Choking vs. Gag Reflex: What are the differences?
Introduction
Choking vs. Gag Reflex: What Are the Differences?
There are countless parents who wonder about this topic, around which several false myths revolve.
To debunk them and reassure you, I have prepared this content.
If you are interested in learning more about a specific aspect, all you have to do is click on the title of the dedicated paragraph.
Do you want more specifics on how to prevent choking during weaning ?
You can take a look at the dedicated video course , accessible from the button at the bottom of the paragraph and curated by the pediatrician of the DrSilva team, Doctor Pilar Nannini.
For more updates on your little one's well-being, follow me on Instagram at @drsilva.com_official .
Gag reflex: what it is and what causes it
“The other day, while eating, my baby almost choked”: many parents, by saying these words, call into question one of the biggest false myths when it comes to choking vs. gag reflex .
In fact, many people confuse the second with a principle of the first . These are two very different events!
The gag reflex, otherwise known as the Gag Reflex , is an innate reflex due to the bilateral contraction of the pharyngeal muscles , which occurs in response to a stimulus involving the mucosal surface located at the base of the tongue.
In babies of a few months, the pharyngeal reflex is very accentuated because stimuli that involve the initial part of the tongue are sufficient to activate it.
The child in self-weaning who approaches solid foods and experiments with it seems, as I show at the beginning of this video , to have a retching sensation (rarely followed by the actual expulsion of emetic material).
Nothing strange: it's just Gag Reflex and it's a protective mechanism (as we'll see shortly, its functions go far beyond that) .
In concrete terms, the pharyngeal reflex consists of a closure of the pharynx, effectively impeding swallowing.
Its onset is due to the fact that the newborn is simply learning to chew.
When switching from breast milk and/or formula to the inclusion of solid foods, some of them can activate the reflex and cause, as already mentioned, the pharynx to close (obviously temporarily).
This prevents a piece of food that is too large to be swallowed and/or that ends up a little too quickly in the back of the mouth from taking an unphysiological path , causing choking.
The food returns to the mouth and the child is, in fact, forced to rechew it.
Yes, it is a real gym (also in view of the foods that will arrive after the end of self-weaning).
Gag Reflex: How to Eliminate It?
Let's now talk about an essential aspect to explore when talking about choking vs. gag reflex.
Which one exactly? The reason why it makes no sense to ask yourself how to eliminate the Gag Reflex in a child in self-weaning.
If this happens, do not intervene. Wait 3-5 seconds without doing anything and without showing agitation in front of the child, who lives with the emotions of his parents.
It must always be remembered that they make a difference, especially in a fascinating and important journey of discovery such as that of complementary feeding on demand, during which the child needs to feel encouraged.
Another key point to remember when talking about choking vs. gag reflex is that, if around 6 - 7 months the Gag Reflex is very alive , with time and with the experience acquired by the child it gradually disappears.
Proposing soft and homogeneous consistencies - the classic baby food - long with the thought of avoiding the Gag Reflex, its loss is postponed.
The right thing to do is to start immediately with solid foods , knowing that, thanks to safe consistencies and cuts, the risk of choking is prevented.
Any advice for those who opt for traditional soft weaning?
Don't wait beyond 9 months to start offering mixed foods.