Understanding the newborn’s gag reflex is crucial for the safe feeding of your baby.
In fact, this reflex often appears during weaning – particularly in self-weaning – and greatly frightens parents, because at those moments it seems that the baby is choking.
In this article, we will focus on how it works, why it’s important, and how it might influence your baby’s feeding and your weaning habits.
How Does the Gag Reflex Present?
The gag reflex, or pharyngeal reflex, is an involuntary reaction that prevents choking. It occurs when something touches the back of the throat or the uvula.
In newborns, the gag reflex is very active and can be stimulated not only by food or objects, but also by excessive mucus or saliva.
This newborn reflex manifests with movements similar to vomiting, coughing, or choking.
It can be a bit frightening to see, but it’s important to remember that it’s a body’s defense mechanism to prevent the entry of dangerous foreign substances into the airways.
As long as the baby coughs or retches, the situation should still be under control and the best thing is to encourage them to continue coughing.
If, however, the baby stops and begins to turn bluish, it’s time to intervene with proper airway clearance maneuvers: I recommend not using the grandma’s methods that risk making things worse (such as back blows), but the right maneuvers for the baby’s age.
When Does the Gag Reflex Disappear?
The gag reflex is present from birth, like many other reflexes, but tends to move deeper into the throat as the baby grows.
This means that a child can tolerate foods of different consistencies without activating the gag reflex.
Most children start to lose the superficial gag reflex around 4-6 months of age. In reality, as you’ve noticed even as an adult, this reflex never completely disappears… otherwise we would lose this fundamental defense mechanism!
Why Does the Newborn Choke?
Although this reflex is there to protect the newborn from choking, there are cases where it may intervene a fraction of a second too late and the food can get trapped halfway between the respiratory and digestive tracts.
If you think about it, it also happens to us as adults, the newborn who doesn’t yet have the swallowing movements trained, just suffers this problem more.
This is why it is essential to know the proper airway clearance maneuvers well, because it takes less than 120 seconds to risk choking.
When Do Babies Start Eating Solid Pieces?
Most pediatricians recommend starting to introduce solid foods around 6 months of age. Start with soft and easily chewable foods, such as fruit or vegetable purees.
As the baby gets used to chewing and swallowing, you can introduce larger food pieces.
If you opt for self-weaning, you’ll notice that the baby is able to eat almost anything right away, the important thing is to cut the objects and cook them so that they are always safe, even in cases where the baby swallows pieces that are too large.
If you want to approach the weaning moment with the utmost serenity, you can attend our Serene Weaning course!
Why Does the Newborn Make Noises While Eating?
Noises during feeding can be due to several reasons.
It could be that the baby is still learning to manage the consistency of the food, or that the food is too hot or cold.
In some cases, the noises can be a sign of discomfort or feeding difficulty.
It can also happen that the baby learns to “self-clear” by making a croaking noise: they are not screaming, but are making their self-clearing techniques easier.
Attend a Choking Prevention Course
Consider very carefully the possibility of attending a pediatric choking prevention course.
We consider it absolutely mandatory.
These courses teach first aid techniques that can save your baby’s life in case of choking.
The techniques include back blows, chest compressions, and the Heimlich maneuver. Since it’s extremely important to physically practice the techniques and they vary depending on the age, this is not something that should be improvised.
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Remember, the gag reflex is a normal part of your baby’s development. It’s important to monitor it and know how to react in case of choking. With the right information and resources, you can be confident that you are doing everything possible to ensure your baby’s feeding safety.
SOURCES
Sources Colvenkar S, Kalmath B, Cherukuri VP, Vanapalli J, Tirukovalur SV. A Simple Technique to Manage Gag Reflex. Cureus. 2023 Feb 24;15(2):e35403. doi: 10.7759/cureus.35403. PMID: 36987489; PMCID: PMC10040145.