When a newborn gets hiccups, it is natural for parents to get worried or even confused about helping the baby. But know that getting hiccups is a natural phenomenon and your baby has been doing that ever since she was in the womb, right from the second trimester. While it might be distressing for you, it isn t a real problem for your baby. Here are eight other interesting things babies do in your womb that you didn t know.
What is a hiccup?
It is the contraction of the muscles of the diaphragm, located below the lungs, and is involved in the respiratory function. When the muscles contract, it closes the vocal chords, hence the sound.
Hiccups occur for several of reasons. The most common ones are swallowing air during a feed, a full tummy (probably with air in it) or it could be due to some serious troubles like GERD or respiratory trouble, although the later ones are very rare reasons for hiccups in infants. Here is what you should do if your baby keeps crying due to colic.
What should you do?
You may like to read
When your baby suffers from hiccups all of a sudden, firstly, don t panic.
Usually, an episode of hiccup settles on its own. However, to comfort your baby, you can try to burp her. Here is why you should burp your baby after every feed.
Hold your baby upright, placing her chin on your shoulder. Gently massage your child s back upwards, to help your baby burp, says Dr Geetanjali Shah consultant pediatrician attached to Ashwini Hospital, Mumbai.
In case, your child gets hiccups while feeding, give it a break and resume feeding once your child has settled.
To prevent frequent hiccups, give your baby smaller but frequent feeds, this can help in easing colic.
If you bottle-feed your child, make sure to burp your baby for two to three minutes in-between feeds.
When to worry?
Frequent hiccups could be a sign gastroesophageal reflux or colic too. If your baby suffers from episodes of hiccups often, say after every feed or twice or thrice within a couple of hours, mention it to your doctor.
Very frequent hiccups could also be an indication of a respiratory problem, which might need attention [1].
Reference
1: Brouillette RT, Thach BT, Abu-Osba YK, Wilson SL. Hiccups in infants: characteristics and effects on ventilation. J Pediatr. 1980 Feb;96(2):219-25.PubMed PMID: 7351583.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
