Excessive Throat Clearing in Newborns: Causes & When to Worry

Question
My 5 week old son has had trouble with excessive throat clearing for the last three and a half weeks.  It happens mainly at night from around 2am until he wakes up in the morning around 8am.  It is not connencted only to spitting up but also after breast feeding during the night and sometimes for no apparent reason.  He seems to have trouble swallowing and thrashes around while clearing his throat for up to twenty minutes at a time.  As soon as he calms down, he can sleep for periods of time and appears to be breathing normally.  We have raised his bassinette mattress slightly at one end.  Any other suggestions or concerns you may have, we would appreciate hearing.  Thank you, Stacey

Answer
Hello Stacey- I think you need to consult a midwife or dr- this could simply be excess mucus- was your baby a section delivery?- they can be overly mucusy sometimes. I would also suggest that you eliminate cow's milk products from YOUR diet- all liquid milk, cheeses, yogurt, ice cream, butter etc. Try it for 3-4 weeks- it takes that long to clear all the milk protein from your body- and see if baby has less problem with the mucus. Also, get in contact with your local La Leche League group and Leader- they are a WEALTH of breastfeeding info and the TRUE experts in the field. All the best- Cheri.