Q&A Forum
Emily
I always place my 7 month old on his back in his cot, and he rolls onto his side or tummy to sleep. When I fed him at 5am this morning I realised he had vomited some of his dinner (toast) while in his cot. Last night at 8pm I thought I heard something, but he looked fine on the monitor. So now I assume that's when he vomited. I'm pretty shaken that he could've choked on that vomit, and I wouldn't have realised. In your materials, you talk about how it's much safer for an infant to vomit on their back, rather than on their tummy. Is this still the case at 7 months old? Is it just that there's nothing I can do about this potential problem?
Red Nose Education
Some babies do have small vomits during sleep.
Once baby is rolling & preferring to sleep on tummy, its very difficult to stop them sleeping in that position.
https://rednose.org.au/article/will-baby-choke-if-he-she-vomits-while-sleeping-on-the-back
Sleeping on their back does enhance the swallowing effectiveness of babies, but once they become more active & older, they often will spit out any small vomit/posit.
If you are concerned about your child’s health, please see your GP or Child Health Nurse.