Hiccups in Babies

Hiccups in babies are observed by many new parents. The main causes of hiccups in babies are not known but some preventive measures can reduce its occurrence. Read on to know how you can prevent hiccups in your baby.

Baby hiccups is something that most new parents will have to put up with during the first few months of an infant’s birth. Most infants get hiccups at regular intervals especially when they are exited or immediately after a feed. Hiccups are normal and nothing to be alarmed about.

Hiccups are one of the many normal reflexes that are common in newborn babies. New parents especially first time ones may not be aware of this fact. Another interesting fact about hiccups is that often mothers feel the baby hiccup even while the baby is still in the womb.

What Causes Hiccups in Babies? 

The exact cause of hiccups in newborns remains debatable. Medical professionals opine that hiccups are caused due to the relative immaturity of a baby’s internal organs. Hence as a baby develops hiccups too will reduce in intensity and frequency.

How Long do Hiccups in Babies Last? 

Hiccups can last for anything ranging from a minute up to half an hour or an hour at a time. Irrespective of the duration of hiccups it will not harm the baby in any way. However, a baby may find it frustrating as she gets older and hence parents may have to find different ways to keep her distracted while having hiccups. Hiccups occur frequently in babies who are under six months old.

What Can be Done to Get Rid of Hiccups in Babies? 

Avoid Trying Old Wives’-Tale Solutions

The first and the most important thing to bear in mind about hiccups in infants is to never try old wives’-tale solutions which may work for adults. The best way to manage hiccups is to remain patient and distract the child till the hiccups subside. Another thing which is known to reduce the instances of hiccups in infants is frequent burping during the feeding.

Burp Your Baby after Feeding

Sometimes hiccups are caused due to excess air swallowed by the infant while being fed. This can easily be got rid of by burping the baby. In order to ensure that the infant does not swallow too much air parents may have to experiment with different nipple sizes of the feeding bottle. The correct nipple size is one that releases steady drips of milk when tilted instead of milk gushing out.

Change Feeding Position 

In case of babies who get hiccups while being breast fed, changing the feeding position may be of help. It is best to stop feeding and resume only after the hiccups subside completely.

Feeding a Little Warm Water 

In case of slightly older infants feeding a small amount of warm water can help in getting rid of hiccups.

Avoid Over Feeding Your Baby 

Another popular belief though not scientifically proven is that hiccups are a consequence of over feeding an infant. In case your infant regularly gets hiccups immediately after being fed this may be the probable cause. You can try feeding the infant a little less quantity than usual to check if this is the real reason for her hiccups.

In case an infant gets hiccups often parents must try to feed the baby when she is calm. However, care must be taken to ensure that the infant is not kept hungry for a very long time. Feeding time should be calm and peaceful without too many distractions. If hiccups do occur at the time of feeding, parents should stop feeding and wait for a reasonable period of time for the hiccups to go away. Hiccups are something that most infants outgrow with passage of time. As a baby’s internal organs develop hiccups will gradually reduce and become a thing of the past.

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