If a child has jelly stuck in their throat, parents need to know how to perform first aid. The specific method is: stimulate the child quickly by digging into the throat or pressing the tongue so that the child can vomit it out; pick up the child upside down and slap their back hard; insert a soft tube directly into the trachea above or below the Adam's apple to allow the lungs to breathe without passing through the throat, which can save the child’s life.
On a day in January this year, nanny Ms. Li was alone at home taking care of things. When little Sheng woke up, Ms. Li took out some jelly from the fridge and fed him with a soup spoon without noticing the warning on the packaging stating "Not suitable for children under three years old". When feeding the third spoonful, little Sheng suddenly froze, and Ms. Li realized he might be choking. She then patted his back and carried him to seek help from the neighborhood security guard while notifying Mr. Zhang. However, when Mr. Zhang returned home, the medical staff had already confirmed that his son had died from suffocation.
Written by reporter Na Wang, correspondent Baomei He
Some experts pointed out that although companies provide safety warnings on product packaging such as "Since this product is elastic, we suggest chewing slowly, do not let young children eat alone, elderly and children should not swallow in one bite", the effect of these warnings is very limited. Many consumers still fail to fully recognize the serious consequences that small cupped jellies can cause suffocation or even death. In real life, it is also difficult for parents to ensure that children with low self-control chew slowly and eat in multiple bites.
Recently, the Nanshan Court publicly tried this case and sentenced defendant Ms. Li to one and a half years in prison for negligent homicide.
In view of this situation, the China Consumers Association reminds consumers to purchase small cupped jelly products cautiously, suggesting not to feed them to children, especially not letting children eat alone.
Due to the fact that the epiglottis development of children under three years old is far from mature, they are more likely to have their airways blocked when sucking food. There have been several cases where children have suffocated to death after eating jelly. Other cases show that children over ten years old and the elderly are also easily choked.
However, recently in Shenzhen, there was an unfortunate incident where a one-year-old child choked to death after eating jelly. Ultimately, the nanny was sentenced to one and a half years in prison for negligent homicide.
A one-year-old child suffocated to death after eating jelly
Crystal-clear jelly-like foods are loved by many children. Although nowadays all jelly products sold on the market have the words "Not suitable for children under three years old" printed on the packaging, many doting parents still buy them for their children to eat.
In recent years, there have been frequent cases of children suffocating to death due to jelly consumption. According to investigations, the volume shape and packaging method of jelly have a significant relationship with causing suffocation among children, with small cup-shaped jelly being particularly problematic. Small cup jelly (small in size, can be eaten in one bite) has always been one of the most popular varieties of children's food in the Chinese market. However, according to doctors' opinions: jelly is not suitable for children to consume, especially small cup jelly whose size is similar to that of a child's throat. When a child squeezes the jelly into their mouth and gets it stuck accidentally, it may lead to suffocation and death.
Experts remind that eating too much jelly can easily reduce a child's appetite, affecting the balanced absorption of nutrients, and may form an "acidic constitution." Artificial synthetic colors and flavorings only enhance the sensory characteristics of jelly but have no nutritional value. Eating too much is detrimental to health. Therefore, parents should not let their children eat too much jelly, especially not give small jelly to toddlers.
A one-year-old child tragically passed away due to improper care after eating jelly. While the parents are heartbroken and regretful, nanny Ms. Li was also legally arrested by the procuratorate for her negligence. Recently, the Nanshan Court publicly tried this case and sentenced defendant Ms. Li to one and a half years in prison for negligent homicide.
The case details showed that Mr. Zhang from a residential area in Nanshan District, Shenzhen, hired nanny Ms. Li through a housekeeping company to take care of his newly born son, Little Sheng.
Alert: Jelly can easily cause children to suffocate to death.
The China Consumers Association issued a warning as early as April 13, 2005: small cup jelly can easily cause children to suffocate to death, reminding consumers to purchase such jelly products cautiously, suggesting not to feed them to children, especially not letting children eat alone.
How to perform emergency rescue? The nanny was sentenced to one year and six months in prison for negligent homicide leading to death.