This baby in US has hair growing all over his body; is called ‘baby gorilla’
The doctor warned them about hair growth being a possible side-effect; however, they never expected it to be that extreme.
A four-month-old baby has been nicknamed “baby gorilla” in the US after he started growing long, black body hair across his chest, back, arms, legs and even his face due to the side-effects of life-saving medication.
Mateo Hernandez, from Texas, was diagnosed with Congenital Hyperinsulinism when he was just a month old. The condition, which affects one in every 50,000 babies, causes the pancreas to produce excessively high levels of insulin which leads to dangerously low blood sugar levels.
The parents took him to the hospital after he kept visibly shaking and overeating. He had blood sugar levels in 30s and was at risk of having seizures or even dying.
Baby Mateo was admitted to the NICU in Texas Children’s Hospital. He was given life-saving treatment and his health started improving within two weeks. But soon, his parents, Bri Shelby, 24, and Jared Hernandez, 22, noticed the unusual side-effect wherein he is covered in long, dark body hair.
“After a couple of weeks of being on the medication his body started changing – he got really big and started growing lots of hair on his head and body,” Bri told ‘Daily Mail’.
“It started with his head and forehead, then his legs, arms and back until it had spread to everywhere except his stomach. He was bald when he came out but after a few weeks of being on the medication he’s turned into a little gorilla,” she added.
The doctor warned them about hair growth being a possible side-effect; however, they never expected it to be that extreme.
Bri and her husband shared Mateo’s pictures online to spread awareness about his condition. Unfortunately however, people began trolling the couple. Some even asked the parents to wax the baby, while others asked them to “throw him away”.
Mateo’s parents insist that they would rather have their son hairy and healthy, rather than sick.
Bri asked the doctors if she could shave him, but they advised against it. The doctors expect Mateo to outgrow his condition and stop his medication eventually, after which the excess hair should fall out. However, since the condition is so rare, they are unsure how long this will take.
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