The esophagus and trachea exist side by side in the human body. When food gets stuck in the trachea instead of the esophagus for some reason, we feel queasy, hiccup, and sometimes stop breathing. This problem is more severe in newborns or children aged two to three months. Sometimes milk gets stuck in the throat of the newborn and can cause breathing difficulties until death.
Causes of death due to milk stuck in the throat of the newborn
- Many times the mother breastfeeds the baby while lying down; in this condition, the risk of milk entering the baby’s trachea is the highest.
- If the baby is crying a lot or moving its arms and legs, the baby’s nose is blocked due to a cold. In such a situation, it is not right to feed the baby while lying down.
- Many families believe that holding the baby’s nose will make the baby laugh. Then he can be fed more. Feeding a child with a nose chip with such a misconception leads to suffocation.
- Babies have many types of birth defects. For example, some children have a hole in the heart, a cyst or tumor in the esophagus, an extremely obese child, or an extremely thin child. Also, mothers who have heart disease or babies who stay in the intensive care unit for a long time after birth can have respiratory problems if they are forcefully fed while they are lying down.
- After each feeding, the baby should be patted on the back a few times. Babies swallow a lot of air while eating. If you pat the back, the air will come out through the mouth. Repeated breastfeeding while the baby is lying down and not supported on the back can cause the milk to reach the trachea instead of the esophagus and cause respiratory arrest.
By seeing all the symptoms, you will understand that the child is having difficulty breathing or that food is getting stuck in the trachea.
- Sudden seizures during or after meals The child will cough more and breathe more frequently. Besides, the eyes will look wide, and the saliva will roll down the mouth.
- If the child’s body suddenly turns blue after eating, it should be understood that the oxygen level in the child’s blood is decreasing. Because, instead of the esophagus, the baby’s breathing is stopped due to milk being stuck in the trachea for a long time. Then the level of oxygen in the blood decreases. As a result, the child suddenly becomes dull.
- Many parents do not realize when milk gets stuck in the baby’s trachea. In this case, if the baby cries a lot or hiccups loudly after feeding if the baby vomits a lot, or if the whole face turns dark red, then it should be understood that the baby has a physical problem.
What do you should do?
- The baby should not be breastfed while lying down. You have to sit on your lap and feed. After each feeding, the baby should be taken by the neck and patted on the back several times.
- If the milk is stuck in the throat, if the milk comes out of the baby’s nose, the baby should be stopped immediately. The child should be straightened with the chest and stroked from the top to the bottom of the back for some time. If there is too much crying, open the window and door of the room and take a walk with the child for some time.
- If the mother and baby have pneumonia or pre-existing breathing problems, the baby should be taken to the hospital emergency department without delay if the baby has breathing problems after feeding.
- A child may develop a fever after vaccination. During this time, the baby may have a stuffy nose, a headache, or shortness of breath. In this condition, the baby should be very conscious while feeding.