Do you know how to get rid of hiccups in newborns? Many parents get uncomfortable looking at their babies struggling with constant hiccups. Baby hiccups are considered normal, but there are some preventive and treatment tips that can help in getting relief. Onlymyhealth editorial team spoke to Dr. Sumit Kumar Gupta, Consultant- Pediatrics and Neonatology, Manipal Hospital, Ghaziabad, about how to get rid of hiccups in newborns.
Since hiccups mostly bother adults, they might think that they are equally annoying for babies as well. But, infants are generally not affected by them. Moreover, some babies can even sleep through constant hiccups without getting disturbed, and hiccups hardly interfere with a baby’s breathing. According to Dr. Sumit Kumar Gupta, there are no specific treatment or aftermath tips to get rid of hiccups in newborn babies, but one can resort to some useful prevention tips for relief from hiccups in newborns. Read further to know more.
How to get rid of hiccups in newborn (Prevention tips)
During newborn hiccups, do not give water or hold the breath, as these tips can work for adults to get rid of hiccups but not in newborn babies. Using a pacifier to get relief from hiccups might help some babies but it is also not a treatment method. Hiccups in the initial 3-6 months are extremely normal. As per Dr. Sumit, here are 4 important prevention tips for relief from hiccups in newborns:
1. Burping after breastfeeding
To prevent and treat hiccups in newborn babies, burping after breastfeeding is an important tip. Rub the back of your baby in a circular motion and release the excess air to stop hiccups.
2. Burping breaks
When your are nursing the infant, he/she usually takes around 8-12 minutes to get full and satisfied. Do not do it in a haste and if you are changing to either side, then in between the overlapping, you can try burping. Burping breaks while switching sides can be a useful prevention tip to get rid of hiccups in newborns.
Also read: Gripe Water For Babies: 5 Precautions While Giving It To Your Child
3. Position the baby upright
After every feed, position the baby upright for atleast 15-20 minutes. Sometimes, there can be gastroesophageal reflux, which brings some contents of the stomach up to the oesophagus. This can also be a cause behind diaphragm contractions resulting in newborn hiccups after breastfeeding. Postioning the baby upright is useful to prevent the gastro reaction.
4. Prefer breastfeeding
The doctor suggests breastfeeding as there will be a less push of gas in the stomach. If the child is feeding on breast, then there are less chances of hiccups in newborns. However, if the infant is getting bottle feed, then they are highly likely to have hiccups after feeding. If there is no other option apart from bottle feed, then at the tip of the bottle's nipple there is some air, you should try and avoid that air, which will prevent hiccups in newborn babies.
Hiccups in newborns (Expert's advice)
Dr. Sumit said, "Hiccups in newborn is a normal occurence, but the basic concept behind this is that hiccups occur when the diaphragm contracts. So, the main reasons behind hiccups in newborn are overfeeding and fast feeding." Whenever we overfeed the newborn, the abdomen gets distended and it pushes the diaphragm upwards. The diaphragm gets irritated and that contracts vocal cords instantly along with it. This is the cause behind hiccups in newborns.
Also read: Want To Get Rid Of Hiccups? Try These 10 Effective Home Remedies
If the newborn is experiencing hiccups one hour apart from breastfeeding, it is also considered normal mostly, but sometimes it can be a cause of concern. According to Dr. Sumit, there are studies and many people even give gripe water to get rid of hiccups in newborns, but it has not been clinically proved yet. Thus, there is no need for any particular treatment for newborn hiccups. Just make sure that the your burp the baby after breastfeeding and put him in an upright position for 15-20 minutes. Both of these are the best possible preventable or treatable measures that parents can take at home.
