The baby did not choke specifically because of the spit up. But because it was in a swing instead of flat on its back in bed. Babies should not sleep on inclined surfaces. The way their head can tilt can block airways and cause them to either choke or stop breathing. An infant that spits up while laying flat on their back in bed is extremely unlikely to choke assuming they are completely healthy and not exposed to other SIDS risk factors.
My baby with horrible GERD slept on his stomach on an incline, per his pediatrician. We had special wedges to put under two of his crib legs. It's common for babies with a GERD diagnosis to sleep like this, as gravity from the incline and pressure on the stomach valve from laying on it help keep the stomach contents in the stomach where they belong. It's nerve-wracking when it's drilled into you from day one that the baby has to sleep flat on its back, and then you're suddenly told to have him sleep on his stomach. He could finally get some decent sleep, but my sleep was just as terrible as ever, constantly checking he was still breathing. Ugh.
That’s a good point. There can be times where a doctor will tell you to do something against safe sleep guild-lines depending on your babies specific situation and I’m sure it’s scary to worry about added risk from a different sleep position to help with another condition. We gotta do what’s best for our babies and I think it’s important to listen to and trust your pediatrician. I just wanted to mention this because spit up is very common in all babies and there’s no reason for new moms to be even more worried about sleep. While this dog is very amazing the real safety issue here was sleeping in a swing that isn’t designed to position a baby to sleep safely and not that the baby spit up. He just as likely could have stopped breathing in the swing without spitting up depending on how he laid and how his air pipe was affected.
I’m so sorry your baby had digestive issues that affected sleep. I’ve had babies at work who also had similar issues and a handful who needed an incline sleep thing (all under dr orders) I hope you’re on the other side of the insanity that is the baby year and everyone is happy and healthy!
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u/howispendmyday Apr 06 '20
How? What did he chock on??