Hiccups in Babies what does it mean | Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Babies

Do you know hiccups affect 80% of the babies before they reach the age of 1? So, hiccups in babies may or may not be a sign of underlying health issues. The causes of hiccups can be natural or they may be due to some severe diseases.

Thus, we can say that hiccups can be dangerous at times.

The origin of hiccups is the diaphragm and vocal cords. When the diaphragm contracts and vocal cords close quickly, a hiccup is observed.

The causes of hiccups can be different in adults, newborns, and toddlers. Most of the time, babies do not bother the hiccups and recover on their own after the irritation of a few moments. However, if your baby is experiencing more than normal hiccuping, you should consult the doctor or need this helpful guide.

This article will guide the hiccups in babies, how they can affect the children, and what are the possible treatments.

How To Stop Baby Hiccups After Feeding?

A lot of mothers get worried when their babies start hiccuping just after they feed. The good news is that it is entirely normal for the baby to hiccup and even it is beneficial for the brain and respiratory system development.

The problem arises only when your baby starts hiccuping more than normal, and hiccuping occurs every time your baby feeds.

If your baby starts hiccuping just during feeding, immediately stop it and take a break. In most cases, the cause of the hiccuping during or after the feeding is the gas that accumulates in the stomach or thoracic cavity.

Want to know the best solution?

Burp your baby!

It will release the excess air that was the cause of irritation and your baby will get relaxed very soon. But there are two sides to this situation. Let’s have a look at both of them.

  • If your baby is breastfed, it is not necessary to keep them burping during the feeding. However, you should burp when he/she switches the breasts.
  • If your baby is bottle-fed, he will need even more care as hiccuping can cause breathing problems as well. So when you feel the beginning of hiccuping in your bottle-fed baby, immediately set the milk bottle aside, and bring him in the upright position. Then burp him periodically and slightly until he gets normals. When he gets completely recovered, you can again feed him with his bottle, and this is an entirely safe approach.

It is also advised to keep burping your bottle-fed baby during the feeding as well. But in this case, you should be more gentle than the normal burping process, and just patting him gently is enough.

How Do I Stop My Baby’s Hiccups?

Sometimes the hiccups are not associated with the feeding process, for example, infant hiccups. So when your baby starts hiccuping without any apparent cause, you should use the pacifier, which will directly impact the diaphragm, thus will stop the bout of the hiccups.

The problem gets worse when the baby is under the age of 6 months. At this stage, it is not possible to introduce the pacifier every time. What should you do at this time?

Keep in mind that such a small baby is not able to swallow anything, withstand any treatments, and take a break on his own. So, the best solution is to change his routine and feed him after frequent intervals. It is the safest solution for babies with an age of fewer than 6 months.

80% of the small babies get relieved after this solution. This step also enormously helps when your baby is preterm and needs special care and handling.

One might ask:

“What do I do if I am not aware of any of these solutions, and my babies’ hiccups are becoming uncontrollable? How do I stop my baby’s hiccups?”

Seek immediate medical advice if you are in an emergency and do not have time to read blogs or watch informative videos. So, the doctors will refer your baby to the NICU and he will be back within a few hours.

Hence, before you get into any immediate trouble, it is better to look for solutions.

What If My Newborn Hiccups A Lot?

Some babies do not get into real trouble and still hiccup a lot. At this stage, it becomes a very confusing and irritating problem for the mothers.

But two very wonderful solutions will hopefully work for any mother who wants to get rid of frequent hiccups of her baby.

Let’s have a look.

Train Your Baby To Stop His Hiccuping

Normal slow hiccups are often safe and not the cause of the severe problem for the babies. Let your baby hiccup if he can play and recreate during hiccuping. It shows that this problem is not bothering him and he can easily go through it.

So, if your baby is the age of 1 or older, he will learn to respond when you will teach him not to bother the hiccups or drink water slowly to prevent the series of hiccups.

Thus, you should not be visiting the doctor frequently if the problem is going naturally. Be satisfied, your baby is not suffering from any underlying health issue.

Try Gripe Water

Gripe water is known to relieve the discomforts related to intestinal and stomach problems. As a perfect combination of herbs and water, it can help to soften the intestine, and stop the movement of the diaphragm. Even if your baby is under the age of one, this option really works!

However, here it is worth mentioning that there are no scientific shreds of evidence about the effects of gripe water on hiccups.

How To Stop Newborn Baby Hiccups?

If your newborn baby starts hiccupping, it is good to take him to the child specialist, and let him figure out the cause. You should also keep on trying other solutions like giving him honey, patting him gently, and holding him in the upright position.

The doctor may suggest the use of some mild syrups that will contain ginger extracts, funnel, cinnamon, and other herb extracts to regulate your baby’s hiccups and stomach distention.

What If My Newborn Hiccups After Feeding?

If your newborn hiccups after feeding, it is nothing to worry about. As we have discussed earlier, it is good for his mental and physical health. This is the reason why most preterm babies observe hiccuping after feeding, as they need more

Until or unless these hiccups are not bothering your newborn baby, it is safe to wait for some time until the problem vanishes on its own.

How To Prevent Hiccup Episodes If Your Baby Hiccups After Feeding?

Clinically and medically, it is tough to find the exact cause behind the hiccups. However, after going through all the possible causes, the doctors suggest some preventive measures as well.

  • Do not wait until your baby will cry for milk. Set proper time and feed him routine-wise.
  • Make sure your baby is not uncomfortable or moving at the time of feeding. Calm him before you start to feed him.
  • Do not play with your baby immediately after the feeding. Remember that if you pull your baby in different positions, up and down, he may start vomiting and the undigested milk will come out.
  • After giving milk, keep your baby in the upright position for 15 minutes. In this way, the milk properly gets in the stomach and the process of digestion begins.
  • Give him some honey or a bar of soft sweet chocolate after feeding. It should not be given in large quantities. Just touch with his/her tongue to taste.

Summary

Whether your baby hiccups after feeding or randomly anytime, hiccuping is entirely natural and harmless in most cases. If you have visited the doctor so many times or have been browsing the articles for a long time, now take some time and let your baby heal on his own.

If your baby is mature enough to gargle, hold the breath or drink some water, you can also get rid of these issues quite easily. It is all about learning to handle your child using small techniques and home remedies. However, it is also wise to take the help of your family doctor.

Moreover, using some sugar or honey is another tried-and-tested way to protect your child. Some people also suggest pulling on the tongue but this is not a good thing when it comes to children.

Quick Tip: Sometimes, cleaning the ears of the child also bears good results but this is just a hypothesis. on the other hand, you can also put a paper bag in front of your baby so she will breathe in it and may reduce the level of hiccups.

You may have read a lot about Hiccups in babies on the internet but this is an ultimate guide that will help you to go through the hiccuping phases.

Now you have read about hiccups in babies, how this article has helped you? How long the hiccups last in your baby?

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