Mother chokes on grape and 10-year-old son's unexpected reaction

(Dan Tri) - A 10-year-old boy in China reacted quickly and promptly to save his mother who was choking on a grape.

Son's quick reaction saves mother's life

According to security cameras at a house in Jinan city (Shandong province, China), the incident happened on January 17 when the mother kept coughing and spitting after swallowing a grape.

Hearing the sound of their mother vomiting, her two children (a 10-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl) ran to check on her. The son quickly put the phone down on the table and patted his mother’s back to help her vomit out the foreign object. However, the mother could not even drink water due to her persistent cough.

Mother chokes on grape and 10-year-old son's unexpected reaction ( Video source: Newsflare).

The boy came up behind his mother and performed the Heimlich maneuver. The woman eventually vomited the object, escaping the danger. As she took deep breaths, she was still shaking from the pain.

The 10-year-old boy's timely response impressed the Chinese online community.

"Seriously, this boy is mentally stronger than many adults, to be able to save his mother from a dangerous situation in time," one netizen wrote.

"The child can play with his phone and save his mother at the same time, so admirable," another person commented.

The moment a 10-year-old boy reacted quickly and performed the Heimlich maneuver to save his mother from danger (Photo cut from video).

What is the Heimlich maneuver?

The method of back blows to clear the airway is called the Heimlich maneuver, invented by American physician Henry Judah Heimlich. This is a move used to provide first aid to people who are choking on food or other foreign objects that are blocking the airway.

Foreign body in the airway is a common emergency situation, potentially life-threatening, due to foreign body blocking the airway, leading to lack of oxygen.

Common foreign objects that cause choking in the airway are seeds (melon seeds, sunflower seeds, cashew nuts, etc.) or some foods, fruits, and small pieces of toys.

Illustration of the Heimlich maneuver for adults (Photo: GXM).

For adults : The person performing the Heimlich maneuver will stand behind the victim, wrap both arms around the victim's abdomen, the outside hand grasps the fist of the inside hand, and press it against the abdomen above the navel, just below the victim's sternum.

Next, the person standing behind jerks his hand strongly and suddenly from front to back and from bottom to top, continuously 4-5 times.

This action must be done firmly and without pressing on the chest to be effective. The pressure from this action can dislodge the object, helping to clear the victim's airway.

Repeat a few times if necessary, but if that doesn't work, call emergency services immediately.

Doctor instructs on back patting and chest compressions for children (Photo: Provided by the hospital).

For children under 2 years old , parents need to perform back patting and chest pressing techniques:

- Place the child face down on the left arm, holding the head and neck firmly with the left hand. Use the index finger and middle finger of the left hand to push the child's chin up so that the child's neck is arched to avoid collapsing the airway. Then, use the heel of the right hand to give 5 strong slaps on the child's back (between the shoulder blades).

- If the child is still having difficulty breathing or turning purple, turn the child onto his right side and use two fingers of the left hand to press firmly on the area of 1/2 of the sternum 5 times.

- Continue alternating back blows and chest thrusts until the foreign object falls out of the airway or the child starts crying.

Doctor instructs on back patting and chest pressing techniques (Photo: Provided by the hospital).

For children over 2 years old, parents need to apply the Heimlich maneuver:

- Sit or stand behind the child so that it is convenient to put both arms around the child.

- The left hand forms a fist, placed right above the stomach, below the sternum in front of the chest and the right hand holds the fist.

- Press firmly from front to back and from bottom to top until the foreign object comes out.

After performing these steps, even if the child vomits the foreign object, parents should still take the child to the hospital for a doctor's examination.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/an-sinh/me-nghet-tho-do-hoc-qua-nho-va-phan-ung-bat-ngo-cua-cau-con-trai-10-tuoi-20250206195845202.htm