Teen With Rare Condition Could Die From Brushing Hair

A teenage girl in Scotland with an extremely rare medical condition was told by doctors that brushing her hair could kill her.

Megan Stewart, 13, suffers from hair brushing syndrome, which means that contact with static electricity could cause her brain to shut down, the Scottish Daily Record reported Thursday.

Her condition came to light in 2008 as she got ready for school in Wishaw, central Scotland.

Her mother, Sharon, said, "I was brushing her hair in the living room when she flopped over and her lips turned blue. I thought she was having a fit, which she'd never had before, so we called the paramedics. It was really scary."

Doctors at Glasgow's Yorkhill Hospital for Sick Children told her parents that they had only ever heard of one other case of the syndrome, which causes vital organs to shut down if there is a buildup of static.

The 41 year old added, "When we comb her hair, we have to lay her down and cover her head with water to stop any static building up. She can't rub balloons on her head at parties, and she can't wear any shiny clothing."

It is thought that the condition is a result of birth complications.

Sharon Stewart was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia three months before she was due to give birth, and Megan weighed just two pounds and five ounces when she was born and could fit in the palm of her dad's hand.

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