Hair Tourniquet

Is your baby restless? Does he or she keep crying? You should know the hair tourniquet (or "entangled hair") phenomenon - it is easy to handle, but sometimes hard to notice, so it may be very dangerous.

Hair (or a string) that falls on the baby may get wrapped around organs such as fingers or a penis. Hair wrapped around a finger restricts blood circulation and may harm the organ to the point of necrosis. The baby cannot explain what is bothering them and a long time may pass before the problem is identified.

Guidelines for preventing hair tourniquet

There are several recommendations every parent should know and implement daily to prevent hair tourniquet:

• Before putting on any clothes, make sure that there are no loose threads in the clothes and socks. If you use reusable cloth diapers, carefully check each diaper before changing. It is also important to check blankets and towels to make sure that they do not have unraveled threads.
• Following childbirth, many women suffer hair loss. It is recommended to tie hair back before caring for the baby.
• During every diapering and bath, check the fingers, toes and penis to make sure that no hair or thread is wrapped around them.
• If the baby is restless or cries for no apparent reason, undress him or her and make sure there is no tangled hair or thread.
• If one of the fingers is swollen or red, carefully check to make sure that there is no hair or thread wrapped under the swelling.