How to Cure Baby Hiccups

When your baby took up residence in your uterus, you probably felt a rhythmic twitch or pulse from time to time. In most cases, you were probably feeling your baby’s hiccups!

Baby hiccups are common after birth, sometimes occurring several times a day. If you’re a first-time parent, watching your newborn hiccup can be a little unsettling. Baby hiccups can be pretty intense, with their whole body moving.

Hiccupping is normal for all people, including babies, and it’s nothing to worry about. It probably causes more distress for you than your baby. A number of things can bring on hiccupping. Maybe your baby ate too quickly, filling up their stomach too fast or with too much air. Sudden changes in food temperature can also irritate the diaphragm which can then cause hiccups. Often, there is nothing specific that led to the episode.

Curing Baby Hiccups

So what should you do for the hiccupping infant? If you’re feeding your baby, you can try burping and waiting 5-10 minutes before resuming. Feeding your baby when he or she is relaxed may reduce the chance of a bout of hiccupping.

The old remedies such as holding one’s breath should never be tried with an infant or small child (and in fact they often do not work in adults). Hiccups usually will almost always resolve after a few minutes. If your baby seems to hiccup several times a day, within a month or two this will decrease.

In some circumstances, babies will hiccup more often, especially if they have an underlying condition such as gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD. But hiccupping itself is not a sign of the condition GERD has a constellation of symptoms, of which “wet hiccups” and “wet burps” are just two. If you are concerned about the frequency or intensity of your child’s hiccupping, talk with your pediatrician. Let them know if you notice any relationship between feeding and hiccupping or if you believe your baby is uncomfortable.

Sources:

• Healthy Children
• Burping, Hiccups and Spitting Up.
  Kid’s Health
• GERD.
  U.S
• National Library of Medicine
• Hiccup: Mystery, Nature and Treatment.

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