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An 11-month-old baby in China was rushed to hospital after her mother followed a dangerous parenting tip she found online, which nearly resulted in the amputation of the child's finger
The mother had tightly wrapped the index finger of her baby — nicknamed Lele — to stop her from chewing on it.
According to South China Morning Post, the family believed the habit was unhygienic and could harm the development of the baby's teeth.
The next morning, the family was horrified to discover the child's finger had become swollen, turned purple, and that the tissue had begun to die
According to Dr Luo Yuanyang at the Hunan Children's Hospital, Lele was brought to them on 14 July 2025. Luo said if the parents had arrived any later, the finger would have required amputation.
Fortunately, doctors were able to treat Lele by removing the dead tissue, which is expected to regrow in two to three weeks.
Image for illustration purposes only.
Image via Douyin"Chewing things is a baby's way of exploring the world," Dr Luo explained, adding that the habit is normal for infants and usually disappears by the age of 2 or 3
Dr Luo cautioned that this was not an isolated incident, revealing the hospital had recently seen other cases where parents used rubber bands or gloves, which also posed serious risks.
She urged parents to seek professional medical advice instead of trusting random tips online.
"Parents only need to keep their hands clean," she advised.
