Hair-Tourniquet Syndrome: Multiple Toes and Bilaterality

The document discusses hair-tourniquet syndrome, an emergency condition where a hair or fiber wraps tightly around an appendage, typically affecting infants under 2 years old, leading to swelling, ischemia, and potential tissue necrosis. The case reported involves a 3-month-old girl with multiple toes affected on both feet. The constricting hairs were successfully removed, and the infant showed improvement. The condition can be caused by clothing fibers or hair, with post-partum hair loss in mothers being a contributing factor. The syndrome is often accidental, but can sometimes be misinterpreted as nonaccidental injury, leading to false claims of child abuse. Awareness of the syndrome is crucial for prompt diagnosis and treatment to prevent complications. The document emphasizes the importance of checking infants' clothing for loose fibers and educating parents and caregivers to prevent the syndrome.