Crazy Viral Photo of Baby in Tube Has a Not-So-Bizarre Explanation

Here's one from the weird files: A photo of a baby jammed in a tube has gone viral, and for good reason. We're all wondering what the heck is going on with this poor little tyke!

At first glance, this photo certainly looks like some cruel science experiment, but it's actually a total routine procedure … that is, if you need to perform an X-ray on a baby.

See, the thing is, X-rays require patients to remain completely still to get an accurate image. And, well, babies just don't like sitting still. So, this tube, called the Pigg O Stat, keeps a baby totally immobile so the X-rays can be taken.

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I, for one, am fascinated by this photo — frankly I never knew a device like this existed. But it makes total sense. I recall there was a point when my daughter was around 1 and may have needed an MRI after an injury (which she ended up not having). Nonetheless, I remember thinking, "how are they gonna keep her still?" Well, I guess here's my answer!

Once this photo was posted on Reddit, it sparked tons of commentary.

"It looks like that baby is about to be sent through the tubes at the bank drive through," said one commentator. Meanwhile another joked, "Those storks did a sh*tty job delivering babies, so we upgraded to BabyTube2000(tm)."

But a few actually did recognize the Pigg O Stat, and relayed their experiences on them.

"While piggostats are uncomfortable they do NOT harm the baby in any way," said another. "But they usually cause a bit of crying since it is restricting."

Another recalls, "My daughter was in one of those when she was just turning two. She's usually going to cry about anything out of the ordinary but not this, for some reason. However, while she was being stoic in the area above the table, her legs were cycling a hundred miles an hour the whole time, not unlike Scooby and Shaggy when they are scared and have begun to run but haven't yet moved."

Anyway, it's nice to know this photo isn't as macabre as it may look at first. And hats off to this brave baby for now bawling bloody murder!

What did you think was going on in this photo at first glance?

Image via imgur

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