Symptoms of baby choking on milk and how to avoid choking on milk

Newborn babies are particularly prone to choking on milk, which may manifest as spitting up. If the choking is mild, the baby will adjust on their own. However, if the milk accidentally enters the trachea, suffocation is likely to occur. If the oxygen supply is stopped for 5 minutes, death may occur, so you must pay attention to choking.

Symptoms of baby choking on milk

Infants, especially newborns, are prone to spitting up milk. The most feared thing about spitting up milk is that the milk flows back from the esophagus to the throat and enters the trachea at the moment of inhalation, which is called choking. Infants' nervous systems have just developed, and some reflexes are still very weak. They cannot cough out the milk that has choked into the respiratory tract. Therefore, suffocation often occurs due to mechanical obstruction of the airway by milk. At the same time, the brain cells of infants are very sensitive to oxygen. If the oxygen supply is stopped for 5 minutes, they will die. Therefore, choking on milk is likely to cause the tragedy of sudden infant death.

How to avoid choking on milk

1. Reasonably control the amount of milk fed. The stomach capacity of a newborn is about 30-60 ml, which increases with age, 90-150 ml at 1-3 months, and 250-300 ml at 1 year old. Therefore, the younger the child, the more times the baby should be fed per day than the older one. The stomach emptying time varies with the type of food. Thick milk containing curds empties slowly, water empties in 1.5-2 hours, breast milk in 2-3 hours, and cow's milk in 3-4 hours.

2. When breastfeeding, the baby should lie diagonally in the mother's arms (upper body at 30-45 degrees), and should not lie on the bed to feed. When feeding artificially, the baby cannot lie flat, but should take a sloped position, with the bottom of the bottle higher than the nipple to prevent inhalation of air.

3. When the mother secretes milk too quickly and the amount of milk is large, use your fingers to gently press the areola to slow down the flow of milk. When feeding artificially, the nipple hole should not be too large, and when the bottle is turned upside down, the milk should flow out in drops rather than lines.

4. The mother's breast should not block the baby's nostrils. The mother must observe the baby's expression while feeding. If the baby's mouth corners overflow with milk or the area around the mouth and nose turns blue, the mother should stop feeding immediately. In recent years, there have been tragedies where mothers fell asleep while feeding in the middle of the night due to fatigue, causing the breasts to block the baby's nostrils. New mothers must be careful.

5. After feeding, hold the baby upright on your shoulders and pat the baby's back to help expel gas from the stomach. It is best to hear the burp before putting the baby on the bed. The head of the bed should be 15 degrees high. Lie on the right side for 30 minutes, then lie flat. Do not let the child sleep on his stomach.

Breastfeeding Misconceptions

Myth 1: Breastfeeding when angry

If the mother breastfeeds when she is angry or just after being angry, the baby will become unhappy after drinking such breast milk. At the same time, the milk secreted by the mother when she is angry has a slight smell, which is not good for the baby's health.

Myth 2: Breastfeeding after exercise

Moderate-intensity exercise will produce lactic acid in the body, and lactic acid in the blood will change the taste of breast milk. Therefore, it is best for mothers to only do some mild exercise and rest for 30 minutes before breastfeeding.

Myth 3: Making someone laugh while breastfeeding

If the baby laughs because of teasing while feeding, the glottis in the throat may open and the inhaled milk may accidentally enter the trachea. In mild cases, the baby may choke on the milk, and in severe cases, it may induce aspiration pneumonia.

Myth 4: Losing weight during breastfeeding

Losing weight during breastfeeding can lead to a decrease in milk quality, which is not good for the baby's health.

Myth 5: Breastfeeding on a regular basis

Now advocate "breastfeeding on demand", when the baby cries or you think it's time to feed, just pick up the baby and feed him. After a period of time, the baby will form his own feeding routine.

Myth 7: Feeding only one side at a time

Feeding only one breast at a time will reduce the stimulation of the breast, and the milk production will naturally decrease. For this reason, you should try to feed both breasts at each feeding. Even if the baby is full with the milk from one breast, the mother should empty the other breast.

Correct breastfeeding posture

Pay attention to the feeding posture. After giving birth, it is best for the mother to lie down and feed the baby sideways. If the mother can get up, it is best to put the baby diagonally on her legs, with the head resting on her arms, in a semi-sitting position, so that the baby's head is slightly higher to suck milk. When feeding the baby, the mother should use the middle finger and index finger of one hand to pinch the breast separately, and put the nipple into the baby's mouth to prevent the breast from blocking the baby's nostrils and hindering breathing; this can also prevent the milk from flowing too fast and choking the baby. If the milk is insufficient, you can also gently squeeze out the milk to help the baby suck milk.