Barely 3 years old, Eliana, a little Texan full of joy of life, inherited an unusual nickname: her parents call her “their little mermaid”. And for good reason. At birth, Eliana, born a great premature, could have succumbed to an infection if the team who took care of her had not had the idea of using a natural dressing: fish skin.
Fish skin to preserve baby’s fragility
Born at only 23 weeks of gestation, in April 2022, Eliana weighs barely 450 grams. She is logically hospitalized in the neonatology department of the Driscoll Children’s Hospital of Corpus Christi, Texas. But now she develops a severe bacterial infection on the neck, causing a deep wound and endangering her life. Traditional surgical treatments being too risky for such a fragile baby, the medical team must consider an innovative alternative.
Faced with this critical situation, the pediatric surgeon Dr Vanessa Dimas and the nurse practitioner Roxana Reyna opt for an unconventional approach: the use of fish skin to promote healing. After cleaning the wound with a medical honey solution, known for its antiseptic properties, they apply a cod skin transplant from the North Atlantic, a product developed by the Icelandic company Kerecis.
A natural solution to amazing properties
In reality, fish skin is not a wacky initiative and becomes, in various hospital centers around the world, a promising option, as it presents a microscopic structure very close to that of human skin. This acts as biological scaffolding, allowing tissues to regenerate effectively. Enriched with omega-3 and other natural elements, it promotes healing while reducing inflammation.
Dr Dimas adds a major asset: “Once she accomplished her role in the healing of the wound, she naturally resolves“. This method allowed Eliana to heal without surgical intervention, with results visible in just three days. Ten days after the start of treatment, the wound was closed, leaving few scars.
A recent international study, carried out on more than 250 diabetic patients with deep chronic wounds with the lower limbs, also revealed that a dressing based on cod skin allowed healing in four months in almost half of the patients. In comparison, conventional treatment – synthetic ointments and dressings applied daily – allowed healing only in 25 % of cases.
Another advantage: these natural dressings have a much lower risk of infection than other types of skin transplants, such as those from human or pig skin.
Towards a wider adoption in pediatrics
The use of fish skin in the treatment of wounds is therefore not new, but its application in premature infants is a first. In addition to having saved a little girl, this case opens the way for new research and a broader adoption of this method in pediatrics, even if precautions are necessary, especially in the event of fish allergy.
Three years after this intervention, Eliana leads a normal life, with a barely visible scar. All thanks to the audacity of his doctors. The first, perhaps, of a large line?