Newborn - Washington,DC

Dont feel bad, I called 911 once because I thought my baby was choking on applesauce. He was just fine. Unless baby is wheezing or gagging, he is fine :)

This was yesterday. Has he acted normally today? If you aren't noticing any symptoms, he is likely just fine.

I assume you're giving him vitamin D drops because the doctor gave them to you (due to breastfeeding.) Are you pumping at all? If you are, you could put the drops in the bottle with the breastmilk so that this doesn't happen again. If you aren't using a bottle at all, talk to the doctor about it and see if he or she has another suggestion.

You did just the right thing turning him over and rubbing his back and then wiping his face. I remember when my two week old started spitting up while laying on his back - it scared the living daylights out of me. I grabbed him up and flipped him over. After that, I laid him on his side and rolled up a receiving blanket to make sure he stayed on his side. He slept on his side until he was 2 months old.

Moms tend to think quick, do the right thing, and then worry themselves to pieces afterwards. You're doing great!

Dawn

H. - WELCOME!!!

Congratulations on your new baby.

If this happened yesterday and he's breathing and acting fine, he should be fine. If he had aspirated any fluid, you would most likely "hear" a rattle in his chest.

You did the right thing in turning him over, patting his back. TRY NOT to panic. I know how hard it is when you see your INFANT having a hard time...

I am sorry - i don't understand why on earth you are giving him vitamin supplements already. Does your pediatrician know you are doing this? Did he/she recommend you doing this?

To alleviate your concerns and fears - call your pediatrician and tell them what happened and see if they want to see him. Please don't give supplements unless the doctor is telling you to. Then ASK WHY - get informed.

GOOD LUCK!

Wild One-where I am from mothers are advised to give vitamin d supplements to all breastfed babies as breast milk does not contain vitamin d, and in our northern climates infants do not get enough exposure to the sun to produce vitamin d. I agree though, if he is breathing and acting fine, he is likely fine. My babies used to sort of choke on it too sometimes because it is thick and syrupy. I found it best to give it very slowly, until they were a little bigger, then they likes to suck it out of the dropper themsleves.
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/recommendations/vitamin_...

The apparatus in our throats is very good at preventing food/fluids from getting into our lungs. There is a valve that immediately closes when the food/liquid gets in the wrong place. So you needn't worry about him getting anything into his lungs.

He can choke but it doesn't sound like that was happening this time. I suggest that the drops hit his epiglottis causing him to react. Turning him over was a good thing to do. You have a bit of time to decide what to do. Your baby will not suffocate if you can't think what to do for a few seconds. And time seems to go slowly when it's really just a few seconds before your instinct rushes in. I've never heard of a baby suffocating with liquids. Their bodies are just too well made. He would cough and clear it out.

When giving him the drops, place the dropper end next to his cheek between his cheek and the gum. That way the drops will ooze their way to his throat.

In our area, we are advised to give Vitamin D supplements. That said, you could probably wait a few weeks before trying again.

I raised a baby in Minnesota (born in the winter) and I did not give her, and was not advised to give her, vitamin D medicine. A baby generates vitamin D with minimal sun exposure, just like adults do. In the winter you can put your baby in the sun (through a window, put a little hat over their eyes) for a few minutes a day and their bodies will generate vitamin D as needed. OR, if you are breastfeeding, you can take steps to be sure that your vitamin D level is adequate - take pills, increase sun exposure. The article below expresses these ideas and gives specifics about sun exposure times for babies.

http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d/

Vitamin D deficiency can cause the disease rickets. Rickets has been seen in families where women are dark skinned and completely covered and veiled, and babies are covered, also. Taking sunscreen use and sun avoidance to an extreme can cause vitamin D deficiency in other families.

My daughter's pediatrician prescribed a Vitamin D supplement when she was a newborn but I never gave it to her bc I thought it was weird to give a supplement if you didn't actually test to see of there was a deficiency. One day I was listening to NPR and they were talking about Vitamin D deficiencies. I called into the show and asked the expert about supplements and newborns. She said that there was recent research that said that it's more effective if the mother takes a Vitamin D supplement and then that will transfer in her breast milk.