This is the dramatic moment a quick-thinking mother caught her toddler as she tumbled from a bed.

CCTV footage shows the woman and her young daughter sleeping, when the child rolled over and stood up in Shandong, China.

Moments later, the girl lost her balance and fell backwards, prompting her still-groggy mum to lunge forward and grab the toddler's purple shirt, just in time to stop her head from hitting the floor.

In the process, the woman struck her own face against the bed barrier as she reached for her daughter.

Startled, the toddler burst into tears, but was quickly lifted and cradled by her mother for comfort.

The child did not sustain injuries from what happened on September 21.

The mother said: ‘The moment she leaned back, I jumped up, my brain went blank, my hair stood on end, and I was scared to death. I almost missed grabbing her clothes, and my nose was nearly broken by the iron rod on the bed barrier.'