A child who drank hot soup with a straw almost lost his life...Burns narrow your airways
Oct 01, 2025
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According to Chinese media such as China Dotcom, a boy A (2) living in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, found a pot of soup on the table while his parents were away for a while.
The child drank the soup using a straw, and immediately suffered burns to his mouth and throat.
As the child who burst into tears became increasingly difficult to breathe, the parents rushed their son to the hospital at around 10 p.m.
Initially, it was diagnosed with burns inside the mouth and neck, but the condition worsened overnight.
Early the next morning, the child could hardly breathe and his oxygen saturation dropped sharply. Medical staff said the airway was severely swollen and even the infection progressed.
A pediatrician who underwent a detailed examination with a bronchoscopy explained that the child's occipital cranial head (a cartilage structure located in the area where the airway meets the esophagus) was swollen to the size of a ping-pong ball, and the airway narrowed to the level of a newborn.
The medical staff immediately performed emergency intubation using a small tube with a diameter of 3.5mm, and fortunately, they were able to save the child's life by securing an airway.
Later in the day, the child said he is gradually stabilizing, but there is still a risk of complications.
The oral mucosa is much thinner and more sensitive than the skin, so you can easily burn even at relatively low temperatures.
Medical staff emphasized the need for parental and family attention, saying that food or drinks above 60 degrees Celsius can cause immediate burns to the mouth, esophagus, and stomach mucosa.
Generally, liquids of about 45 to 50 degrees Celsius are not seriously damaged due to short contact, but staying in the mouth for a long time can cause pain and light damage, and even reaching 55 degrees or more can cause burns to the mucous membranes of the mouth.
The International Cancer Institute under the World Health Organization classifies very hot liquids as first-class carcinogens, and long-term exposure can increase the risk of esophageal and oral cancers.
Experts urged parents to check the temperature before serving food to their children, and to keep boiling soup or hot food out of reach of their children.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
