Baby Hiccups: What Causes Hiccups In Newborn And How To Stop It
Causes Of Hiccups In Babies
Babies tend to hiccup quite often during the first few months of life. This occurs especially during moments of excitement or after feeding. This is a normal occurrence and nothing to be concerned about. Hiccups take place as a normal natural reflex of the baby. It is also possible for the baby to experience hiccups while still inside the womb. Research has shown that hiccups can occur in the fetuses of just six weeks old as well. It is important for new parents to be aware of this so that they do not get alarmed when the baby starts to experience frequent hiccups.
Newborn babies experience hiccups a lot more often than older children. The exact cause for this is not known for certain. The internal organs of a newborn baby are not as mature as that of older children. Hiccups are believed to arise due to this. As the baby develops further, his internal systems also mature and the frequency of hiccups is likely to reduce. There is not much that can be done when a newborn starts hiccupping. The only thing that parents can do is to wait it out until the hiccups subside on their own. Distracting or comforting the baby will help to alleviate some of the discomfort. The incidence of hiccups is reduced when the baby is frequently burped while feeding. Hiccups can last for just a minute or persist up to an hour. This does not cause any harm to the baby. As the baby grows, he may experience frustration during bouts of hiccupping. However, by then it would be easier to distract the baby and keep him occupied so that he is distracted from the hiccups.
How To Stop Hiccups
When a baby begins to experience hiccups, one of the things you can do is to encourage the child to burp. Pick up the infant and have his head rest on your shoulder. Then gently pat his back for a few minutes. This should help to stop the bout of hiccups. Feeding the baby will also help to alleviate the hiccups. Breast feed the child or feed him some warm milk formula. As the baby swallows the milk, he will become sleepy and relaxed, and the hiccups will subside. Holding the baby close to your chest will also provide him warmth and help him relax. Babies become accustomed to hearing their mother’s heartbeat when on the womb, and as such holding him to your chest so that he can hear your heartbeat will give him comfort and reassurance. This helps to relax the child’s body and stops the hiccups.