If helping children with their homework can lead to negative health issues, plenty of Singaporean parents would have been dead by now.

But that was exactly what happened to a mother in Hubei, China, who suffered a heart attack that almost killed her on Nov. 1, as she was helping her Primary 3 son with his homework.

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The 36-year-old woman, whose name was given as Wang, got very angry because she had to repeatedly explain a math problem to her son.

She told the media in Mandarin: "I explained the problem to him many times, but he still couldn't get it. I got so angry until I could explode."

"All of a sudden my heart was beating fast and I couldn't breathe properly."

Could still get help in time

The woman called her husband and he drove her to the hospital.

A doctor at Xinhua Hospital diagnosed Wang with a heart attack.

The doctor told reporters: "She detected it in time. If there was a delay, she could have suffered from heart failure."

Other factors

But the woman's son is not to be blamed.

The doctor said an unhealthy diet and stress are contributors to an increasing incidence of heart disease among younger patients.

Wang also told reporters that she helps her son with his homework every night.

She also revealed that she would often get frustrated with him, but never thought it would have lead to such a severe outcome.

A mental health counsellor advised parents to adjust their attitudes, control emotions, learn to let go and let their kids be independent, and don't try to do everything for them.

[Sin Chew Daily] [China Press]