Lychee-flavored Gel Candies: a Potentially Lethal Snack for Infants and Children

A 10 month-old infant was given a Lychee Mini Fruity Gel (AP Frozen Foods Ltd, Thailand) by his mother while shopping in a supermarket. The child was sucking on the gel when he began to choke and have difficulty breathing. Emergency medical services were called, and paramedics found the child to be in respiratory arrest with a palpable pulse of 40 beats/min. They transported him to the pediatric emergency department, performing bag-valve-mask ventilation with a manual resuscitator. The child was intubated and taken to the operating room for bronchoscopy and then the pediatric intensive care unit for critical care. The initial report was that he choked on gelatin. However, he was found to have aspirated a large hard gel found in the lychee-flavored candy that totally obstructed his airway. This is the third case of aspiration of a gel candy we have seen in 5 years. Parents should be warned not to give these candies to children younger than 5 years.