What to do if your child chokes

Children often choke on milk when they are young. When children have this phenomenon, we must help them adjust, because this phenomenon is very dangerous. Many children often choke on milk and develop tracheal diseases. Because our tracheal opening is connected to the opening of the trachea, their functions are indeed different. So what should we do if a child chokes?

Since the opening of the esophagus and the opening of the trachea are connected in the throat, when swallowing, breathing will be temporarily stopped to allow food to enter the digestive tract through the esophagus. However, if milk accidentally enters the trachea when the baby is drinking milk, it will cause an uncomfortable reaction, which is the so-called choking.

Generally speaking, there are three main reasons why babies choke on milk: first, the baby's posture is not good when drinking milk, causing milk to enter the respiratory tract directly; second, the baby's stomach capacity is too small, or the esophagus and paraesophageal sphincter are immature and cannot be closed tightly, causing milk to flow back into the esophagus (vomiting). If the baby is inhaling at this time, it will cause choking; third, the hole in the nipple is too large, and the baby has no time to swallow, so the excess milk enters the trachea.

If it is a mild choking, the baby will usually adjust his breathing and swallowing movements by himself, and the danger is relatively low. Parents only need to observe the breathing condition and skin color. However, if the choking is more serious, it may cause bronchitis or pneumonia. In addition, parents should be more careful that if the amount of milk is too large or there are milk lumps, it will directly block the baby's respiratory tract, causing hypoxia, which may lead to sequelae of brain nerve centers and even be fatal. Therefore, if the baby often chokes on milk, parents need to thoroughly understand the reason. Otherwise, even if there is no temporary health risk, the baby may refuse to drink milk due to the discomfort of choking, which will affect the baby's development in the long run.

Pediatric experts recommend that parents follow the following principles to prevent their baby from choking on milk:

1. After making the milk, turn the bottle upside down first, or buy a nipple with an exhaust hole to prevent choking.

2. When feeding, observe the baby's reaction. If milk is seen in the corners of the mouth, you should slightly remove the nipple and take a break (the same applies to babies who are breastfed).

3. The best feeding posture is to raise the upper body a little, forming a 30-45 degree angle with the lower body. The head should not be lower than the body. The bottle should be tilted at 45 degrees to the baby's mouth, so that the baby will find it more difficult to inhale air.

4. You can stop during feeding to pat your baby's back to expel air from the stomach to avoid choking due to spitting up milk. (The same applies to babies who are breastfed) After feeding, it is best to develop a habit of cleaning the baby's mouth, and do not let the baby lie flat on the bed.