Before the age of one, infants often experience milk choking situations. This is mainly due to their weak swallowing abilities, small stomach capacity, and relatively horizontal position. Improper feeding methods can easily lead to milk choking in infants.
Milk choking can lead to aspiration pneumonia and, in extreme cases, may even block the trachea, posing a threat to life. Therefore, several key points should be noted during feeding:
1. The feeding position should be correct, ensuring that the infant’s mouth and chin are close to the mother’s breast, with both chests and abdomens closely pressed together. 2. Control the feeding speed and quantity. When there is too much breast milk, the mother can adjust the flow speed with her fingers. It is recommended that each feeding session does not exceed 20 minutes. 3. When using artificial feeding, adjust the nipple hole size to ensure that the liquid can drip out slowly. 4. After feeding, gently lift the infant, let their head rest on the adult’s shoulder, pat the back lightly to expel swallowed air, and prevent exacerbating milk choking.
If an infant chokes on milk, do not make them stand upright to prevent the liquid from entering the trachea or lungs. Correct handling measures include:
1. For mild choking, turn the infant’s side face and pat the back gently to help expel the liquid in the trachea. 2. Severe choking, characterized by cyanosis, requires placing the infant on the rescuer’s lap, leaning forward and patting the back to promote milk expulsion from the trachea. 3. Clean residual milk in the mouth using a clean cloth wrapped around the finger to prevent re-inhalation. 4. Observe the infant’s reactions closely. Loud crying and a rosy complexion indicate no significant problems. If there is no crying or the complexion remains poor, perform CPR immediately, call for emergency help, and consider whether the infant has congenital issues such as poorly developed laryngeal cartilage, prompt medical examination is recommended.
