blistering spots on Fiona Hooker's stomach

Fiona Hooker said: 'I had a few small, very itchy bumps around my belly button. I went to the doctor a few days after giving birth because my skin was getting increasingly itchy and unbearable. It was like I had allergies. with my child."

The 32-year-old said she went to the doctor, but at first they were confused by Fiona Hooker's condition because they had never seen such a case. She has a 3-year-old daughter named Phoebe and her first pregnancy gave birth without complications.

She went to a dermatologist for advice and was instructed to use drugs containing strong steroids to take orally, as well as apply on the skin.

Fiona Hooker said: 'Two days before I gave birth, I started to feel unbearable and 24 hours after I gave birth, the itching broke out and turned into blisters.

Thankfully, the allergy started to go into remission six months after she started taking steroids. "Many people have to be treated with immunosuppressive therapy to get better control of the condition, I'm pretty lucky," Fiona Hooker said.

To this day, Hooker is still unclear why he developed this disorder. After 6 months, she stopped using the daily medication, her condition gradually improved. Finally, Hooker was able to bond with his son without going through excruciating pain.