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Original poster

to think that the choking risk is just a myth?

254 replies

BattyKoda · 22/02/2010 21:39

As in, "it's dangerous to put your baby/toddler to bed with a bottle/beaker as they might choke". Is it more dangerous than say a dummy? I have found one story on the web of a baby choking on a dummy, but can't find anything about the risk of choking on fluid.

(I have asked this on another thread but have had no response so I have put on my hard hat and am braving it here, please go easy on me )

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 22/02/2010 23:06

well that link claims so potpourri, but then you've got to wonder about the circumstances.

most babies, when co-sleeping are in a position where, once they've finished feeding, they will come off the breast.

i would assume in that particular case, for some reason, the baby couldn't move away because there was no space/mum was holding her and had fallen asleep/she was pinned down by huge breast?? I dunno, but in any case they found aspirated milk on the lungs it would appear, which indicates that yes, she fell asleep, couldn't move away and that the breastmilk continued to flow into her mouth

i think it must be an extremely rare occurence though, but highlights the need to co-sleep safely

PureAsTheColdDrivenSnow · 22/02/2010 23:06

yes, but for such a small inconvenience, why would you risk it? (admitedly it's a tiny risk.)

agree to differ

I just could never get on with the fact that my friend would leave a bottle in the cot with her baby. very very small chance that he'd choke, but there would be a small chance there.

Original poster
BattyKoda · 22/02/2010 23:11

Casamama - Like what you did there
I started this thread because the other seemed to dry up... it's become more active again now, so apologies for that.
I'm not sure of my view - why I have asked on here.
I'm asking because I have been having this conversation with a friend tonight.
I have come to that conclusion because I can't see any proof that there is a real risk of danger and have been told on the other thread that dentists don't think it's actually that big a deal either.

HTH clear things up

navyeyelasH - choclate is a bit more solid though, but thank you.

OP posts:
navyeyelasH · 22/02/2010 23:13

secondary drowning this might help not sure how true it is??

Dalrymps · 22/02/2010 23:13

Well, my 30 year old brother laughed a bit whilst drinking a drink then it went the wrong way which caused him to cough and then to vomit a little which caught in his throat and he passed clean out. My sil had to perform the hiemlich (sp?) manouver on him to get him to be sick and breath again and thankfully it worked. So yes, you can 'choke' on just a drink.

Original poster
BattyKoda · 22/02/2010 23:14

"drowned in his sleep because he had a small amount of water in his lungs from swimming"
"its so easy to avoid."

I wouldn't say thats easy to avoid

OP posts:
navyeyelasH · 22/02/2010 23:16

battykoda - the chocolate was 2 chocolate buttons and it was completed melted as some had gone onto her pillow!

Casmama · 22/02/2010 23:17

Fair enough. I wouldn't do it myself though.
Sorry think I came across a bit arsey - link about 3 month old chilled me to the bone!

Original poster
BattyKoda · 22/02/2010 23:18

I guess we're leading into another debate here. There is more risk of drowning if you take your child swimming than if you leave a beaker of milk in their room at night.

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 22/02/2010 23:20

not really batty.
if you take your child swimming you'd be supervising them and watching them the entire time
a child with a drink at night is being left alone, so you wouldn't notice if they started to choke

huge difference. and i think the point a pp was making about it being easy to avoid was not in reference to left-over swimming water, but in avoiding leaving them with fluids during the night alone

madwomanintheattic · 22/02/2010 23:20

dd2 has had a few chest infections after aspirating. in fact, if she starts coughing and spluttering when she's drinking, quite often i sigh and say 'ah well, two days before the antibiotics then...'

but she's not great at swallowing per se, so we know where we're headed with her really.

OTTMummA · 22/02/2010 23:25

i meant that its easy to avoid milk pooling in a babys mouth and getting into their lungs therefore no chance of dry drowning.

the story i read was just to let you know much older children have died from small amounts of liquid ( however they get into the lungs ) going the wrong way!
therefore leaving a drink with a toddler can result in a similar tragedy

im sure any other 'proof' won't change your mind, so i just hope the little one in question is lucky x

Kitkatqueen · 22/02/2010 23:35

Oh dear, I guess I'm in the minority here! My children don't have bottles as in baby bottles, but they each have a drink of water on their nightstand in a non spill cup.

It has had no ill effect on potty training at all and I'm sorry, but I wouldn't have left my dog overnight without a drink of water, why a child? Whatever would the rspca's view be if you left an animal without access to water overnight?

I can remember as a child waking and going into the bathroom to drink from the cold tap so many times. I hate being thirsty in the night...

winnybella · 22/02/2010 23:42

Do you know the story of Jean-Louis Trintignant? He's a famous French actor and a father of Marie Trintignant, who was killed by her boyfriend, singer Bertrand Cantat from Noir Desir a few years back?
Well, his first daughter was left in the cot with a bottle. When the parents looked in a short while later, they found her dead- asphyxiated with milk.
I think she was only a few months old.
Still, it seems unnecessary risk to take imo.

OTTMummA · 22/02/2010 23:45

as far as i know, dogs don't sleep 10-12 hours at a time?
ive never had a problem with being hydrated through the night, we all drink a lot anyway, so i guess it depends on that a lot too kitkatqueen?
my son never wakes unless ill or i have let him sleep to long during the day, i don't give him a drink unless he asks for one, and he rarely does he has enough in the day and still wakes with a wet nappy.

OTTMummA · 22/02/2010 23:47

sorry, also, leaving water with a dog is right, but thats because they can't ask you for water when they need it. a child can.

littleducks · 22/02/2010 23:53

I leave both mine with a cup of water in a beaker, they don't fall asleep with it in their mouths, they sit up have drink then put cup down and lie back down......dd is 3.5 and its on a bedside table, ds is 1 (well nearly 2 but since about 15mo) and it is in the corner of his cot

I bf mine then they had cups of water so they dont comfort suck on beakers, perhaps thats the different, they always sit to drink (would spill over their face otherwise) then place cup down

Kitkatqueen · 23/02/2010 00:12

Oh believe me! a dog can deffo ask for water! stand at bowl and bark!!! Ask to go out, stand at door and bark!! Ask to come in, stand outside door and bark!! Why in hells teeth tho did he have to teach the cat??? que constant yowling!! As for sleeping 10 - 12 hours I have no idea, just seems wrong to me tho, for any animal human or otherwise to be left without water.

As with littleducks children, mine sit to drink they have to suck to get the water out but again mine don't comfort suck either.

GoddessInTheKitchen · 23/02/2010 00:40

grimma you said 'From what I can remember, if they are old enough to 'feed themselves a bottle' they are really too old to still be using bottles.'

really? my dd was holding her own bottle from around 5/6 mnths

i always left dd with a bottle at night as she liked to feed herself but i will not being doing it with any future dc's i may have as i did not know the risks

i have also propped a bottle up while dd was in the buggy as a baby but could see her as she was facing me so don't see a problem with this

Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 09:32

Ok, to make myself clear - I am only talking about babies/toddlers that can hold a bottle/beaker themselves. My DS2 was able to do this with his bottle from 6/7 mo, and in fact would only drink from a bottle if he did it himself. I BF so I don't know if thats why.

In fact I can't stand seeing young babies with a bottle propped up in front of them - but IMO that is a completly different thing.

I can understand the risks of leaving a baby with a free flowing bottle/beaker that couldn't manage it themselves. However, I don't think there is as great a risk that people have made out there is in leaving a 1 + yo with a 'no-spill' beaker (as in, fluid only comes out when sucked) overnight.

At the moment my DS2 has a beaker of milk in bed (supervised as I am upstairs getting DS1 ready for bed) then I remove it and fetch him a drink in the night if he wakes. I'm considering leaving a drink in bed with him as I can't really see a major problem with it.

In fact my DS1 (4yo) has had a beaker of water next to his bed for as long as I can remember, I've never even considered that there might be a problem with this, I still don't think there is. I go to bed with a glass of water next to my bed...

OP posts:
catastrojb · 23/02/2010 09:39

i haven't read the whole thread, but there was something in the Times the other day about a 999 call receiver who received a call about a 14 year old who had choked to death on a milkshake. Granted, he had been taking cannabis which had slowed his responses, but a baby has fairly slow responses too so not entirely dissimilar. The milkshake had "gone down the wrong way" - he had aspirated it, and had essentially drowned.

Even if it is unlikely, surely it is not worth the risk?

And apologies if this has already been said.

Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 09:56

Thanks catastrojb found the article

But not sure I'm convinced that a 14 year old, high on cannbis could be compared to a baby/toddler. especially one that is able to feed itself...?

OP posts:
catastrojb · 23/02/2010 10:03

possibly not an alert, awake one, but at night when drowsy I can see how it could fall asleep with the cup/bottle (I've done it myself...messy!) and similar could happen. Not saying it would, just that I can see how it could, and that for me would be too big a risk as it is something easily avoidable.

crankytwanky · 23/02/2010 10:19

I have choked on liquid while lying down when totaly sober!
Has nobody ever been sipping tea while reclining and had it go "down the wrong way"?

So, no I'd probably not do it. When DC3 comes DD1 has asked that she can give DC2 his milk, so that's what we'll do if I really can't do it myself. I wouldn't leave him alone with a bottle. The cuddle is part of a feed, isn't it?

I have also inhaled my own vomit as a teenager. Drugs were involved. How I didn't die is anyone's guess. My parents were told I would be brain damaged if I did wake up.

Morloth · 23/02/2010 10:20

The risk is small but it is a pointless risk surely?

Yes, they may drown swimming but there is a point to going swimming.

What is the reason for leaving a bottle in a cot with a baby? I don't get it.

When DS moved to a bed, he was given a bedside table and there is always a non-spill cup of water on that for him if he is thirsty at night. But in order to get it he has to wake up, sit up and reach.