'Our girl is too fragile to hold'.

Baby Alexandra Mills is too fragile even for her mother to hold.

The little girl was born with every major bone in her body broken.

She has a rare form of brittle bone disease, which affects around 40 babies in the UK each year.

Alexandra suffered fractures to her skull, legs, arms and ribs when she was born naturally, weighing 5lb 4oz.

Tiny casts had to be made for Alexandra and she was put in traction, until yesterday.

Her parents, full-time mum Louise, 31, and Christian, 33, realised something was wrong because their daughter was crying incessantly.

"She was obviously in a lot of pain," said Christian, a project engineer, yesterday. "Even when we picked her up very gently she was crying.

"We were told we could have lost her. We still don't know what to expect.

"She could be wheelchair bound, but we are in a far better position now than when she was born two weeks ago."

Alexandra's condition is hereditary, but her parents were unaware of the risk as they have two other perfectly healthy children ( Georgie, three, and Jimmy, two.

She has been treated with special painkillers and drugs to boost calcium levels to strengthen her bones. But brittle bones in babies, or osteogenesis imperfecta, is incurable and will affect her for life. While her fractures are healing, her parents are unable to hold her unless they place her on a pillow first.

"She's been in her little cot since she was born, up until today," said Louise. "Tiny casts were made and her legs have been in traction, but she kept kicking them off, so doctors have decided she can keep them off.

"It's been hard not being able to hold her.

"It's only now that we've been able to pick her up by placing her on a pillow, but we still can't hug her like we did with Georgie and Jimmy."

The family are originally from Branthwaite, Workington, Cumbria, but have moved to Newcastle to be with Alexandra while she receives special care at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.