Boy develops fish scales

This 14-month-old child born without pores in his skin has baffled medics by developing fish scales.

Doctors believe little Song Sheng, of Jinhu, eastern China, may be suffering from a rare genetic condition that means his body cannot cool itself.



The boy - called fish boy by locals - began developing scales within days of his birth caused by his lack of pores.

Doctors say because he can't sweat or lose heat through his skin, it peels away in fish-like scales. Instead, his family control his body temperature by laying him in baths of ice.



Dad Song Dehui said: "He is in a lot of pain all the time and if we don't have enough ice he gets a fever."

But doctors have told Song there is still no known cure for the genetic condition, known as Lamellar ichthyosis. "It can be treated but not cured so we are praying for a miracle or a folk medicine cure," said Song.