Newborn hiccups: causes and remedies to get rid of hiccups in the newborn

Sooner or later all mothers find themselves faced with baby sobs, in those best moments the baby sobs but you don't know how to do it.

Solution found, here are the causes of hiccups in newborns, the remedies, how to make the baby pass the hiccups and if the hiccups persist when to contact the pediatrician.

Why does hiccups come? Causes of hiccups in infants

The cause of hiccups in infants worries parents more than it bothers infants.

Babies are used to hiccups already from the uterus, in fact the hiccups of the fetus are very frequent, but when a mother is faced with a newborn who is sobbing she wonders how to make it pass quickly. To get the hiccups to go away it is good to first understand the causes.

Newborn hiccups: here are the causes

The main cause of hiccups in infants is due to the contraction of the diaphragm which is still immature in infants. The diaphragm muscle separates the organs of the thorax from those of the abdomen and has the task of assisting the respiratory acts. In newborns this breathing mechanism is still immature so hiccups are much more frequent than in adults. This is why babies of a few days or weeks have hiccups more often. Another cause of hiccups in the newborn is the ingestion of air, in fact the symptom often occurs right after the end of the feeding due to the accumulation of air in the stomach with sucking. If the baby is very hungry, he sucks voraciously and in an uncoordinated way, swallowing a lot of air.

Ingested air evokes hiccups and this is why sobbing occurs so frequently after feeding.

Avoid hiccups

How to avoid baby hiccups? The best way to prevent hiccups from occurring is to prevent the baby from swallowing air during feedings, whether they are bottle-feeding or breastfeeding. It is always good to avoid that the baby arrives at the feed too hungry, a condition that will make him suck in a greedy and uncoordinated way, favoring the ingestion of a considerable amount of air and therefore with sobs after feeding. If the baby has hiccups while eating and you notice that it does not pass, it is necessary to stop and put him in an upright position, as if to burp, so that the pressure that the stomach full of air exerts on the diaphragm is reduced and eliminates the possible hiccups.

How to stop hiccups in babies

How long does a newborn's hiccup last? The hiccups of newborns tend to disappear spontaneously after a few minutes and it is almost never a continuous and persistent hiccup.

There are methods to relieve and relieve hiccups in the newborn, let's see what they are.

Remedies to stop hiccups

• To stop the hiccups of breastfed babies, you can attach the baby to the nipple for a few minutes, if he wants to suckle.

• Babies who hiccup generally reject both breast and bottle, so a good hiccup remedy is to give a teaspoon of warm water. The swallowing mechanism helps to relax the diaphragm and to make babies pass hiccups.

• Another remedy for newborn hiccups is to gently squeeze the baby's nose to cause the diaphragm to relax.

Hiccups remedies to avoid

There are methods against hiccups that even if they are part of the popular tradition are absolutely to be avoided in newborns.

• The first is lemon. Lemon is a great remedy for hiccups but for older children. The sour taste causes babies to hold their breath for a few seconds, long enough to relax the diaphragm. In infants, however, it is good to avoid the home remedy because like all citrus fruits it could trigger allergic reactions, so it is better to postpone until the baby is older

• Vinegar. Vinegar to relieve hiccups in the newborn should never be used, because its acid composition could irritate the gastric mucosa causing stomach pain.

• The fright technique. The principle of this technique lies in the fact that fear leaves you breathless by relaxing the diaphragm but the remedy is not suitable for small children.

Newborn hiccups: when to notify the pediatrician?

The newborn with hiccups should not cause concern as long as it is not a continuous hiccup or a persistent hiccup. If you notice that the hiccups last more than three hours, you must inform the pediatrician who will indicate a suitable therapy to relax the baby's diaphragm.

If the hiccup occurs at every feeding and you notice a state of discomfort in the baby with the tummy always full of air, it is good to notify the pediatrician.

Products to prevent hiccups

Tommee Tippee Anti-Colic and anti-hiccup feeding bottle

The Tomee Tipee anti-colic bottle prevents the baby from hiccups by means of a valve inside the bottle that does not allow the passage of air during the feeding.

The exclusive straw is colored when the milk is too hot, avoiding to scald the baby and offering the baby milk always at the right temperature. A very useful product and which I recommend

Philips Avent Anti-Colic and anti-hiccups with AirFree Valve

The strength of the Avent bottle lies in its special valve that pushes the air away from the teat when feeding the baby. The teat stays full of milk to avoid hiccups and colic for the newborn.

An award-winning and effective bottle to reduce if not avoid hiccups, colic and reflux in babies

Anti-colic and anti-hiccups bottle MAM

The Mam bottle allows a uniform flow of milk preventing the baby from swallowing air.

Mam has always been particularly attentive to infants, the teat is in fact designed with a silicone similar to the skin of the skin in order to be delicate and not cause irritation.

The bottle is easy to clean and sterilize.

Suavinex latest generation bottle

For me one of the best bottles. Its particular shape is designed to imitate the mother's breast and its teat simulates the shape of the nipple.

The teat is adjustable in order to adapt the milk flow in relation to how the baby sucks.

The anti-colic bag does not allow the passage of air during feedings in a similar way to the mother's breast. The bottle is particularly suitable for mixed breastfeeding

Nuk Orthodontic anti-colic teat

It is modeled on the shape of the nipple so as not to confuse the infant in the case of mixed breastfeeding and fits all bottles.

Tomme Tippee advanced teat mechanism

This teat is a winner of the best anti-colic teat award for its performance in preventing colic and reflux in infants as well as an anti hiccups remedy.

Its patented ventilation system draws air through the tube to reduce the formation of bubbles in the baby's milk.

An excellent and innovative product not to be missed.

If you know any other anti hiccups remedy do not hesitate to write it on the comments, I will be happy to read you.

Mom Mather

pocket obstetrician