'I forgot I was pregnant': Teacher in China saves choking girl with Heimlich manoeuvre

Anxious to save her pupil who had accidentally swallowed a whole lollipop, a pregnant teacher performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on the girl. 

The primary three pupil in Guizhou, China, choked on the candy on Wednesday (Nov 3). Her teacher told Chinese media that the girl was unable to speak and pointed at her throat.

Realising that the child was in distress, the woman sprung into action.

A Heimlich manoeuvre is a first-aid procedure for dislodging an obstruction in a person's windpipe. It is done by exerting strong pressure on the person's abdomen, between the navel and the ribcage. 

After three tries, the girl expelled the lollipop.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuHU5Ie5GH8[/embed]

"I'm eight months pregnant. I'm going to give birth next month, but I forgot I was pregnant at that moment," the teacher said as she recounted the incident to reporters.

"After the child recovered, I stood there with wobbly legs, my stomach hurt as well." 

While this girl was saved by her teacher in time, there were others who weren't so lucky. 

In 2018, a four-year-old boy in Hunan, China, died after choking on a piece of cake in kindergarten. 

Upon discovering that the boy was choking, his teacher tried to remove the cake and rushed him to the hospital, but it was too late. 

claudiatan@asiaone.com