Newborn Hiccups Cure

Hiccups are caused by a sudden involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. They are quite common in newborns and are usually harmless. Though they do not bother the child so much, hiccups seem to be a major concern for parents. This condition usually disappear within a few minutes and their frequency reduces as the child grows. However, if the hiccups are frequent and persistent in nature, then they should be brought to the notice of a pediatrician in order to rule out the possibility of any underlying disorder.

What Causes Hiccups in Children?

Hiccups, as has been mentioned already are caused by the contraction of the diaphragm, which is located at the bottom of the ribcage. Diaphragm is a muscle that relaxes and contracts alternately to allow us to breathe. They result due to the spasms of this muscle, which allows air to enter the lungs quickly and close the epiglottis. This produces the sound that people make while hiccuping. Babies can them when they swallow air while feeding. This can happen when they feed too fast. Another reason can be a sudden drop in temperature of the body. Many people on the other hand, believe that babies can get this condition due to over feeding. Babies may get hiccups even before their birth, i.e. even fetuses can hiccup, which is known as fetal hiccups.

Ways to Stop Hiccups

Most often, this condition disappears within a couple of minutes. So, it is better for the parents to wait for a few minutes before trying to cure it in their newborn. If the baby continues to hiccup for more than a few minutes, then hold the baby upright and burp him or her. Gently pat on the back of your baby in order to help him or her to burp. If it is caused due to swallowing of air, then burping will help to cure it by releasing the pressure on the stomach. Babies should not be fed while they are having hiccups.

If your child burps frequently while feeding, then check the nipple of the bottle. The nipple size of the bottle should be right, in order to prevent your child from swallowing air. To check whether the nipple size of the bottle is right, fill the bottle with milk or the baby formula and then turn it upside down. If the formula or milk comes out in continuous drops, then the nipple size is right. But, if the formula or milk comes out in a stream or does not drip at all, then change the nipple of the bottle.

In many instances, changing the position of feeding can also help in alleviating hiccups. If all these steps fail to cure it, then you can try gripe water. Gripe water is considered as a natural remedy for this condition. Apart from gripe water, sugar water can also be considered as an effective remedy. Just give a sip of sugar water to your baby to cure this condition. Many people have also observed that even giving a pacifier to the baby or something else to suck on can help to get rid of hiccups.

If your baby is frequently getting this condition, or it lasts for a long time, then consider to consult a physician. Rarely, newborns may get hiccups frequently due to a condition known as newborn acid reflux or GERD, where the stomach content regurgitates into the esophagus. So, if your child hiccups all the time, and frequent hiccups are causing problems in feeding and also affecting his or her sleep patterns, it's advisable to consult a pediatrician immediately. This would not only ensure proper newborn hiccups treatment, but will also help to rule out the possibility of acid reflux disease.