Parents of a newborn baby born in Bangladesh have praised their “miracle” child after he was born with progeria, a medical term for early signs of ageing.
The baby boy has “prominent signs of ageing” including wrinkles on the face, a very shrunken body and hollow eyes, according to Britain’s Daily Express newspaper.
A doctor who has been treating him said: “The baby does not look like a new born at all.
There are prominent signs of ageing such as excessive wrinkles and rough skin texture.”
However, the parents of the baby are jubilant with the birth of their child.
Biswajit Patro, father of the baby, who is a farmer, is ecstatic and could not hold back his happiness.
He said: “We can only thank God. There is no need to be unhappy about the appearance of my son.
“We will accept him the way he is. We are so happy to have a baby boy in the house.”
Patro and his wife, Parul, have been busy attending curious guests who have been thronging their home to catch a glimpse of their son.
He said: “We have been getting a lot of visitors. Relatives, neighbours and even people from neighbouring villages have come to see our son. We are happy to host them all.
“We are already blessed to have to have a daughter. Now we are a family of four. What else can we ask for.”
The doctors at the local hospital have assured the Patro family that the baby will do well for now. However, it remains uncertain what measures can be taken to treat the baby.
The family also hopes that the baby grows up to become a healthy boy.