Hiccups are considered normal in newborns. Studies show that hiccups can begin as early as the sixth week after fertilization, and pregnant women can sometimes feel their newborn hiccupping in the womb. Dr. Jamilian, an orthodontist, provides information about newborn hiccups here.
The newborns who have intermittent hiccups inside the womb often continue hiccupping after birth. Although newborn hiccups are not generally a worrying condition, most young parents are concerned about their newborn’s hiccups and try to find a way to stop them.
How to stop baby hiccups
If you know the cause of your newborn’s hiccups, you can take appropriate actions to stop them. Here I explain four effective ways to treat hiccups based on their cause.
1-Burping: Any pressure to the newborn’s small stomach may cause or worsen hiccups. Making the newborn burp reduces this pressure. To this end, hold the newborn straight on your shoulder and pat them gently on the back or sit the newborn on your knee slightly leaning forward and then pat them gently on the back.
2-Feeding the newborn: Sucking milk, either breast milk or formula, can stop hiccups by stimulating the diaphragm to relax and return to its normal position. If this doesn’t work, feeding the newborn can distract them from focusing on hiccups.
3-Visit a pediatrician to examine your newborns for possible acid reflux: Acid reflux is a condition that happens when some of the acidic stomach contents go back up into the esophagus. In some newborns, frequent and severe hiccups can be a sign of a medical problem. If your infant hiccups more than once or twice a day or for a long period, they may have acid reflux. Other symptoms of acid reflux in newborns include respiratory problems and painful swallowing. Since acid reflux is a curable condition, inform the pediatrician of the case if your newborn hiccups unusually.
4-Calm down and wait: Hiccups do not cause serious harm to your newborn. Waiting is sometimes the best solution. Newborn hiccups generally last no longer than 30 minutes and usually stop sooner. Newborns usually hiccup less as they grow older. When a newborn becomes 1 year old, they will hiccup rarely.
Don’ts in the treatment of baby hiccups
Newborn burping after each meal reduces the frequency of hiccups. Do not use common remedies for adults to stop your newborn’s hiccups, such as scaring the newborns, making them breathe in a paper bag, and hanging them from their legs. Such methods not only are harmful to newborns but also cannot stop their hiccups.