Mothers' concern for the well-being and health of their children sometimes goes beyond the bounds of common sense. For example, some call off the phone numbers of mothers and pediatricians they know, trying to find out how to get rid of hiccups in a newborn. But you shouldn’t set yourself the goal of completely eliminating these reflex contractions; it’s much better to try to find out why they appeared and prevent them.

Mechanism of occurrence

Before understanding the causes of hiccups, it is advisable to understand the physiology of its occurrence. In babies in the first months of life, it occurs because their diaphragmatic muscle is still weak; it begins to contract due to the slightest irritant. In easily excitable babies, it can even appear due to bright light, sound or sudden movement. Its mechanism is quite simple: the diaphragm involuntarily contracts convulsively, while the lungs take a sharp breath, which is accompanied by a characteristic and well-known sound. At the same time, the baby may shudder a little.

Possible causes of hiccups

As a rule, this is a completely natural process. Don’t worry too much if it occurs. Many mothers will be able to tell you what to do, because most of them have encountered these characteristic contractions of the diaphragm in their children. First of all, try to understand what exactly caused it. So, among the most common reasons are:

Swallowing air during feeding;

A large amount of food that the baby eats at one time;

A large hole in the nipple on the bottle with the formula (the baby may hiccup due to the fact that while eating it begins to choke on food);

Cold or thirsty.

Some also say that hiccups in newborns after feeding can be an indirect sign of pneumonia, various gastrointestinal infections, and liver problems. But don't panic ahead of time. Most often this happens due to the fact that excess air or gases raise the stomach, and it becomes an irritant for the diaphragm. An equally common cause is cold. The newborn strains the abdominal muscles, which also causes the stomach to begin to put pressure on the diaphragm. This reaction to cold indicates that the baby is learning to adapt to environmental conditions.

How to deal with frequent contractions of the diaphragm?

Having heard characteristic sounds from the baby, try to help him get rid of unpleasant sensations. If you understand the cause, then it will become easier to understand how to help your newborn with hiccups. To eliminate contractions caused by overeating, you can press it vertically towards you or lay it on your tummy. If the baby's body is cool, perhaps the baby is simply cold. Dress him warmly or cover him with a blanket.

You can help a newborn by simply giving him a few sips of water or holding him to the chest for a couple of minutes. Usually, experienced parents are not afraid of hiccups in newborns; as a rule, they know what to do in this case. After all, you are unlikely to find at least one mother or father whose tiny baby has never hiccupped.

Preventing the problem

Often, hiccups in a newborn after eating occur due to the fact that the baby swallowed air along with the food. In this case, you can prevent contraction of the diaphragm muscle if you wear it in a column after each meal. This will help the gas bubbles escape easily. It is worth noting that most often mothers of actively and greedily sucking babies complain about hiccups. Such children need to pause while eating, this will help prevent the accumulation of large amounts of air in the stomach. During breaks, carry your baby upright. For babies who drink formula from a bottle, it is important to choose the right pacifier. For the youngest, the hole should be small, otherwise you will never be able to overcome the problem of involuntary contraction of the diaphragm.

Frequent hiccups in a newborn require increased attention to measures for its possible prevention. They boil down to the fact that it is necessary to prevent increased gas formation. Thus, among the most popular and effective methods are frequent tummy time, massage, nutritional adjustments for a nursing mother, or selection of a different formula for an artificial baby.

How does the baby feel?

Of course, no one can say for sure whether contractions of the diaphragm cause anxiety to the baby. But judging by the fact that most babies themselves are quite calm about the fact that they have hiccups, there is no need to talk about severe discomfort. A hiccupping baby can lie quietly, play with rattles, walk and smile. Of course, if he is cold or something hurts, he will certainly begin to express concern. In all other cases, parents have no reason to worry.

With ordinary physiological hiccups, the only thing that worries a baby is that he cannot sleep and it is uncomfortable for him to eat. By the way, you shouldn’t try to feed your baby while he’s hiccupping.

Should I tell the doctor?

If your baby only hiccups a few minutes a day, you may tell your local pediatrician only to be told that it is completely natural. The doctor will also be able to reassure you that brief and short-lived hiccups in newborns should not cause concern to parents. The doctor will also tell you what to do if it does not cause discomfort to the baby, but only causes the parents to panic. Cover him up, carry him on his arms and give him some water - some of these techniques should definitely help.

But in cases where the hiccups are prolonged, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician as soon as possible. Some babies literally hiccup throughout the day. For others, it can last for several tens of minutes or even hours. These conditions, of course, require additional consultation with a specialist.

Possible pathologies

If you complain to your pediatrician about frequent and prolonged hiccups that cannot be eliminated, then be prepared for the fact that your child will have to undergo an examination. Also, do not remain silent if you see that she is causing visible concern to the baby. After all, this is not ordinary hiccups in newborns; what to do in such situations is best decided by the doctor.

One possible cause of this condition is neurological problems. In this case, contractions occur due to sharp sounds, bright lights and even new faces. In this case, the baby should be examined by a neurologist, and, if necessary, neurosonography will be performed. If problems are detected, do not refuse appropriate treatment.

Another possible cause may be diseases of the stomach, liver, and intestines. But such pathologies occur extremely rarely, although an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity will not hurt. It would also be a good idea to see a cardiologist and have it done. Hiccups can be an indirect sign of problems with the main muscle of the body. Often, in babies who hiccup frequently, an open oval window is found, or even

Hiccups and vomiting

Some mothers say that the baby begins to hiccup, and then spits up very profusely. At the same time, impressionable mothers begin to panic and re-feed the baby, who has just finished eating. It seems to them that he has nothing left in his stomach. In this case, it is especially important to find out in the newborn. Better yet, try to prevent it. Vomiting, of course, may indicate a gastrointestinal pathology, but most often it is a consequence of overfeeding the child. A stretched stomach puts pressure on the diaphragmatic muscle, and due to its contraction, the release of excess food begins. If this is precisely the reason, then it is very easy to solve this problem - reduce the amount that the baby drinks at one time. Even with breastfeeding, this is possible, just reduce the feeding time a little.

Was there a problem?

As a rule, by six months parents are no longer bothered by hiccups in newborns. They already know what to do when it occurs. But this is not the main reason for the lack of anxiety - by this time, most babies’ stomachs and intestines have fully matured, so hiccups occur less and less often, and over time they go away completely. In most cases, all mothers’ fears turn out to be in vain.

But still, if each attack of hiccups in your baby lasts more than 20 minutes, more often - much longer, it repeats several times a day, and it is impossible to stop it using the methods described, it is better to talk to a specialist. An additional examination will not do any harm, but it will help identify possible pathologies at an early age or diseases at their very beginning.

Why does a newborn hiccup frequently? A similar question worries many parents who are worried about the condition of the baby. Many of them, seeing attacks of hiccups in a baby, begin to sound the alarm and, not knowing what to do, rush to the attending pediatrician at the clinic. In practice, the concern is unfounded, which is what doctors tell parents about.

After leafing through books and listening to recommendations from friends, many mothers are sure: if a child is tormented by hiccups or babies frequently, this may indicate the development of a dangerous illness. As a result of these speculations, the search for a medicinal drug for the baby begins. But, unfortunately, it is not always suitable for its intended purpose. In fact, there is no need to worry: this is a typical thing for a child. In most cases, this phenomenon does not cause discomfort to the baby, but, on the contrary, amuses him.

Why does a person hiccup? Any reason can serve as a reason for this. If a person hiccups all day, besides, the hiccups completely debilitate him, and this process is frequent - this indicates probable encephalitis, stroke, or brain tumor formation. In most cases, a child is capable of hiccups for many reasons. The process of hiccups is usually caused by a pinched vagus nerve. It is the connecting link of all the vital organs of the baby and passes through the diaphragm. Externally, it looks like a flat muscle that separates the organs of the respiratory system from the abdominal cavity. During convulsive contractions, the vagus nerve is released. As a result, the body’s activity is restored to normal state and functioning.

Then why does the diaphragm contract? There are 3 main reasons for such an unpleasant phenomenon as hiccups:

1. pressure from a distended stomach;
2. increased volume of air in the intestines;
3. muscle tension.

Since the body is not yet fully mature, a newborn hiccups much more often than an adult. During the feeding process, air often penetrates into its digestive system, which accumulates and brings discomfort to the baby. Then the baby becomes whiny and restless.

Tension of muscle fibers can be provoked by the baby being in cold air, in a noisy environment, or with a bright flash of light. This fact is tolerated much better by infants than by adults. It happens when a newborn baby often hiccups due to diseases of the digestive or respiratory system. Then you need the help of an experienced specialist.

Many parents know that hiccups in a child can occur in the womb. Experts explain that in this way the baby develops the respiratory system and physiological reflexes. An additional option means that the fetus in the uterus hiccups as a result of the absorption of a significant volume of amniotic fluid. And the most dangerous reason why a child often hiccups while still in the stomach is hypoxia (oxygen deficiency). This diagnosis can be confirmed only by the result of an ultrasound examination of the fetus.

Hiccups after feeding

In most cases, increased nutrition is a provocateur of hiccups. Often in these cases, the child is seen burping and hiccupping.

After each feeding for 2 main reasons:

1. binge eating;
2. excessive swallowing of air during food consumption.

If the baby has consumed a large volume of breast milk or formula, this means that his ventricle is greatly stretched. After this, there is a strong pressure on the diaphragm. Convulsive attacks of the diaphragm, as mentioned earlier, provoke hiccups.

The moment a month-old baby eats, the mother's breast milk may leak heavily from the breast. Then the swallowing of air occurs. In this situation, you can initially express milk and then feed your child. An important point is also the technique of attaching the baby to the breast. When a baby eats, it means he is overeating.

Preventing post-feed hiccups in formula-fed babies is a little more difficult. Often, the mother believes that the child still has not eaten properly, despite the amount he has consumed. If a newborn is restless, this does not mean that he is hungry. It is better to offer the baby a pacifier or carry it in your arms, then he will quickly calm down.

If the baby is bottle-fed, parents should choose the right pacifier. For the smallest babies, experts recommend using a pacifier with a small hole. In addition, with a leisurely meal, the baby's sucking instinct will be completely satisfied. After feeding, the baby should be in an upright position, so he should be carried in a column. So the baby burps, and the accumulated air comes out of the ventricle.

Hiccups due to colic

Painful sensations in the intestines of children (colic) can be caused by excessive accumulation of gases. The intestines of newborns are still immature and do not function fully. In this regard, colic in infants can appear not only after swallowing air. Increased gas formation often occurs in children under three months. However, it is still necessary to help your own child by reducing the intensity.

Lactation also plays an important role in the appearance of hiccups in a baby. A mother who is breastfeeding should be careful about her diet. Avoid eating foods that are too fatty, salty, or contain chemical additives. During lactation, it is not recommended to eat foods that cause gas formation (cabbage, grapes, etc.).

For artificial dieters, it is worth developing the right diet, sticking to it and avoiding overeating. If the milk formula is suitable for the baby, then you should not choose another one. But if the baby still has colic, you need to give him a tummy massage.

Hiccups due to hypertension

Why does an infant hiccup frequently? The reason for this may be his physiological hypertonicity. A baby up to 3 months of age experiences muscle tension even when at rest. The baby reacts to all irritating factors with high voltage, causing convulsive attacks of hiccups.

A baby may begin to hiccup when exposed to hypothermia. Often in this situation they try to wrap him up as best as possible. However, this is how the baby tries to adapt himself to the world and environment and learns ways to protect his body. Short cooling is not dangerous for it. When the child begins to hiccup due to a drop in temperature, it is necessary to put socks on his feet and cradle him in his arms. To make hiccups go away faster, you can give your baby water to drink.

Often appears due to increased external stimuli. Sometimes children are afraid of people around them, sudden loud sounds, knocking, or sounding electrical appliances. If your baby suffers from bouts of hiccups after visiting guests or playing a tape recorder, you should limit exposure to these sources of anxiety. Time will pass, and the child’s nervous system will return to normal and begin to function correctly. The body's reactions, expressed by hiccups or crying, will end.

When can hiccups be dangerous?

Basically, nonspecific dysfunction of external respiration is not dangerous; a hiccupping child is more of a concern for his mom and dad. When hiccups appear periodically and last no longer than 15 minutes, there is absolutely no reason to panic. But sometimes hiccups indicate the development of the disease. Increased attacks of hiccups can be caused by fetal hypoxia (during pregnancy, during childbirth), diseases of the heart and blood vessels, digestive, and respiratory systems.

If a child hiccups all day long and for a long time, parents should seek help from their pediatrician. In other situations, hiccups can be stopped without much effort. You just need to calm the baby down, warm him up, give him some milk.

Thus, you should not worry if your child often encounters this phenomenon. After all, this is a normal physiological reaction of the infant body to various factors. It’s worth giving the baby a little time, he will grow up, and this phenomenon will go away by itself. The child will stop constantly hiccupping, and attacks will occur much less frequently.

However, if a child often encounters such a problem, and it does not go away with age, you need to consult a specialist. Perhaps the pediatrician will be able to choose the right medication treatment and tell you what to do in this situation. Self-treatment is not recommended, because parents do not fully know the true cause of the baby’s frequent unpleasant hiccups, and therefore will not be able to choose the right drug.

In the first weeks and months of a baby’s life, any trifle that disrupts his condition is perceived very alarmingly. Parents don't know what's normal for a newborn and what to worry about.

So ordinary hiccups can raise a number of questions: why do hiccups occur, how to get rid of them, is this normal.

Hiccups are a physiological phenomenon that occurs spontaneously and is expressed by spastic contraction of the diaphragm muscles. At the same time, abrupt voluntary sounds are made from the throat.

The diaphragm is a muscular septum that separates the abdominal and chest cavity. The diaphragm, contracting, is used during breathing and helps regulate intracavitary pressure.

In newborns, the diaphragm is very sensitive. Its nerve plexuses are still underdeveloped and are easily irritated, causing muscle contraction. That's why Hiccups in infants are quite common and are considered a normal physiological phenomenon..

It has been proven that babies hiccup even while still in the womb.

Sometimes hiccups occur in people for no reason and quickly go away spontaneously, without causing any harm. There are many reasons for hiccups.

Hiccups often occur in newborns after eating. This is due to the following factors:

• When feeding baby swallows a large amount of air.

This may be due to an incorrect position during feeding, if the baby does not grasp the nipple correctly, when milk flows quickly, when the hole in the bottle is too large, etc.

• If baby overate, a full stomach puts pressure on the diaphragm.

It irritates its nerve endings and causes muscle contraction;

• The newborn's digestive system is immature.

It will go away with age.

Up to three months, the baby’s digestive system is reconstructed and developing.

Children of this age often suffer from increased gas formation and intestinal spasms - intestinal colic. Hiccups after each meal can occur due to immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract. Try to prevent it using our tips.

All causes of hiccups

Hiccups in infants can occur not only after eating. The cause of hiccups may be the following:

• Overexcitation of the nervous system

After a long cry, fear.

• The child is cold.

When the diaphragm freezes, the diaphragm becomes irritated and spastic contractions occur – hiccups.

• Some diseases of the digestive system or central nervous system.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

Dr. Komarovsky claims that hiccups are not caused by the child being cold. Hiccups begin because the baby’s body adapts to changes in environmental temperature. And you shouldn’t wrap up and warm the baby. Quote:

How to help your baby

If a newborn hiccups after feeding, what should you do? Methods for getting rid of hiccups in adults are unlikely to be suitable for a baby.

Do not under any circumstances try to scare the baby to stop it! To help your baby cope with this phenomenon, you can try the following:

• • If hiccups occur during feeding, you need to stop feeding.

Pat the child on the back, hold him vertically in a “column”

• • During feeding you should hold the baby at an angle of about 45 degrees.

Do not put him on his back immediately after eating. When the baby has eaten well, it is better to carry him in your arms or lay him on his side.

• • For prolonged continuous hiccups (more than 10 minutes), you can offer the baby a little something to drink
  • Feed your baby often and in small portions

Including breast milk.

• • Make sure that the baby is calm during feeding.

Didn't cry or fidget.

• Follow the rules of feeding your baby.

When the child’s health is normal, but hiccups have arisen and nothing helps, then you just need to be patient and wait out this unpleasant phenomenon. There are no children, or even adults, who have never hiccupped.

In newborns, such an unpleasant disease as dacryocystitis occurs quite often. Read in our next article.

Hiccups are usually a completely harmless phenomenon; there are more important things. For example, do you know?

Prevention

As preventive measures, the following recommendations should be followed:

• • hold the baby in a column position for some time after eating.

Wait until the swallowed air comes out.

• • It's better to feed your baby on demand

So that he does not pounce on food and does not drink milk too quickly, swallowing a large amount of air.

• • apply the baby to the breast correctly
  • When breastfeeding, feeding by the hour increases the risk of overfeeding
  • when bottle-feeding, you need to accurately measure the prescribed dose of formula for one feeding

To avoid overfeeding the baby. It is also important to ensure that the hole in the nipple is the right size, and that the baby eats leisurely, without swallowing air. When you turn the bottle over, the mixture should drip slowly, not flow.

• • • If you are bloated, you can give your baby dill water.

Place a heated diaper on the baby’s tummy, massage the abdomen, do a “bicycle” exercise, press the legs to the tummy.

To avoid hiccups not related to feeding, you need to make sure that the child is not cold and get rid of factors that excite the nervous system as much as possible.

Do not let your baby cry loudly or for a long time or get scared. If your baby does hiccup, don't worry too much. If there are no other signs of poor health, and diseases are excluded, then there is no need to worry. The hiccups will go away fairly quickly without causing any harm.

In what cases should you consult a doctor?

In some cases, hiccups are not a harmless phenomenon, but a sign of a disease. In what cases should you consult a doctor about hiccups?

Prolonged and persistent hiccups, especially against the background of changes in the general condition of the baby, are a reason to consult a doctor. You should be wary if it constantly occurs after eating or active movements, if the child often burps during this.

In some cases, this phenomenon can be caused by inflammatory processes in the chest or abdominal cavity, infections, brain damage and other diseases. Therefore, it is important that the hiccups and the child’s well-being are promptly assessed by a doctor.

When a baby appears in a family, one of the questions that comes to mind for young mothers is: a newborn often hiccups - why and what to do!?

Moms need to know that the baby's hiccups begin at the moment when the diaphragm begins to contract and the vocal cords begin to close very quickly. This is what causes the sound of hiccups.

A funny thing or a huge problem?

Hiccups can be found very often in both adults and older children. And if for most people this is a fairly common phenomenon, then if babies begin to hiccup, parents’ concern knows no bounds. Some immediately rush to consult a pediatrician, while others try to cope with this problem at home. In this article we will try to figure out why a newborn often hiccups. The reasons for what to do are all that will be mentioned. After all, it is very important that young mothers and fathers not only understand what causes hiccups, but also how to deal with them and what to pay close attention to.

Since, as a rule, hiccups bother adults, they believe that babies also experience a lot of inconvenience because of it. But the little ones do not experience any discomfort. Many babies can even sleep while they are overcome by bouts of hiccups. And, as a rule, it does not have any effect on the breathing of tiny babies.

Most hiccup episodes can last from a few minutes to an entire hour. But no matter how long they last, there is no need to worry too much. By the way, many kids find hiccups quite a funny thing. And in general, baby hiccups are a completely normal reflex of the body.

What is this hiccup?

Before looking for the answer to the question of why a newborn often hiccups (the reasons for what to do will be noted in this article), you need to find out what this very hiccup is, which is talked about so much, and what period in this state is dangerous for a toddler , and which one doesn’t.

If the baby's hiccups continue for a quarter of an hour, there is no reason to worry. In this state there is no danger for the baby; most often the hiccups will go away without requiring any outside help. But if the hiccups continue for 15 minutes or longer - half an hour, an hour, then you need to seek medical help. Because such a prolonged condition may mean that something is happening in the baby’s body.

This doesn't happen often, but in some cases, long-lasting hiccups can be evidence of pneumonia, digestive tract disease, or even spinal cord injury.

That's why it's better to consult a specialist if your baby's hiccups last more than twenty minutes.

Why do babies hiccup so often?

Hiccups in a newborn toddler should not come as a surprise to his parents, because all babies are born with underdevelopment of two systems - the nervous and digestive. Therefore, in order for them to adapt to a new life - outside the mother's body - it will take quite a lot of time.

If the baby hiccups too often, mothers and fathers think that not everything is in order with their child’s health. But in the vast majority of cases, hiccups in babies are caused by the following reasons:

• hiccups can begin immediately after feeding or even during it. This happens because the baby swallows a lot of air along with food (he either grabbed the mother’s nipple incorrectly, or the hole in the feeding bottle is too large); The causes of hiccups include fullness of the baby’s stomach (it stretches and puts pressure on the diaphragm), flatulence, bloating;
• The second most common cause is hypothermia of the entire body or arms and legs of the little one. Young parents may notice that as soon as the baby’s fingers get cold, hiccups begin, which go away immediately after the body temperature has returned to normal;

• immature diaphragm - if a baby's diaphragm contracts irregularly and suddenly, he often hiccups. The baby grows, the contractions of his diaphragm, coupled with the muscles between the abdomen and ribs, gradually synchronize and become stronger, and thanks to this, both the frequency and severity of hiccup episodes decrease;
• Sometimes incessant hiccups indicate that the baby has a serious illness. For example, attacks of hiccups occur as a result of any inflammatory diseases of the digestive or respiratory system, as well as encephalopathy, congenital anomalies of the spinal cord and other ailments;
• mother's diet - the baby may hiccup due to the mother's diet. Whatever she eats or drinks, all substances consumed are passed on to the little one through breast milk. If a mother eats peanuts, chocolate, citrus fruits, or eggs before feeding the baby, there is a high probability that the baby will hiccup. Therefore, to avoid this, you must stop eating such products at least an hour before feeding;
• Airborne irritants - Babies have a very sensitive respiratory system, so any irritant that is carried through the air (intense aroma, pollution, fumes) can cause a cough. He, in turn, puts pressure on the diaphragm, which vibrates. This is where the hiccups begin.

Types of help that can be used for hiccups

If your little one suffers from hiccups, you can try the following tips. Try one option only for one episode.

The easiest way is to breastfeed your baby. After all, hiccups begin when the diaphragm is irritated. And when the baby sucks a little breast milk, it slowly enters the body, causing the diaphragm to relax and return to its normal movement.

You can offer your little one a little sugar. They did this a long time ago. If the baby is old enough to eat solid food, then you can put a few sugar crystals under his tongue. If he is still very small, then you can simply dip his pacifier in the sugar syrup you just prepared and put the pacifier in the baby’s mouth. You can dip your finger in this syrup and give it to your baby. Please note: the mother must make sure that both the pacifier and the finger are clean. Thanks to sugar, the tension in the baby's diaphragm will be eased, which will stop his hiccups.

After each feeding, you need to hold the little one in an upright position - “gopher style”. This should be done for about a quarter of an hour. This way it will be possible to keep the diaphragm in its natural position and muscle flutter will not occur. You can gently and lightly stroke the baby's back so that he burps. Thanks to this, the air that the baby swallowed during feeding will come out.

Baby back massage. This is perhaps the second simplest way to get rid of hiccups for a toddler. You should place the baby in an upright sitting position and gently rub his back from the lower back to the shoulders in a circular motion. You can put the little one on your tummy and do everything exactly the same. There is no need to push too hard, because the idea of ​​these hand movements is to relieve tension in the diaphragm.

You can try giving your baby dill water. Its benefits have not been scientifically proven. And yet, this is one of the most popular solutions to treat stomach discomfort that causes hiccups in babies. But you need to get the advice of a pediatrician before offering this water to your little one.

What not to do when your baby hiccups

Under no circumstances should you frighten your baby if he starts hiccupping. As a rule, cotton from a burst plastic bag is used for this. In this case, the only result is damage to the toddler’s delicate eardrums.

Sour lollipops are appropriate for adults, but they are absolutely not suitable for children. Even if the child is already one year old, sour candies or other sour foods should not be given to him to relieve hiccups. The powdered edible acid found in most sour candies is not healthy for your crumbs.

Doctors forbid patting the baby’s back “out of breath.” The ligaments in his skeleton are still pliable, so any use of brute force causes significant damage to them. It is for this reason that you should not slap the baby’s back too much to make him stop hiccupping. You can just knock lightly, but excessive use of force will be inappropriate.

The health of a newborn baby cannot but worry his parents. Especially if it seems to them that something is wrong with the baby’s well-being. Hiccups in a very young child are a common and completely normal occurrence, although they are sometimes a symptom of certain diseases. To help you feel less stressed about what hiccups might mean in a baby, you need to know some facts about baby hiccups.

If your child hiccups no more than twenty minutes per hour, there is nothing wrong with that. You should only worry when the hiccups last longer or this phenomenon is not observed in the baby at all. Do not forget that hiccups are something that is common to all babies.

Provocateurs of hiccups in babies

Several reasons may contribute to its appearance:

• the child really wanted to eat, and hunger provoked this phenomenon;
• the baby has eaten too much;
• the child was fed incorrectly;
• the child is cold;
• The baby doesn't have enough fluid.

Also, some reasons related to external factors help provoke hiccups:

• the child is frightened by something, and both people and new, scary objects for him can frighten him;
• the bright light blinded the child;
• sudden movements that the baby noticed or that physically affected him;
• a loud unusual sound scared the baby;
• strangers showed too much attention to the child.

Preventing baby hiccups

There are several ways to prevent hiccups in babies:

Helping a hiccupping baby

Despite the fact that this process is familiar to him, it is not very pleasant. There are several methods to help calm hiccups:

1. If your baby constantly hiccups after feeding, try to keep him in an upright position after eating.
2. It is very easy to warm up a cold and hiccupping baby if you hold him in your arms and caress him.
3. You can give your baby a bottle of water by placing it on your chest.
4. If the hiccups were provoked by external irritants, take the baby in your arms and immediately start talking to him.
5. Do not try to scare a child under any circumstances. This technique may work with adults, but in this situation, it will only make it worse.
6. If your baby continues to hiccup even after feeding, lightly massage his tummy, but under no circumstances apply pressure.
7. When hiccups begin during sleep, you should take the baby in your arms and lull him to sleep. If it doesn't help, you can give him warm water.

When should you see a doctor for hiccups?

It is imperative to contact a specialist if the hiccups practically do not stop or last too long. Even when a baby hiccups continuously for more than twenty minutes, this is a cause for concern. If you do not provide your child with qualified assistance in time, hiccups can become chronic.

You should pay special attention to the health of the child when he not only hiccups, but also burps very often. With such symptoms, you need to pay more attention to the feeding process. If all the rules have been followed, but there is no improvement, it’s time to see a doctor. As a rule, such symptoms indicate disturbances in the digestive process and some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

The reason to immediately consult a doctor is hiccups accompanied by elevated body temperature. In this case, an urgent trip to the hospital or calling a doctor is required. The combination of these two symptoms often indicates the development of certain diseases, which can be very serious and can even be fatal.

Cough and hiccups, especially frequent ones, are another reason to call a specialist. Typically, such a combination is the presence of some kind of respiratory disease or its abnormal function.

If you have tried to remove all irritating sources, but the child begins to be frightened by even familiar objects and actions, which is accompanied by hiccups, the doctor should check the baby’s nervous system.

Another reason to ask a doctor for help is the baby’s overly active behavior during hiccups. He can be very fussy, restless and active. These symptoms may indicate the onset of the development of a variety of diseases, or that hiccups are causing particular concern to the baby.

It cannot be said that all of the above symptoms added to hiccups are a complete list. If you notice other strange behavior patterns in your baby or any changes in his health, accompanied by hiccups, rush to the doctor to find out the cause. The fact is that behind any specific symptom and hiccups there may be a disease that has special forms of manifestation.

Here are a number of common and quite serious diseases that can accompany prolonged or too frequent childhood hiccups:

• defeat of an unequal system;
• neurotic disorders;
• damage and diseases of the esophagus;
• encephalopathy;
• pneumonia;
• various stomach diseases.

Folk remedies against hiccups in babies

If it is not combined with other symptoms, you can try a number of folk remedies. The effectiveness of many of them is very difficult to explain, but in most cases they work.