The gag reflex in babies (or the famous gag) is different from drowning and should not alarm us. In this article we learn to differentiate between these two events. The first is necessary. The second puts the baby’s life in danger and we must be prepared to intervene quickly.
The introduction of solid foods into the baby’s routine is a process long awaited but also feared by many parents. The most common concern about introducing solids (especially pieces of food) is that the baby will choke.
The vomiting reflex is most often confused with drowning, but it is necessary to know that the two are very different and to learn to distinguish them.
Is the gag reflex normal?
Think of this reflex as an internal mechanism that works precisely against drowning. Babies have a very sensitive gag reflex, which is activated very close to the front of the tongue at the beginning of weaning.
This means that your baby will activate this gag reflex at every solid food encounter, at least during the first few weeks of weaning. The baby may simply push food out of his mouth with his tongue, making gagging sounds, or look like he’s going to vomit. The baby will not be disturbed by these things and if the reaction of the adult supervising him will be a normal one without panic, he will usually continue his meal calmly after such an episode.
The gag reflex is activated because your baby needs to develop and mature his mouth motor movements over time as he learns to eat. At this early stage babies have no control over co-ordinating chewing and moving the food to the back of the mouth to swallow, so the gag reflex will stop the food from going the wrong way.
So try not to be affected by your baby’s gag reflex, especially in the first month of weaning. As they gain experience with the process (sometime between baby’s 7 and 12 months), the gag reflex will gradually desensitize. The trigger point will move from the middle of the tongue to the back of the tongue, towards the throat, and the gag reflex will become less and less active.
It is important to note that some babies may have more pronounced gag reflexes. For example if they suffered from reflux, vomiting or had feeding tubes. If you are concerned about your baby’s gag reflex, always seek help from your GP. The doctor may then refer you to a specialist speech and language therapist.
Briefly, things to remember about the gag reflex
- All babies have their gag reflex activated when they learn to eat.
- The gag reflex does not lead to drowning.
- Faces that look like they’re nauseous don’t want to convey that they don’t like the taste of the food they’re serving.
- The vomiting reflex is most often activated by the age of 7 months.
- Babies fed long periods of fine textures tend to experience the gag reflex later in development, especially when trying new textures.
- The body closes the child’s airways during the activation of the gag reflex to prevent food from entering.
- The gag reflex helps babies spit out unchewed bits of food, a very important survival skill.
- Small pieces of food may trigger the gag reflex more often.
What can I do when the baby’s gag reflex is activated during the meal?
First, try to be calm. Easy to say and hard to do, especially with a first born (we know this from experience). But if you know how to differentiate a gag from a choke, it’s very important to let the baby fend for itself rather than to intervene in any way, even verbally.
Try instead to wait a few seconds, maybe even count to 10 in your mind infrequently. During this time, it is very likely that the baby has managed to remove the troublesome food and continue his meal.
When we don’t interfere and allow the process to unfold, we allow babies to learn to coordinate their muscles and improve this new skill.
It is important to remember that we should never leave a baby alone during mealtime. We must ensure that it is always well supported and able to stand upright. This will significantly reduce the risk of suffocation, as the gag reflex may not be as effective if the baby is on his back.
How can I differentiate between the gag and choke reflex?
What do I do if my child chokes?
If your child is showing signs of choking, here are some simple steps you can take as recommended by the NHS.
- If you can see the object clearly, try to move it away. But don’t strike blindly or chaotically. You could push the object further back and make things worse.
- If your baby coughs, encourage him to keep coughing. This may help remove the piece/object they are choking on. Don’t leave him alone.
- If the cough isn’t effective (it’s silent or I can’t breathe in properly), get help right away.
- If the baby is still conscious but is either not coughing or the cough is not effective, use the backstroke method.
Back kicks for babies under 1 year
- Sit and lay your baby face down along your thighs, supporting his head with your hand.
- Deliver up to 5 sharp blows to the back with the palm of the hand in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades.
- If back blows do not relieve the suffocation and the child is still conscious, switch to chest compressions.
Chest compresses for babies under 1 year:
- Lay your baby’s face up along your thighs.
- Find the sternum and put 2 fingers in the middle.
- Give 5 sharp chest thrusts, compressing the chest by about a third.
After the maneuvers, reassess the child’s condition as follows:
- If the object still hasn’t dislodged and your child is still conscious, continue the sequence of back blows and chest thrusts.
- Call or text for help if you’re still on your own. Do not leave your child alone.
- Call 112 if the blockage doesn’t come out after trying back kicks and chest thrusts. Continue alternating the two maneuvers until help arrives.
- Even if the object has come out, seek medical help. Part of the object could have been left behind or your child could have been affected by the procedure.
If the child becomes unconscious:
- Place it on a flat, firm surface and call for help.
- Call 112, putting the phone on speaker so you have your hands free.
- Don’t leave him alone for a second.
- Open his mouth. If the object is clearly visible and you can easily grasp it, remove it.
- Resuscitation procedures begin
It’s important to be able to recognize the difference between gagging and gagging and the different ways you should treat both.
Remember! The gag reflex is your baby’s natural defense mechanism to prevent choking while learning to self-feed. Suffocation occurs when the airway is blocked and the baby needs immediate help and first aid maneuvers.
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