# Strangulation by Hair: An Uncommon Cause of a Common Accident in Children

**Authors:** Haya Alsarrawi, Abdelrahman Masri

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.87502 · 2025-07-08

## TL;DR

A toddler briefly lost consciousness after getting entangled in a sibling's hair, highlighting the rare but dangerous risk of hair strangulation in children.

## Contribution

This case report highlights hair-thread tourniquet syndrome as a rare but underreported cause of pediatric injury.

## Key findings

- A toddler briefly lost consciousness after entanglement in a sibling's hair.
- The incident emphasizes the risk of everyday items like hair causing harm to young children.
- Prompt parental action and emergency care led to full recovery.

## Abstract

Unintentional injuries are a leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality, with suffocation being a significant contributor. While common mechanisms include choking and entrapment, strangulation by household items such as human hair, known as hair-thread tourniquet syndrome (HTTS), is exceedingly rare and underreported. This report describes a rare case of a toddler who briefly lost consciousness after becoming entangled in a sibling’s long hair. Rapid parental response and emergency care led to a full recovery, but the incident underscores how everyday items can pose significant risks to young children, reinforcing the need for heightened awareness and proactive safety measures at home.

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** Accident (MESH:D000081084), HTTS (MESH:D054463), tourniquet syndrome (MESH:D013577), Unintentional injuries (MESH:D014947)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

2 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12329694/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12329694