3-Year-Old Choked To Death Eating 12 Grapes As New Year Tradition

A three-year-old boy died after he choked while eating 12 grapes as part of a Spanish New Year tradition. The incident took place in the coastal city of Gijon in northern Spain.

The child was rushed to the hospital where doctors tried to revive him but were unsuccessful, the Daily Mail reported. Details about the incident remain unclear.

Eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight while celebrating the New Year is a tradition in Spain that has been going on for years. With each stroke of the clock at midnight, the 12 grapes which symbolize the 12 months are to be eaten as part of the tradition. The successful eating of the grapes leads to a year of prosperity, according to Spanish tradition.

While this tradition was initially followed only in Spain, it later spread to places with a broad cultural relation with Spain and Latin American countries, as well as Hispanic communities in the United States. The Philippines has also adopted the tradition.

However, families usually do not let children take part in the tradition because it is difficult for them to eat the grapes that quickly.

Doctors have previously warned that children must be careful while eating grapes as there are chances of them getting choked to the fruit due to its shape and smooth sides. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, grapes, nuts, candy, hot dogs and popcorn all pose a major risk to kids younger than four years old. Grapes are the third most common cause of death among children who die in food-related choking incidents.

There have been several incidents in the past where young children have choked on grapes. While some luckily survived, others died.

In 2017, a 2-year-old boy choked to death at a grocery store in Detroit after his mother was unable to perform CPR.

The same year, doctors issued advice in the British Medical Journal outlining a number of tragic cases from recent years where children choked on grapes. One of which involved the death of a 17-month-old boy who choked on a grape at his home, while another five-year-old boy choked on a grape at an after-school club.

In another incident, a two-year-old boy remained in intensive care for five days after choking on a grape but went on to make a full recovery.

“We’ve heard from thousands of parents and carers on Facebook and many just don’t realise how easily a young child can choke to death on a grape. But they’re vulnerable because they’re still learning to chew and their airway is tiny, so a whole grape can completely block it,” Katrina Phillips, chief executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, said in 2016. “We hope these case reports go a long way to raising awareness of the risk and the simple steps families can take to keep children safe.”