A ruttle is a coarse, crackling sound which some babies make even when they are well. It is caused by secretions ( snot, saliva, gunk etc) being allowed to pool in the back of the throat. Babies can allow this fluid to collect there but adults would have to cough it out or swallow it down.
Throat Noises.
Caused by air passing through normal saliva or refluxed milk. These gurgling noises are likely to build up during sleep. Slowly, the newborn learns to swallow more often.
A phlegmy cough can sometimes be due to post-nasal drip or drainage when children have runny noses. In younger infants, a phlegmy cough could be due to bronchiolitis, a lower tract respiratory infection brought on by viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Reflux. It's no mystery that all babies have reflux, some worse than others. Reflux can cause fussiness, back arching , a lot of spit up and sometimes even a gurgling noise after feeds (or in sleep). In summary, most of the noises your baby makes are perfectly normal.
Silent reflux in babies
Sometimes babies don't spit out what comes back up but swallow it instead. Even though there isn't any spitting up, they may show other symptoms similar to reflux, such as crying or being unsettled after feeds, or having a cough or hoarse voice.
Silent reflux in babies often presents as the usual colicky symptoms such as fussiness, crying, and arching of the back. Babies with silent reflux also often have frequent hiccups or a cough. You may be able to hear them swallowing or even making choking sounds.
Normal Newborn Breathing Sounds
4 Most are nothing to be concerned about, including: Gurgling/throat sounds: Newborns don't have their swallowing mechanism perfected at first, so they may routinely gurgle up some milk or saliva. This is more likely to happen while they are sleeping.
Babies with silent reflux might fuss, cry, and arch their backs. They do not calm down after feedings. Instead, they make grunting noises while trying to rest.
Newborns will usually breathe exclusively through their nose until about 6 months. By their first birthday, they'll breathe more through their mouth. You'll experience a full range of whistling, gurgling, and snorting sounds as your baby's tiny nasal passages take in air.
Additionally, a medical study found that the 'non-nutritive' sucking (sucking without feeding) with a dummy can improve the rate the stomach empties and also decrease the number of reflux episodes in a group of premature infants.
Instead of laying your baby down flat after feeding, keep them upright for about 30 minutes so gravity can help them digest their food. Otherwise, they're more likely to spit up.
1. Cold milk: Milk has a high amount of calcium, which helps to prevent acid build-up by absorbing the excess acid produced. Also with if the milk is cold it sure does provides instant relief from the burning sensation that one feels during reflux.
Babies with silent reflux may not spit up after feedings, making it more difficult to spot. Infants with silent reflux also often present with feeding difficulties, which can slow weight gain and even cause weight loss. In extreme cases, this can result in undernutrition.
Back to sleep―even with reflux!
Though parents are often concerned that their baby may vomit and choke while sleeping on their back, it is a total myth! Babies automatically cough up or swallow fluid that they spit up or vomit because of the gag reflex, that naturally prevents choking from happening.
Babies who have digestive disorders will generally show symptoms in the form of fussiness, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, to dehydration. Entering the age of 6 months and over, baby's nutrition is not limited by only breast milk.
If vomiting or reflux symptoms occur, give less at each feeding. Feed your baby about every 2 to 4 hours during the day, and on demand at night (when your infant wakes up) or as directed by their doctor. Some infants need to be fed during both the day and night to gain weight.
Why do babies make loud gulping noises when breastfeeding? Many times, the milk pours so quickly and fiercely that the baby appears to be trying to drink from a firehose because some moms make more milk than their newborn babies actually require. In that case, babies make loud gulping sounds.
Some babies squirm, grunt, and even wheeze at night as they develop their breathing muscles. Their breathing patterns change and they breathe more slowly when they are asleep, which can cause them to grunt. Check that your baby is breathing calmly and there are no other signs of distress.
Dr. Hauck: We don't know for sure why room-sharing without bed-sharing is protective, but we have some theories. One is that the babies are sleeping more lightly because there is more movement around them (so they cannot get into as deep a sleep, which can contribute to the final pathway in SIDS).