Don't Panic: How to handle Choking baby

 What make baby choke? 

When a baby falls asleep while sucking milk bottles, milk will continue to flow and make the baby choke as the milk will go into the respiratory tract.

Tips to prevent baby choking

• As a caregiver or parent, the practice of placing a pillow to support the bottle is not very good because it can increase the risk of unwanted incidents.
• When a baby choking on small amount, there is potentially caused the pneumonia. Some babies will vomit after drinking milk, if this happen quickly adopted the baby and make sure to burp the baby each time after drinking milk.
• The best way to avoid choking or drowning the baby milk is to provide breast milk. This is because when breastfeeding, milk will only come out when the is sucking. So if the baby fall asleep while drinking, the milk will not come out and this help reduced the risk.
• Make sure the position of baby's head is higher than his chest and stomach. If the baby is bottle feeding, the bottle must be held within no more than 45-60 degrees position so that the milk does not get stuck in the throat and cause the baby to drown.
• Please make sure that the teat hole is not too large to prevent air enter into the baby's belly. And if breastfeeding, be sure the nipple is completely in the baby mouth.
• Avoid placing the baby on the floor while the feeding
• It was not only babies who risk to choke, children aged 3 and above may also experience shortness of breath due to foods choking such as nuts or candies. This is because they are playing while eating the foods and eventually the foods will gets into respiratory tract then to the lungs.

What to do when a baby choke?

1. Hold your baby so that he is lying face down along your forearm with his head lower than his body and his back and head supported.
2. Use the heel of your hand to give up to five back blows.
3. 
4. Check your baby’s mouth and remove any obvious obstructions. Do not use your finger to sweep inside his mouth - this could push the obstruction further into his throat.
5. If your baby is still unable to breathe, turn him onto his back and give up to five chest thrust.
6. Use two fingertips to push inwards and upwards (towards his head) against his breastbone, one finger’s width below his nipple line.
7. 
8. Try to dislodge the object with each thrust. Don’t automatically do all five.
9. Check your baby’s mouth after each thrust and remove the obstruction.

It better to prevent to cure. As a parent it become our responsibility to provide ourself with all these information. So, when things happen, we are prepared and ready.