Why is a child abler to breathe and suckle at the same time
High placed larynx A baby can suck milk into mouth and because of its palate its mouth is separated from its nasal cavity so white it is sucking in milk it can also breathe through its nose. When the infant has to swallow the soft palate rapidly moves upward to close off the hack of the nasal air tube. At the same time, the epiglottis closes off the larynx and guides the milk into the esophagus (food tube). Because of these factors infants can breath and swallow in quick succession. - Its lumen is sho and. funnel shaped and dispropoionately narrower than that of adult. - It lies higher in the neck than the adult larynx. -It rest the upper border of the infant epiglottis is at the level of the second or third cervical veebrae. - When larynx is elevated it reaches the level of first cervical veebrae. - This high position enables an infant to use its nasal airway to breathe while sucking.
Sho soft palate
Sho tongue
High placed larynx
Small pharynx