Mum allergic to own baby

Joanne Mackie suffered rashes all over her body when she picked up her son after he was born; she got a rare disease during pregnancy

A mother, Joanne Mackie, who developed blisters and a burning rash after giving birth discovered she was allergic to her own baby.

Mackie (28) could not even cuddle her newborn son James or pick him up because she was in so much pain.
She was forced to cover herself in Muslin cloth before she went near her son.
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"At first, when I was told I was allergic to my own baby I thought it was some sort of joke," said Mackie. "But when it sank in I was totally devastated. It felt like my world had caved in."

Rare disease

After a skin biopsy she was diagnosed with Pemphigoid Gestationis, a rare skin disease caused by an allergic reaction to her baby developed while she was still pregnant.

Mackie was put on a course of strong steroids and after a month the blisters subsided leaving her able to hug James for the first time without feeling pain.

How it began

The problems began the morning after he was born when Mackie began breastfeeding.

She noticed her palms tingling and the day after the tingles started turning into a red blotchy rash which spread all over her body.
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"For weeks I had to wrap damp towels around my arms to feed James from a bottle,u00a0 but it made the rash worse. Now I can cradle him. It's heaven. I never want to let him go."