An 11-month-old baby in Hong Kong died after choking on milk, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP). The baby boy's mother, a 25-year-old woman, called the police on Wednesday afternoon after the 11-month-old appeared to have choked while drinking milk and had lost consciousness. The baby was rushed to the hospital in Hong Kong by emergency services who arrived at the home in the city's San Po Kong area. However, despite the efforts of hospital staff, the boy died soon after.
According to SCMP, the baby had been suffering from a cold and fever and saw a doctor two days before the incident. On Wednesday, the mother was feeding him milk when he began vomiting. She patted him on the back, but he soon lost consciousness, prompting her to call for help. The incident is now under investigation, the outlet reported.
Choking is a potential concern for infants and toddlers, as their developing swallowing reflexes may not be fully coordinated. According to Healthline, the most common reason a baby chokes during breastfeeding is that milk is coming out faster than the baby can swallow. If the baby is gagging when drinking from a bottle, it is often due to the positions, experts said. Common signs of oversupply include restlessness at the breast, coughing, choking, or gulping milk.
To prevent the baby from choking on breastmilk, one of the first things you can do is change the feeding position. In the case of bottle feeding, experts suggest using a technique called paced bottle feeding. This technique allows your baby to actively pull milk out of the bottle using their sucking skills and lets them easily take a break when needed, the outlet explained.
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Meanwhile, in another similar incident, a 5-month-old baby girl in Brazil died after choking on milk at a daycare facility. According to Newsweek, the incident took place last year in September. The baby was rushed to the hospital where the doctor attempted to resuscitate the child after noting signs of milk aspiration and cardiorespiratory arrest.
Notably, aspiration occurs when something enters the lungs or airways by accident. This can occur with liquid, food and any other materials that are ingested. It can cause serious health issues. It is more common in children, particularly young ones and premature babies, who may have trouble swallowing.
