Breastfeeding or choking is a fairly common situation that confuses first-time mothers because they don't have much experience to deal with.
Please apply some skills to breastfeed your newborn baby, help "mom get well and full" that The AsianParent Viet Nam shares below!
1. Why do babies often breastfeed choke?
Choking is a bodily reaction such as a strong cough or constant sneezing due to an ingress of foreign material that suddenly blocks the airways. For babies, the phenomenon of choking milk is the situation where the baby inhales milk into the airways, milk spills into the trachea, bronchi , and even enters the alveoli.
It obstructs the airways or interferes with the exchange of gas between the alveoli and the capillaries, causing the child to lack oxygen due to obstruction of the airways.
According to health experts, the cause of babies breastfeeding or choking is due to both internal and external factors.
Internal factors
Unlike adults, due to the weak ability to control the opening and closing valves in the throat to the nose, babies cannot breathe and swallow food at the same time, so when doing these 2 things at the same time, milk will It is very easy to overflow up the baby's nose causing choking phenomenon.
Infants have defects in organs involved in sucking and swallowing such as cleft palate, cleft palate, problem of connection between esophagus and respiratory system.
Newborn babies have problems related to heart and lung conditions that cause babies to breathe rapidly and rapidly, so they are more likely to choke on milk compared to normal babies.
If a child unfortunately has epilepsy, convulsions or slow growth, there is also a risk of choking on milk.
External factors
The mother breastfed the baby in the wrong position and the wrong way.
The mother breastfed the baby in a dreamy state, gradually switching from awake to sleep while the milk still flowed out, but the baby did not have a swallowing reflex. The milk was inhaled into the nasal airway leading to choking.
Due to the excessive amount of breastmilk, the massive flow of milk that the baby can't swallow can choke up the milk.
When the baby is too hungry, suckling quickly, suck too much to swallow, or the baby is full but still suckle, causing milk choking and reflux.
Your baby has gas or the mother pulls the nipple out of the mouth suddenly while the baby is suckling easily causing the baby to choke.
2. Symptoms of the baby when choking on breast milk and health risks
Parents can tell if their baby is choking on milk based on the following signs:
Feeding baby milk comes out of the baby's mouth and nose.
A nursing baby may cough for a few hours and appear to be reflowing. If you choke a little, the child will cough only a few times and then go away.
If you choke a lot of children, they will suddenly cough hard, cough choke, purple face or cry, or even cry silently.
Children not only cough and ooze milk from the mouth, nose, but more serious is the appearance of cyanosis, convulsions, vomiting of milk, saliva and blood ....
In pediatrics, choking milk is classified as a very dangerous but very common occurrence for babies. If not handled in time, the baby can suffer serious consequences because the rising milk irritates the nose causing pain.
It makes children uncomfortable, fussy and crying at the same time when milk enters the respiratory tract can cause suffocation, lead to death or leave dangerous sequelae such as brain damage, cardiac arrest, pneumonia.
3. Handling when breastfeeding mothers choke milk
When seeing a baby who is choking on breast milk, as soon as the condition of the baby is discovered, the parents need to calmly and quickly handle choking for the baby on the spot by following the following steps:
Let your baby sit up
If the baby choke while breastfeeding while lying in the mother's hand, the mother should immediately stand the baby up on her lap, perpendicular to the mother so the baby can cough and spit out the milk.
The baby is still coughing, which means the airway is not sealed and pushes the overflowing milk, which will help the baby breathe normally.
Use your mouth to clear the airway
If your baby is coughing hard, coughing loudly, or even crying silently and the skin turns purple, the mother should lay the baby on the flat surface, bend over and use the mouth to suck the milk from the mouth out first and pump out the nose. after.
If the baby can breathe, they will continue to suck up the remaining milk in his mouth and nasal cavity. This first aid step should be done quickly and decisively because just delaying milk to enter the fan air to block the airways will cause the baby to fall into a state of apnea.
Clap your back, chest pressure
You need to move to the next step if the situation does not improve by placing your baby upside down on her arm or thigh, using the palm of the other hand to tap 5 consecutive times on the back at the position between the shoulder blades and one moderate force increases the pressure in the chest to help the milk flow out. Turn the baby over to see breathing through the nasal airways or whether the baby can cry.
Continuing to use the index finger and middle finger to suddenly press a moderate force down the position above the sternum and below the seam of the chest for 5 consecutive times then observe. If the baby is still purple, having difficulty breathing, repeat this movement 5 to 10 times until the baby is able to breathe normally again.
The most dangerous is that the baby has shown signs of apnea, but the mother still needs to be very calm, combine the two above measures with the suffocation so that the baby can quickly breathe.
Note
After a choke-fed infant can breathe again, parents should tap their buttocks, thighs or exert an external force such as gently pinching the baby to cry to stimulate the breathing process.
If the family feels that the baby is still weak, the family should urgently take the child to the nearest medical facility for examination and treatment. If after each step the child was breathing normally, there was no need to take the next steps.
However, it is absolutely forbidden to move the baby to the hospital without first aid because when the child is unable to breathe, the brain will be damaged by lack of oxygen and with severe consequences.
4. Breastfeeding ways to improve infant feeding or choking
To not be confused each time you breastfeed worrying about your baby choking on the milk, mothers remember:
Breastfeeding in the right position
Breastfeeding position is a fairly important note for both mother and baby to help the baby still suckle comfortably without worrying about choking. The best mother should place the baby on her lap with a slightly inclined position about 30 to 45 degrees from the mother.
When breastfeeding, adjust the baby's mouth to close the areola, the head is slightly tilted and the tongue is under the nipples. Absolutely do not breastfeed in the supine position because it will happen more easily. Control your baby's feeding rate
This is another way to breastfeed without choking. Many babies breastfeed when they are too hungry, so they will feed quickly, suck a lot, make the milk flow into their mouth without swallowing.
Therefore, the mother needs to adjust the flow rate by using 2 index fingers and the thumb to clamp the center nipple so that the milk slowly drops, enough with the force of the baby's swallowing.
Mothers also need to remember to breastfeed babies, especially premature babies, at a slow, slow pace and can give them a little rest after feeding continuously and restarting slowly to ensure milk speed. just within reach of your baby's need for a meal.
The right time to suck
Nutritionists also often give new mothers to recommend about 20 to 30 minutes of breastfeeding each time and about 2-3 hours apart.
Babies should be breastfed according to the schedule except for force majeure because when breastfeeding is disturbed, the baby will be hungry and suck quickly, long suck, the amount of milk in the baby's mouth before swallowing too much also makes the baby easily choke. more milk.
It is also advisable not to breastfeed too close to the baby's bedtime because the drowsiness of the state also makes the mother unable to control choking if the baby does not swallow.
When your baby is crying, fussy or excited, is not the right time to breastfeed.
Regularly observe the child
There are many cases of not choking on milk while breastfeeding, but even during sleep, the mouth of the stomach is dilated, causing the milk to flow up, causing choking so mothers should always observe the baby not only while the baby is nursing but also while the baby is sleeping. .
When the baby has released the nipple and its belly is full, mothers should not force the baby to drink any more milk.
When breastfeeding, pay attention to your baby's breathing, if your baby hears strange sounds such as hissing or wheezing because of phlegm, you should also pay attention as this can cause difficulty swallowing. cough and choking reflexes.
After nursing, the baby shows signs of wanting to sleep, the mother still needs to burp the baby, hold the baby for a while before placing and do not allow the baby to lie on his stomach or face the wall, put the baby's head 15 degrees higher. from the bed / crib and should lie on your right side for at least 30 minutes before changing positions.
Epilogue
Breastfed babies often choke often appear because their stomachs are horizontal, the angle between the stomach and esophagus is the obtuse angle that has not yet formed a sharp angle to play a role in preventing reflux flow when the stomach is full. .
Understand that and remember the necessary skills that mothers can safely breastfeed each day. Wishing mothers cool hands, healthy and safe children!
See more:
Handling when a newborn baby chokes milk for mothers taking care of the first 3 months of life
Calmly handle when newborn babies choke on breastmilk, all need to know
Emergency - Infants choke on breast milk while breastfeeding ...