What should I do if my baby chokes on milk? What happens if my baby chokes on milk?

It is very common for babies to choke on milk, but mothers will be very worried about whether there is any problem with the baby choking on milk and what to do. The following will introduce to you how to deal with the baby choking on milk? What is the cause of the baby choking on milk? How to avoid and prevent the problem of choking on milk? Revealed soon

What to do if your baby chokes on milk

1. Take immediate action: Because of severe suffocation and inability to breathe, the baby has almost no chance of being admitted to the hospital for emergency treatment, and parents can only race against time to rescue him immediately;

2. Postural drainage: If the baby vomits with a full stomach and suffocates, the baby should be laid flat with his face turned to one side or on his side to prevent vomited milk from flowing into the throat and trachea. If the baby swallows milk too quickly at the beginning of feeding and chokes on milk (empty stomach), the baby should be laid prone on the rescuer's legs with the upper body leaning forward 45-60 degrees to facilitate the emptying and drainage of the milk in the trachea.

3. Clear foreign objects in the baby's mouth and throat: If the mother has an automatic breast pump, turn it on immediately and use only its hose to insert it into the baby's mouth and throat to suck out the spilled milk and vomit. If there is no suction device, the mother can wrap gauze around her fingers and insert it into the baby's mouth until the throat to suck out the spilled milk to prevent the baby from inhaling the spitted milk into the trachea again when inhaling.

4. Stimulate crying and coughing: Pat the child's back hard or pinch and stimulate the soles of his feet to make him cry or cough in pain. This will help cough out the milk in the trachea and ease breathing.

5. Assisted exhalation: The focus is on exhalation with jet force. The method is that the rescuer puts both hands on the upper abdomen of the child and squeezes upward to increase the abdominal pressure. With the impact force of the diaphragm lifting and the chest shrinking, the choked milk in the airway is ejected; when the hands are relaxed, the child can inhale some oxygen, and repeat this process to relieve suffocation.

What's wrong with baby choking on milk?

There are many reasons for choking, and the chance of choking is lower in breastfed babies than in formula-fed babies.

1. Choking caused by improper care or feeding

A. If you feed your baby too much milk at one time and let the baby lie flat on the bed without burping him, it is easy to cause choking. Especially at night, the confinement nanny must pay attention to this.

B. The mother has too much milk, or the hole in the nipple is relatively large, causing the baby to feed too quickly and choking easily.

C. Incorrect bottle-feeding posture by the confinement nanny and the incorrect breastfeeding posture by the mother will also increase the chance of the baby choking on milk.

2. Disease factors

A. If the baby has a stuffy nose, it will cause the baby to swallow uncoordinatedly and often cause choking.

B. Babies with gastroesophageal reflux are very prone to choking on milk.

C. Premature babies, babies with cleft lip and palate, heart disease, severe Down syndrome or cerebral palsy are more likely to have this condition due to their poor sucking ability.

D. When an infant lacks vitamin A, the pharyngeal epithelial cells in the front part of the larynx atrophy and keratinize, resulting in the inability of the pharynx to fully close and cover the trachea when swallowing, causing choking on milk.

How to avoid choking?

1. Feeding time

A. Don't wait until your baby is very hungry to feed him. If he eats too quickly, he may choke easily. Don't force your baby to feed when he is very full. If the baby refuses to feed, some accidents may happen.

B. Babies may choke easily when drinking milk while laughing or crying. Avoid teasing the baby while feeding.

C. It is best for the baby to breastfeed for 20 minutes at a time, and not for too long.

2. Breastfeeding posture

Accidents are most likely to happen when feeding while lying flat.

If you are feeding with formula, we recommend the following position: the baby is in your arms, you sit down and hold the baby in your arms. The baby should preferably be semi-upright and facing you so that you can see him. Don't hold him too tightly, so that he has some room to move. Note that the bottom of the bottle is higher than the nipple to prevent the baby from inhaling air. In addition, this can also prevent milk from entering the ear canal.

When breastfeeding, the mother should hold the baby in a straight line and close to the mother, with the baby's chest against the chest, belly against the belly, and chin against the breast.

Precautions for preventing babies from choking on milk

1. Use the smallest pacifier. If the pacifier is too big, it will be difficult for the baby to hold it in his mouth and he may choke.

2. The temperature of milk should be around 36-7 degrees. If it is too hot, it will burn the baby and cause choking. You can test the temperature of milk with the inside of your wrist and make sure it is not too hot.

3. Don’t wait until the baby is very hungry before feeding him, as the baby may choke if he is too impatient. To judge whether the baby is hungry, you can lightly touch the edge of the baby’s mouth with your finger. If the baby is looking for food, it means he is hungry. If not, you can wait.

4. Adjust the feeding speed. When your baby is feeding, pay attention to adjusting the feeding speed in time and don't feed too fast.

5. Choose the right breastfeeding method to prevent choking. Pay attention to the breastfeeding posture. When breastfeeding, put your feet on a small stool, hold the baby well, and gently hold the nipple with the thumb and index finger of the other hand to feed, so as to prevent the nipple from blocking the baby's nostrils or the baby from choking and vomiting due to too fast milk. When feeding artificially, do not use nipples with too large milk holes, and adjust the speed of the baby's feeding in time, which are simple ways to prevent choking.

6. Burp the baby. This is very important. When the baby finishes feeding, hold the baby facing in your arms, stand the baby upright and pat the baby's back from top to bottom. When you hear the baby burp, hold the baby for about 5 minutes before lying down. If you don't hear it, just hold the baby and pat it for about half an hour before lying down.