Baby dies choking on mother’s milk

A new mother never expected anything amiss when she was feeding her baby. Find out what precautions to take to prevent choking during breastfeeding.

Shocking accident of a baby choking to death on a mother's milk

The mother of a 2-month-old girl only realised there was something wrong with her baby when the infant did not suckle on her breast. The baby seemed to have stopped breathing when her mother, in her early 30s, wanted to feed her at one in the morning.

Too late to save baby

The woman and her 33-year-old husband from Menglembu in Perak, Malaysia, rushed the infant, named as Ho Zi Xin, to a private hospital nearby Ipoh but she was pronounced dead at two in the morning, after repeated attempts to resuscitate her had failed.

Her body was later sent to Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem.

Fatal feeding

According to a close source familiar with the case, the child’s death was due to aspiration of milk:

“The mother had fed her daughter around 11pm and had planned to feed her baby again at 1am. The baby did not respond and seeing that the baby had stopped breathing, the parents took her to a private hospital where resuscitation attempts failed.”

According to the source, Ho, the fourth child of the family, had regurgitated the milk, which she had consumed the night before, which then entered the lungs through the respiratory tract while the baby was sleeping.

Her body were claimed by her family later in the afternoon. The victim’s parents refused to speak to the press when at the mortuary.

7 tips to prevent choking

Babies may gag when they swallow too much milk, with the reflex closing off their throat as their tongue pushes excess milk out of the mouth. Here are seven points to bear in mind the next time you breastfeed your baby:

1. Try to pump the flow of milk before feeding to reduce the forceful letdown, which can cause a baby to choke. This action will also help baby get more of the fatty ‘hind milk’ that will make your baby feel fuller and prevent overfeeding.

2. Try feeding baby in an upright position to prevent the acid from pushing back up.

3. Feeding slings are very useful — they allow you to walk while feeding and to move your baby to a more peaceful environment. With less distractions, a baby swallows less air.

4. Keep your baby still and his or her head slightly elevated after a feed.

5. Let the baby first finish drinking from one breast before offering the other to make sure baby gets enough milk.

6. Burp your baby at regular intervals as swallowed air can cause baby to spit up as well.

Source: Asia One

For more related articles on breastfeeding, see:

20 facts on breastfeeding

Breastfeeding tips for working mothers

5 things you NEVER knew about breastfeeding

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Written by

Felicia Chin

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