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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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 · 23/02/2010 10:25

but battykoda, the point is that a child could be very sleepy!!
they're in bed for goodness sake.

a toddler, wide awake, sitting up is clearly very unlikely to choke on/aspirate any of its drink

but a sleepy toddler, lying down in bed could quite easily do so.

SoupDragon · 23/02/2010 10:26

Why would you leave a beaker of milk in a warm environment and want your child to drink it?

My children have had non-spill beakers with water in from around 18 or 24 months.

Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 10:27

crankytwanky - I'm asking about babies/toddlers that feed themselves a bottle/beaker. I haven't been able to give my DS a cuddle whilst he was having his milk since I was breastfeeding. They is no way he's even sit on my lap whilst having his milk, never mind have a cuddle!

OP posts:
Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 10:29

I don't know about others but the majority of time my DS will lay down to drink his milk....

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 23/02/2010 10:30

and the majority of time he is SUPERVISED.

gah, i give up, it's like talking to a brick wall.

if you wanna do it then go ahead and do it, no-one is stopping you.

Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 10:36

Do you know - I had argued against this last night, and came here to back up my arguement. But now I see that there is little evidence to suggest that it is in fact a dangerous thing to do. No more dangerous than breastfeeding, or swimming, or drinking milkshake when stoned...

OP posts:
Morloth · 23/02/2010 10:41

But why do it at all? As I said I just don't get the need.

I see a reason for breastfeeding, I see a reason for swimming, not so sure about drinking a milkshake when stoned, but what reason is there to leave him unattended with a bottle?

nickytwotimes · 23/02/2010 10:45

Yabu.

No need to leave a kid with a bottle/cup all night.

However, as others have said this and you haven't listened to them, I fear I am wasting my breath!

Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 10:49

Not a bottle in this case. A no-spill beaker that requires a significant amount of sucking to get the fluid out.

Because - in my case - by the time my DS2 has stirred enough through thirst/hunger he makes alot of noise so that I go and fetch him a drink, from downstairs, which disturbs the cat (who then thinks it's time for breakfast and so won't shut up until it is actually breakfast time) and by this time he's fully awake and unlikely to get back to sleep straight away, just like me DP and DS1 are by this point.

So why don't I, as suggested, leave it in his cot so if he stirs, he can have a sip and get straight back to sleep.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 23/02/2010 10:55

why do you have to go downstairs to get it? Surely you have the common sense to have it upstairs with you?

Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 10:57

He doesn't always wake, seems a waste.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 23/02/2010 10:59

How is it a waste when you are planning to put one in his cot every night??

acebaby · 23/02/2010 11:03

I had no idea this was dangerous. DS2 (20mo) has a non spill avent beaker with water in it, in the vain hope that he might drink it unsupervised and go back to sleep without summoning me. This has happened once (heard the slurping on the monitor). DS1 (4.7) has a non-spill cup on his bedside table.

I'll remove DS2's cup tonight. Choking is a sensitive subject in our family because my cousin nearly choked to death on a walnut 20 years ago when she was 2, and is now brain damaged .

Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 11:04

Whether it's upstairs or downstairs he would still have woken himself up enough to make some noise and so it wouldn't make that much difference (except the cat probably wouldn't wake) so not much point, and unecessary waste, where as if it were in his cot it would save him (and us) from being too disturbed.... IYSWIM

OP posts:
Morloth · 23/02/2010 11:09

So you are willing to take (the albeit small) risk of your baby choking in order to not wake the cat?

I like my cat a lot, but this is quite strange.

crankytwanky · 23/02/2010 11:14

Battycoda, sure, but I'm just saying if I can choke on tea, a sleepy toddler could easily choke on milk.

Also, I BFed mine until they were 2/2.5, so feeds have always been a cuddly thing in our house.

Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 11:19

Yes thats exactly why mortloth

But it's not choking crankytwanky, it's coughing/spluttering, which is a completley different thing.

Wish I'd kept going with bf, I assumed he'd still be cuddly with bottles, but not the case

OP posts:
Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 11:20

acebaby - I don't think it is actually dangerous.

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

From what I gather on here a baby/toddler cannot choke on fluid. They can get fluid in their lungs, which can be fatal, but this can happen whether drinking supervised, swimming or whatever. Am I right?

OP posts:
Morloth · 23/02/2010 11:23

So if you are so sure that you are right with this why bother asking?

The boy was given his late night feed, then tucked up in bed - if he needed us he yelled. It was a PITA, but having kids is.

Why even mention the cat?

Original poster
BattyKoda · 23/02/2010 11:27

I'm asking if I'm right.

It's also a PITA to wipe shit poo up of the floor all day. Which is why we put them in nappies. We do things every day to make our, and our childrens, lives easier.

OP posts:
Rhubarb · 23/02/2010 11:28

Lots of pissed-up adults die every year choking on their own vomit.

Now I don't know about you, but on the rare occasion I've been drunk and sick, it's mainly liquid.

Therefore if an adult can choke to death on liquid vomit...............

Morloth · 23/02/2010 11:32

Yes, but there is risk/reward ratios to be taken into account.

The "reward" here is an unbroken night's sleep for you the "risk" is aspiration of liquid into baby's lungs.

For me the reward doesn't outweigh the risk. Seems obvious, but it is your baby so you need to decide for yourself whether the ratio is acceptable, but don't be stupid and pretend there is no risk because you want the reward so much.

thisisyesterday · 23/02/2010 11:33

yes, it could happen if they were supervised. but the point is, you would be there to help them

you aren't there while they're choking to death in the middle of the night

i can't tell if you're being deliberately obtuse or if you're just a bit stupid now.

thisisyesterday · 23/02/2010 11:34

yes, you're asking if you're right,

on this thread, and the other, everyone has said NO, you aren't right, it's a stupid thing to do

from this, you have deduced that it's perfectly safe.
just because no-one has yet found a news story on google of a toddler dying. which is quite odd, but there you go

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