Argentine Boy, 1, Dies Choking on Mother's Fake Nails

A one-year-old boy in Argentina died on March 21 after choking on objects believed to be fake fingernails belonging to his mother, according to police and medical reports from the incident in Los Polvorines, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires.

Dante Valentín Bermudes Rumi was at home with his mother, Aylin Saucedo, a manicurist, when she noticed he was struggling to breathe. Saucedo recounted the events to local media, saying, "We were at home and I realised he couldn't breathe. I ran to my neighbour's place to ask for help but there was nothing she was able to do. Then my aunt arrived and the same thing, so I put Dante in the car and we drove to hospital. It probably took me about 10 minutes in total. My son was dead when we arrived."

Saucedo rushed Dante to Dr. Federico Abete Hospital, the primary trauma center for the area, also known as Grand Bourg Trauma Hospital. Medical staff attempted resuscitation upon his arrival, but the boy was pronounced dead shortly after. An autopsy conducted afterward determined the cause of death as asphyxiation due to two foreign objects lodged in his airway. The report found no signs of violence or other injuries on the body.