How to Stop Hiccups in Newborns

All of us experience hiccups at some point of time and babies are no exception to this. Hiccups are not an abnormality but a very natural response created by the body. The mammalian body consists of a diaphragm, which is a muscle situated at the lower part of the chest. When this muscle is stimulated due to some reason or the other, leads to its contraction and then results in the discontinuous flow of air, which is known as "hiccups".

Even though there are many triggers to this condition, the result can be experienced by individuals of all ages. This would also include babies and newborns, in fact they are more prone to hiccups than most individuals. However, there is no medical record of what are the causes of stimulation of the diaphragm in babies, but there are easy remedies to stop them. In the coming up paragraphs you will learn about what causes hiccups and how to stop hiccups in newborns.

What Causes Hiccups in Newborns

As mentioned earlier, there are many triggers which lead to the contraction of the diaphragm and thus lead to hiccups. While we are discussing hiccups in newborns and babies, it is a very commonly observed condition, sometimes even in the mother's womb. Thus, there is no need for parents to be scared about it, as there are not many things you could do to stop them. However, before we discuss the ways to stop baby hiccups, let's find out the causes for the same.

• The first cause or trigger could be feeding of the newborn. Babies get hiccups more often during breastfeeding or eating, because they tend to swallow more amount of air while feeding. This leads to sudden contraction of the diaphragm and thus they experience hiccups.
• The next cause could be because of temperature drops which are sudden. When the body temperature of a newborn drops, the body becomes cold and this also could lead to discontinuous air supply and further hiccups. Therefore, while feeding or during other times, the baby's body should be kept warm.
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), or acid reflux disease is also one of the causes for hiccups in babies. In this condition, the gases of liquids in the stomach of the child rise up in the esophagus and the child usually spits up or vomits. During this, the diaphragm could get contracted and lead to continuous hiccups. But if there are persistent hiccups which are observed, parents should consult a physician.

How to Cure Hiccups in Newborns

As mentioned above, there are many different reasons for hiccups in newborns. But depending on these reasons, one can't diagnose the exact cause as they are all possibilities. However, even though you can't control hiccups in babies, you can definitely try to reduce them in specific ways and give your child relief from them. In the paragraphs below, we have put together a few of these simple remedies on how to stop hiccups in newborns.

• As the first possibility of hiccups in newborns was because of fast feeding or swallowing problems, you can make sure your baby consumes small amounts of milk at one time, while breastfeeding. Make sure the baby burps after feeding.
• You can keep changing the positions of the baby while feeding it, either breast milk or other foods. When the hiccups arise, don't resume to feeding till they have subsided, as feeding while the baby has hiccups could lead to choking.
• Providing the baby with 2.5 ml of gripe water could prove as an effective newborn hiccups remedy, in case the hiccups are persistent. If not gripe water, feeding them with warm water or sweet water in a nippled bottle is also a good remedy.
• Patting the back and holding the baby close to your body, could also help relieve it from the hiccups. This is because drop of body temperature is also a reason for the occurrence of hiccups. Thus, make sure you keep the baby in a warm surrounding with either sheets wrapped around or providing body heat.

With these useful remedies on how to stop hiccups in newborns, I hope your misunderstandings about hiccups being abnormal are solved. It is a very natural condition that is observed among babies and adults, but if you are still worried about the frequency, kindly consult your physician for more information.