New born babies are able to breathe and suck at the same time due to

Infant&;s larynx is positioned high in the neck, the level of glottis being opposite to C3 or C4 at rest and reaches C1 or C2 during swallowing. This high position allows the epiglottis to meet soft palate and make a nasopharyngeal channel for nasal breathing during suckling. The milk feed passes separately over the dorsum of tongue and the sides of epiglottis, thus allowing breathing and feeding to go on simultaneously. Reference: GHAI Essential pediatrics, 8th edition