How to help infant with hiccups

Stopping and preventing hiccups in babies and newborns

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Taking a break to burp the baby

When the stomach fills with air, it may push on the diaphragm, causing spasms. Taking a break from feeding to burp the baby may reduce the amount of air in their stomach. This can prevent hiccups.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is a good idea to burp bottle-fed babies every time they consume 2 to 3 ounces.

If a baby is breast-fed, it is a good idea to burp the baby while switching between breasts.

Using a pacifier

Sucking on a pacifier may help to relax the diaphragm and stop hiccupping.

Feeding them gripe water

Gripe water is a mixture of herbs and water. It is traditionally used to treat colic and other stomach problems.

The herbs usually contained in gripe water include:

ginger
fennel
chamomile
cinnamon

If stomach issues are responsible for hiccups, some people believe that gripe water may help. However, no scientific evidence currently supports this treatment.

Because the risks are low, a person may decide to give gripe water a try. Several brands are available for purchase online.

Rubbing the baby’s back

Rubbing their back and rocking the baby back and forth can help them to relax. This may stop the spasms that cause hiccups.

What not to do

Some well-known remedies for hiccups are entirely rooted in tradition and have no scientific basis. These include:

making a person jump
pulling their tongue
making them sip water while upside down

It is a bad idea to try these, and many other home remedies, on a baby. These supposed remedies can distress a baby and may even be dangerous. They are unlikely to stop the hiccups.

Hiccupping is generally not a cause for concern.

Authors of a study from 2012 suggest that the hiccup reflex may serve to remove excess air from the stomach. However, the medical community is still unsure whether hiccups have a purpose. So, what happens in the body to cause them?

Hiccups happen when something causes the diaphragm to spasm, and the vocal cords quickly shut. Air is forced out through the closed vocal chords, creating the hiccupping sound.

The diaphragm is a large muscle that runs across the bottom of the rib cage. It moves up and down as a person breathes.

Hiccups in babies tend to occur for no apparent reason, but feeding can occasionally cause the diaphragm to spasm. They may happen when a baby:

overfeeds
eats too quickly
swallows too much air

These factors can cause the baby’s stomach to expand. As it expands, it pushes against the diaphragm, triggering the spasms that lead to hiccups.

If hiccups happen frequently and cause distress, they may result from an underlying health condition, such as gastroesophageal reflux (GER). This occurs when partially digested food and stomach acid come back up through the food pipe. As these fluids pass the diaphragm, they may irritate it and trigger spasms.

Feeding or stomach issues may not always cause hiccups. The diaphragm may spasm for unknown reasons.

Hiccups are often not preventable, but following the strategies below may help:

feeding the baby before they become very hungry, to keep them calm
feeding the baby frequently in small amounts
sitting the baby upright for half an hour after each feeding
repositioning the bottle so that no air is near the teat
ensuring that the baby’s mouth is latched over the whole nipple

A doctor should be consulted if a baby frequently gets hiccups.

Hiccups are not normally a cause for concern in babies under 12 months old.

Speak with a doctor if hiccups are frequent or they seem to distress the baby because this can indicate an underlying health condition.

GER may cause frequent, uncomfortable hiccups. A baby may have GER if they also:

cry more often than usual, particularly around feedings
arch their back excessively during or after feedings
spit up more often than usual

Anyone who suspects that a baby may have GER should speak with a doctor. The condition is easy to treat.

Newborn hiccups are not usually a cause for concern. Most babies have hiccups in their first year. Many of the likely causes relate to feeding.

Following feeding best practices may reduce hiccupping, and some home remedies may also help.

If hiccupping is frequent, or if it causes distress or other symptoms, speak with a doctor. It is also a good idea to contact a doctor if hiccups frequently occur after a baby turns one year old.

Read the article in Spanish.

Here’s What to Do When Your Baby Has the Hiccups – Cleveland Clinic

Your brand new baby has a serious case of hiccups. And while they’re a little bit adorable, you’re also wondering if there’s any cause for concern.

“Baby hiccups are very common, and they aren’t normally a problem,” says pediatrician Kylie Liermann, DO. “In fact, they usually bother parents more than the baby.”

To calm your new parent nerves a little, Dr. Liermann explains what causes baby hiccups and how to get rid of them so you (and baby) can breathe easier.

Why do babies get hiccups?

Hiccups are most likely caused by irritation to the diaphragm, the muscle at the base of the lungs. Sometimes, that muscle starts to spasm or cramp. That causes the vocal cords to clamp shut, creating that distinctive “hic!” sound you know and dread.

Developing babies can get hiccups even before they’re born, and many pregnant people have felt the telltale flutters in their bellies.

Hiccups are especially common in newborns and infants. “We don’t know exactly why, but hiccups may be caused by increased gas in the stomach,” Dr. Liermann says. “If babies overfeed or gulp air during eating, that could cause the stomach to expand and rub against the diaphragm, generating those hiccups.”

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Hiccups and gastroesophageal reflux

Usually, hiccups don’t bother babies. But sometimes, hiccups are a sign of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). Reflux causes stomach acid to back up into the baby’s esophagus.

If your baby has GERD, hiccups won’t be the only symptom, Dr. Liermann says. Infants with reflux also have signs such as:

Coughing.
Spitting up.
Irritability and crying.
Arching the back, especially during or after a feeding.

If you notice these signs, talk to your doctor about whether your baby might have reflux and how to manage it.

How to stop baby hiccups

If your baby doesn’t have reflux symptoms, don’t stress over hiccups, Dr. Liermann says. But if those little “hics!” are bothering you, there are some things you can try.

Change feeding positions

Try feeding your little one in a more upright position, Dr. Liermann suggests. Propping your baby up on a pillow so they aren’t lying flat may help them take in less air at mealtimes.

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Burp more frequently

“Burping usually helps with hiccups,” Dr. Liermann says. Burp your baby during feeding to prevent hiccups from striking. Try taking a burp break after 2 or 3 ounces.

If you’re nursing, burp your baby before you switch sides. If your nugget already has hiccups, you can try to relieve them with some gentle pats on the back.

Reach for the binky

Pacifiers can sometimes stop hiccups in their tracks. “The sucking motion can help relax the diaphragm,” Dr. Liermann explains.

Give gripe water

Gripe water is an over-the-counter blend of herbs marketed as a treatment for colic and tummy troubles. Some parents find it helps with hiccups, too.

But above all, says Dr. Liermann: Don’t fret. “Hiccups stop on their own and don’t cause discomfort to babies. So don’t feel you need to treat them,” she says.

Hiccups in newborns

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Hiccups in newborns

Hiccups is a physiological process in which there is a convulsive contraction of the diaphragm, which is a muscular barrier between the abdominal and chest cavities. During hiccuping, the glottis is closed, which leads to the appearance of a characteristic sound and movement. In newborns, the diaphragm contraction mechanism is very excitable, and therefore children in the first months of life are often prone to hiccups. nine0003

Causes of hiccups in newborns: hypothermia, overeating, swallowing large amounts of air during feeding, or the rapid absorption of food.

As a rule, hiccups most often occur due to mistakes in feeding the baby. In the process of overeating, a large amount of food absorbed stretches the stomach walls, which leads to a contraction of the diaphragm and hiccups.

Prolonged hiccups that do not subside can be a dangerous signal. This condition often occurs with pneumonia, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, injuries of the spinal cord and chest. Sometimes the cause of hiccups can be helminthiasis and infectious pathologies. nine0003

A very common cause of hiccups is hypothermia. This is a kind of signal from the child's body for parents about the problem that has arisen.

Sometimes hiccups can occur in case of emotional shock, stress or fear. Loud music, bright lights, screams and other “noisy” manifestations of the life of those around the baby can be to blame for everything.

Symptoms of hiccups in newborns. As a rule, bouts of hiccups last about 10-15 minutes and do not cause much discomfort to the baby (at the same time, he behaves quite calmly). But sometimes this condition can be longer, as a result of which the access of oxygen is difficult and it becomes difficult for the child to breathe. In this case, urgent consultation with a specialist is required. nine0003

First of all, parents need to know - if the baby has hiccups regularly for two weeks and does not subside for a long time, it must be shown to the pediatrician to exclude the occurrence of various pathologies.

To rid the child of hiccups, first of all, it is necessary to remove the provoking factor. It must be warmed in case of hypothermia, watered in case of thirst and calmed in case of excitement. Also, in the process of feeding, the baby's head must be placed so that he cannot swallow air with food. nine0003

To eliminate hiccups, a baby can drop a drop of lemon juice or chamomile infusion under the tongue. If the hiccups do not go away, the child should be allowed to drink water, and then attach it to the chest.

How to properly feed a newborn: some useful tips.

The main rule is that the child should be fed only when he is really hungry. during this period, the baby should be calm. In the process of feeding, you need to make sure that the newborn does not swallow too quickly. With very active sucking, it needs to be removed from the chest for some insignificant time and held in a “column” so that all the excess air that has accumulated in the stomach comes out. For children who are bottle-fed, it is necessary to monitor the hole in the nipple. It shouldn't be very big. After feeding the baby, you need to hold it in an upright position with your tummy towards you. nine0003

If a child’s hiccups appear due to stress, he must be protected in every possible way from emotional shocks.

That's all the simple tips with which you can defeat hiccups in newborns and thereby eliminate the worries of their parents. After all, the greatest happiness is a healthy baby.

Causes of hiccups in a baby

There are many reasons that cause hiccups in a newborn:

Excessive air intake during feeding.
Overfeeding
The cry of a baby, during which a large amount of air enters the lungs and stomach.
Excess gas formation in the intestines, characteristic of children in the first three months of life. The accumulation of gases leads to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure and pushes the diaphragm upward. Stretching with intestinal gases is extremely painful for the baby. The crying that occurs during this is another factor that provokes hiccups due to excessive swallowing of air. nine0056
If the baby is cold, this can also cause hiccups.
Fright - unexpected and loud sounds, a flash of light can frighten the baby, as a result of which he begins to hiccup.

In rare cases, hiccups are caused by various diseases and pathological conditions. If you suspect that something is wrong with the baby’s health, you should urgently consult with a specialist.

How to deal with hiccups in a newborn baby? nine0050

Inexperienced parents often ask themselves: how to deal with hiccups in newborns? A nursing mother needs not only to create a friendly atmosphere in the house. She needs to carefully monitor her diet and exclude from it foods that invariably provoke pain in the tummy and increased gas formation in the baby.

In case of frequent hiccups, attention should be paid to the correct attachment of the baby to the breast. If his mouth does not cover the entire areola, but only the nipple, air can enter the esophagus and stomach during feeding, which leads to stretching of these organs, pressure on the diaphragm and causes hiccups. You can take short breaks during feeding, waiting for the air that came with the food to escape. nine0003

Important!

Care should be taken to ensure that the baby does not overeat. It is necessary to give him the amount of breast milk recommended by a specialist.

Do not breastfeed at the first sign of anxiety, attributing it to hunger. The baby may not want to eat all the time, and his crying may be due to overwork, discomfort from an overflowing diaper, or other reasons. After the establishment of lactation, you need to switch to routine feeding, finely adjusting to the needs of the crumbs. nine0003

Do not put the baby to bed immediately after the next feeding. In this position, the pressure of the stomach on the diaphragm increases. It is desirable that the child stays in an upright position for 10-15 minutes. Pick him up and walk around the room with him.

When crying, do not wait for the baby to calm down on its own. Take the baby in your arms, hug it to you, shake it. An affectionate conversation, stroking, a bright toy will calm and distract the child.

Abdominal massage helps with excessive gas formation. Heat does a great job with intestinal spasms and promotes the release of gases. Therefore, a warm diaper applied to the tummy will alleviate the child's condition, the pressure on the diaphragm will decrease, and the hiccups will pass. nine0003

If the ailment is caused by a nervous shock, parents should be vigilant, eliminating sources of stress For example, you can change the signal on your mobile phone - set it to a quiet, calm melody. Some parents of newborns simply set the phone to vibrate so as not to frighten the baby with harsh sounds. It is recommended to remove the musical pendants from the baby's crib if you notice that immediately after turning on such a toy, the baby starts to hiccup.

Important! nine0003

If the hiccups are caused by hypothermia, you need to warm him up - put on warm clothes or cover with a blanket.