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Babies are some of the world’s biggest sources of both joy and worry. And although admittedly, being overly worried about your infant may have unfavorable consequences, even a few moments of not paying attention can be disastrous. In one of the most recent and viral cases of this type, a baby almost lost its toe due to hair tourniquet.
A hair tourniquet is exactly what it sounds like
A series of pictures took over the internet for a while, as Scott Walker, little Molly’s father, shared a few pictures of his daughter’s toe as it looked after it had had a loose strand of hair wrapped around it for a while.
Luckily for the family and especially for the little girl, the wound healed up in less than a week’s time, but others may not be so lucky. The whole thing started as a loose strand of hair somehow got wrapped around little Moly’s middle toe, requiring a trip to the emergency room.
It really doesn’t have to be a strand of hair, though. The condition can happen with pretty much any strand of loose fiber, including cotton. If the strands wraps around a body part, it cuts off circulation, and can lead to permanent damage and even amputation.
There are only a couple of dozen of such cases a year in the United States, but sadly some of them are not managed properly. It’s very easy to overlook, and some parents even mistakenly try to take care of things on their own, despite that not always being the best way to fix things.
Pay attention to your infant child
If a loose strand of hair or fabric does manage to wrap itself around your infant’s toe or finger (doctors warn that this can even happen to a baby boy’s penis), doctors suggest that you remove as fast as possible – IF and only IF it didn’t appear to cause any real damage; if it looks like it might have, doctors urge immediate medical assistance.
Experts on the subject suggest checking your infant any time you dress and undress him for any possible tourniquets. Sure, it might cost you some extra time, but it will guarantee you infant won’t have to lose a finger or toe due to carelessness.
Additionally, if a baby seems to be crying without any immediately observable stimuli, you should perform the check once more, just in case.
Image source: Pixabay
