2-year-old boy nearly dies after drinking hot soup with straw, throat swells & blocks airway
A two-year-old boy in Guangxi, China, was left fighting for his life after sipping scalding hot soup through a straw.
The boiling liquid severely burned his throat, causing it to swell to the size of a “ping-pong ball” and block his airway.
He went into respiratory failure and was rushed to intensive care, where doctors managed to save him just in time.
Child’s throat burned after sipping soup through straw
According to Taiwanese news outlet United Daily News, the incident occurred on the night of 21 Sept, when the boy nicknamed Xiaobao (name transliterated) noticed a pot of hot soup on the family’s dining table.
Source: Sukanya Phanphoka on Canva, for illustrative purposes.
While his parents were distracted, he used a straw to suck in a mouthful of the boiling liquid.
The heat instantly scalded his mouth and throat, leaving him in tears and unable to breathe properly.
His parents rushed him to Nanning Maternal and Child Health Hospital at around 10pm.
Initially diagnosed with throat and oral burns, his condition worsened overnight.
By early the next morning (22 Sept), he could barely breathe as his oxygen levels dropped, and doctors said his airway was badly blocked and infected.
Airway shrank to size of newborn’s
According to CTWANT, Dr Yan Yunying (name transliterated), head of paediatrics at the hospital, said that a bronchoscopy revealed Xiaobao’s epiglottis was so swollen it resembled a “small ping-pong ball,” leaving only a tiny airway for breathing.
“The airway was extremely narrow, comparable to that of a newborn,” she noted.
Source: QQ News
Doctors immediately performed an emergency intubation using a tiny 3.5mm tube, which successfully opened his airway.
By the afternoon of 22 Sept, his vital signs had stabilised, though doctors cautioned he still faced risks of further complications.
Experts warn of dangers of very hot food & drinks
Medical experts stressed that consuming food or drinks hotter than 60°C can cause instant burns to the mouth, oesophagus, and stomach lining.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified very hot liquids as a Group 1 carcinogen — long-term exposure can increase the risk of oesophageal and oral cancers.
Doctors advised parents to always check the temperature of children’s meals before serving, and to keep boiling dishes out of their reach.
Also read: 3-year-old boy in China suffers burns after Xiaomi phone explodes while he watches videos
3-year-old boy in China suffers burns after Xiaomi phone explodes while he watches videos
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Featured image adapted from QQ News and Sukanya Phanphoka on Canva, for illustrative purposes.
