Five collodion babies were treated with a topical preparation containing 5% lactic acid as the antikeratinogenic agent. Examinations during the first 10 months of life revealed normal physical and neurological development of the infants, but slight ichthyotic scaling was observed in all patients. This observation indicates the importance of the early use of antikeratinogenic agents in the treatment of ichthyotic membranes and the prevention of secondary infections. Protection of these children from infections may be life-saving.

Keywords: autosomal recessive trait, collodion baby, lactic acid treatment, lamellar ichthyosis, newborn