Gag Reflex in Babies – Causes and When Should You Worry

6 min read

Written by Ajanta Biswas

Ajanta Biswas

MA (English)

Studying English literature has been highly instrumental in creating a love for English and World Literature for this writer. Ajanta has been writing for more than two years. She specializes in creating short and crisp blogs that can create awareness among women about healthy pregnancy and among parents about better parenting.

Gag Reflex in Babies

Gag reflex in babies is a common phenomenon to clear their throat. It might look concerning, but gagging is actually body’s natural way to avoid choking. Babies gag for several reasons and most of them are not a cause of concern. Gag reflex will slowly subside as they grow and adapt to the rhythm of sucking and swallowing the milk. However, frequent gagging might require medical intervention.

Once your baby is on solids, feeding your baby each day becomes a new experience. Spilling and spitting of food is going to be a common scenario. Parents often mistake the gag reflex in babies for choking, but they are two different things. Choking potentially blocks the airways, while gagging is a reflex action to bring the stuck particle out from the throat. This article gives a brief on everything you need to know about the gag reflex in babies.

In This Article

Why Do Babies Gag?
When Do Babies Start to Gag?
Is Gag Reflex in Babies Good?
Top 6 Causes of Gag Reflex in Babies
3 Steps to Soothe Gag Reflex in Babies
Prevention of Gag Reflex in Babies
When Should You Consider Seeing a Doctor?
FAQ’s

Why Do Babies Gag?

Gagging is common when you introduce a new solid food into your baby’s diet, especially solids. As the baby does not yet know how to chew and swallow solid food, a sudden introduction to solids can cause a gag reflex in them. Thus, doctors advise providing pureed or mashed solid food to the baby at the beginning. Sometimes you may still notice that your baby is gagging if you put too much food inside their mouth. This is because they are still learning ways to regulate the quantity of food they can swallow or chew at a time.

Younger babies may also gag if the milk flow from the breast or bottle is too much for them to handle. It will subside once they are used to the flow or you can also regulate the flow to suit your baby’s speed of sucking. When your baby gags, it is their body’s natural way to bring the particle out that can potentially lead to choking. There is nothing to worry about gag reflex. It might take some time but subsides on its own. Meanwhile, help your baby by just sitting beside them until they relax.

When Do Babies Start to Gag?

Babies start to gag from their birth, and it is more prominent until they are 7-9 months old. The gag reflex generally subdues as the baby gets used to the rhythm of sucking and swallowing the milk. Babies also gag when you first introduce solids. Gradually the reflex shifts from the middle of the mouth towards the back by the time your baby reaches 12 months.

Is Gag Reflex in Babies Good?

Yes, the gag reflex is good for your baby as it prevents choking. During the gag reflex, the tongue of the baby gets stimulated by a big morsel of food or any foreign object. As a result, the baby will open its mouth and push its tongue forward to let the particle out.

Gagging shows that the baby is repulsive toward that food, and the baby is learning to chew and swallow food. Without a gag reflex, babies will not be able to throw food that can jam the airways and cause choking. Besides food, a small piece of a toy or coin can also cause choking in babies, and they gag to prevent that.

[Read : Infant Choking]

Top 6 Causes of Gag Reflex in Babies

Causes of Gag Reflex in Babies

Here are a few reasons that can cause a gag reflex in babies

1. Flow of the Breast Milk

Faster or forced breast milk flow can make the baby gag. When too much milk collects at the back of the tongue, babies gag as they are unable to swallow. You can try pumping a bit of milk out before you feed the baby, this can help them cope with the flow without gagging.

2. Flow of Milk From the Feeding Bottle

Similarly, if the nipple of the feeding bottle has bigger or multiple holes, then the flow of the milk can cause a gag reflex as your baby is still immature to take in large quantities. Arrange the bottle in such a way that your baby has enough breaks in between sucking.

3. Overfeeding

In older babies, overfeeding can result in a gag reflex as the food you forcefully feed can just get stuck in the throat.

4. Accumulation of Food at the Back of the Tongue

The gagging reflex occurs when too much food gathers at the back of their tongue. So, while spoon feeding, if you mistakenly put too much food inside or if the spoon goes deep inside the mouth, a gag reflex occurs.

5. Disliking the Food

Babies also gag if they do not like the food. While trying to bring the food out, they gag and try to spit.

6. Leftover Fluid in the Lungs

Newborns generally make weird sounds, gagging and gurgling are one of those. If you wonder why your little one is gagging even when you are not feeding, it is because of the leftover fluid in their lungs. Gagging is the natural way of expelling fluid from their lungs and is not a matter of concern.

It is mostly seen in premature babies, as their lungs are not mature enough to expel the fluid when they are born.

3 Steps to Soothe Gag Reflex in Babies

Steps to Soothe Gag Reflex

As gagging is the body’s natural process to let out food that can potentially cause choking, you should not do anything to forcefully stop it.

Here are a few things you can do while your baby gags

Stay calm and hold your baby upright.
Look for any symptoms of choking. While choking, babies can’t get oxygen due to which they turn blue (cyanosis).
Let your baby spit out the food entirely, then gently calm the baby by patting its back.

Prevention of Gag Reflex in Babies

Though gagging is good for your baby’s safety, frequent gagging needs to be cared for by following a few steps.

Here are the steps you can take to prevent frequent gagging

Minimize the flow of breast milk or formula milk. You can express some breastmilk with your hand to slow down the flow. Consider shifting to a slow-flowing nipple while bottle-feeding.
Reduce the quantity of food you take into the spoon while feeding. This can help your baby chew and swallow comfortably.
Do not push the spoon deep inside the baby’s mouth.
Avoid finger foods if your baby is too young to swallow.
Feed purees or semi-solid pastes initially.

[Read : How to Teach Your Baby to Chew Food?]

When Should You Consider Seeing a Doctor?

mom making call to doctor

Track on the frequency of gagging, and see your doctor if your baby gags more than usual. Continuous gagging can indicate some other problem like GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease). This occurs if the contents in the stomach are pushed back into the throat. Observe and report the symptoms to your doctor if you see your baby gagging without a reason. Also, if you see your baby grabbing their throat, turning blue and has extreme difficulty in breathing, call your doctor and get instructions for immediate action.

So, the gagging very common in babies. It is a natural reflex which is necessary to prevent choking. It is a good sign that your baby is trying to figure out how much food it can take at a time. Do not hesitate to consult the doctor if you are too concerned about gagging. They may help you with proper steps on how to deal with gag reflex in babies.

[Read : Breathing Problems in Babies]

FAQ’s

1. How Do You Assess a Gag Reflex in a Newborn?

You can assess the gag reflex by following some signs. The eyes of your baby may get watery. The baby will push its tongue forward to let out the food. A retching movement and vomiting may follow after the gag reflex.

2. What is the Difference Between Gagging and Choking?

While gagging the face of the baby will turn red as the baby coughs and splutters the food. The baby can vomit and cry. But during choking the face of the baby will turn blue and pale as the baby cannot breathe. While choking the baby will not be able to cry, become still and look terrified.

3. How Do I Stop My Baby’s Gag Reflex?

Do not try to stop them while gagging. Sit beside your little one and just observe them while they gag and finish spitting out and help them relax after the gag reflex ends.