Baby choking when sleeping

[AmyAW]

For the past month, our 10 week old DD has sometimes choked when sleeping.

It often happen when she's asleep in the sling, when she'll suddenly take big silent gasps as if she can't breathe. It's similar to how you might breathe if you've been winded. Gasping, but can't get air in. It comes out of nowhere and she'll recover completely within a few seconds, but it's mighty scary to see.

She never chokes feeding, which worries me that it could be neurological rather than physiological.

I'm waiting on a referral to pediatrics as this has stumped our doctor, so I'd be interested to know if anyone else has experienced anything like it?

Did they look at her tonsils?
DD used to do it when she was little and it continued, it was sleep apnea and she suffered with tonsillitis from about 1-2.5 years old once they took her tonsils out she's been fine. I've just managed to get her in her own bed because I was so scared she'd stop breathing

How is she positioned in the sling? Are you following TICKS? Have you had some advice from the sling library?

They did - aparently all fine but I didn't trust they looked thoroughly! Glad your little one is okay now.

All good on the sling and we're following TICKS 🙂

That’s good. I’m sorry I haven’t experienced this before. I hope you get answers.

She does also have reflux too, which they did think would correct itself . But sometimes when it would come up in the throat instead of swallowing it she inhale and it would go down her windpipe. Kind of like the feeling of when you get food stuck and you hold your breath. And reflux is worse at night although if she's in her sling positional wise I couldn't see reflux being the issue. But something else DD had

Reflux can look like this. I had a little boy that would look like he was fitting- gasping and twitching. The GP had no idea. It improved when we changed his milk, raised an end of the cot, and whatever else they say. Maybe a sachet of something in his milk? It was years ago so my memory isn't great. I was panicked about it, convinced it was something serious. But he was fine!

Thank you! That's reassuring. My mind naturally goes to the worst case!

If you imagine what it's like when you get a bit of regurgitation after a big meal- that unpleasant sensation of things coming up when they shouldn't, and a slight acidic burn- babies don't know they need to swallow that back down before they can breathe. It's quite a sophisticated bit of coordination, when you think about it.

@AmyAW did you ever find an answer for this?? I have a 12 week old who occasionally gasps in his sleep - it sounds like he's struggling to breath but he recovers quickly...

I didn't - our doctor was stumped! But it was a phase and as she got older she stopped doing it. I kept a log of when it happened and looking back it seemed to resolve at about 3 / 4 months.

If you're worried do pursue it. I remember how concerned I was at the time so sending a handhold.

Young babies can do what's called periodic breathing:

https://www.verywellfamily.com/normal-newborn-breathing-patterns-284415

Obviously get it checked if you are worried, but both of mine have done this and grown out of it.