What the 6-Year-Old Sister Did When Her 3-Year-Old Sibling Choked on Candy... Admired Across China

A 3-Year-Old Girl Chokes on Candy at Home in China
6-Year-Old Sister Performs Heimlich Maneuver
Emergency Response for Airway Obstruction Due to Foreign Object

A story about a 6-year-old sister who quickly saved her 3-year-old sibling from a candy choking incident using the Heimlich maneuver has become a hot topic. On the 28th (local time), the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong reported, "On the 22nd, at a home in Hainan Province, southern China, a 3-year-old girl was unable to breathe properly because a candy was stuck in her throat, but her 6-year-old sister remembered the emergency treatment her mother taught her and saved her younger sibling."

[Image source=Weibo capture]

At the time, the mother was away doing laundry, and suddenly the younger sibling started crying and expressing discomfort by hitting her chest. The older sister, who was sitting on the sofa, immediately got up, went behind her sister, and performed the Heimlich maneuver. After several attempts of chest compressions, the candy stuck in the younger sibling’s throat popped out of her mouth. The younger sibling then regained stability and was reported to have no further issues.

Netizens who saw the CCTV footage of the incident reacted with comments such as "Home education is really important," "When I was young, I couldn’t even eat alone well, amazing," "Be good to your older sister when you grow up," and "Even as an adult, I don’t know how to properly perform the Heimlich maneuver."

The Heimlich maneuver is an emergency procedure used when the airway is blocked by a foreign object. For an adult standing, the rescuer places their arms around the person’s back, positioning their hands between the patient’s sternum and navel. One hand is made into a fist with the thumb side against the patient’s body, and the other hand covers the fist. Then, the rescuer forcefully pushes upward with the fist under the sternum. The abdominal thrusts are repeated until the foreign object is expelled or emergency responders arrive.

If alone, a person can perform the Heimlich maneuver by forcefully pressing their abdomen between the sternum and navel against the edge of a desk or similar surface. However, the Heimlich maneuver is not used for infants under 1 year old. For infants, the face and cervical spine (neck) are stabilized, and the infant is turned over and safely placed on the rescuer’s legs. Then, the rescuer lightly taps the infant’s shoulder blades about five times with the palm’s base. Afterward, the infant is laid flat and given five chest compressions, taking care to avoid rib injuries.