The practice of lying down to breastfeed a baby has been frowned upon by experts and they warn that such could lead to complications, suffocation and even death for an infant.
They noted that many nursing mothers who try to breastfeed while lying down tend to doze off due to tiredness, leaving the babies to struggle with the weight of their mothers’ breasts, which, in some cases, leads to suffocation, especially when the breasts are big.
The physicians’ reactions came on the heels of a research titled, ‘Two cases of apparent suffocation of newborns during side-lying breastfeeding,’ published in the medical journal, ScienceDirect.
Research authors acknowledged that the side-lying position is one of several options offered to women in the postpartum period to assist with early establishment of breastfeeding.
They said due to exhaustion, many new mothers experience significant pain following childbirth and while the side-lying position for breastfeeding can allow women to get needed rest, it can also increase their risk of falling asleep and potentially suffocating their babies.
A Paediatrician at the Holy Family Hospital, Festac, Lagos, Dr. Esther Christian, said the best position for breastfeeding is sitting, emphasizing that lying down can cause suffocation and infections if the breast milk enters the baby’s nose or the ear.
Though she noted that some mothers would be asked to side-lie when they are tired, she said one of the major challenges that may emanate from this practice is aspiration.
She described aspiration as an incident where the food leaves the stomach, flows through the gullet, and then goes into the lungs.
Dr. Christian noted that when this then happens, the baby stands the risk of lung infection as babies aspirate the content of their stomach while lying flat.
“The major role of the lungs is the exchange of oxygen and not breast milk. So, when breast milk enters the baby’s lungs, it affects the lungs in one way or the other, leading to difficulty in breathing and lung infections.
“It is advisable that breastfeeding mothers should know this and avoid lying down while breastfeeding. Tiredness may tempt them to do this but it is important for them to understand the consequences that come with that choice,” she added.
Also, a Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician at the Epe General Hospital, Lagos, Dr. Cynthia Okafor, said the weight of the mother’s breast could suffocate the baby if the mother is sleeping and breastfeeding.
She said, “If the baby is being breastfed with nobody to monitor the process, the breast may come down and cover the baby’s face including the nostril. So, in a bid to breathe, the baby will start gasping for air and in the process, the milk in the baby’s mouth could miss its tracks. The baby can draw it up to the lungs, nose and brain.
“At this point, an instant death may occur even before the mother, who has been tired due to overnight breastfeeding, wakes up. This is especially the case with mothers that have big and heavy breasts. We encourage them to sit. It could be tough because I am a mother, but we need to save our babies.”
