Why Does My Baby Get Hiccups After Eating

Verywell / Photo Illustration by Madelyn Goodnight / Getty Images

Hiccups can happen to anyone, including babies. As adults, we may come across them every bit a pocket-sized or somewhat irritating inconvenience. While there are numerous ways people try getting rid of hiccups, most of the fourth dimension yous simply have to await them out.

Equally annoying every bit they can be for adults and older children, hiccups are usually a modest, curt-lived experience for babies, lasting just a few minutes. Babies are also typically not bothered by hiccups.

"Hiccups in babies are a common natural reflex—all babies hiccup," says Hilary Stempel, MD, MPH, a full general pediatrician at Children'due south Hospital Colorado and banana professor of pediatrics at University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Substantially, hiccups are rarely a cause for concern in babies, explains Dr. Stempel. However, at that place are things you can effort to prevent them in babies and even stop hiccups when they do popular up.

What Causes Babe Hiccups

Infant hiccups are a reflex that starts early, fifty-fifty earlier your baby is born. Hiccups are a reflexive activity, meaning we tin't stop them from happening or control them (just like sneezing or cough).

Various triggers are thought to cause hiccups. Excess air in the stomach, esophageal irritation, and stress may all be involved, but no physical reason for the occurrence of hiccups is known.

"At this point, we don't conspicuously know why hiccups happen and usually hiccups cause more concern for caregivers than the baby," says Dr. Stempel.

Experts believe that hiccups are triggered by the nerve that connects the brain to the diaphragm and can be set off by many different things, such every bit eating as well much or as well fast or fifty-fifty swallowing at the wrong time.

When yous breathe, you outset pull air into your lungs, and your diaphragm contracts, making it movement downward. The diaphragm and then relaxes to allow the air go dorsum out through your oral fissure or nose.

When you hiccup, the diaphragm spasms and the air coming in gets "stuck" against your closed song cords, causing the distinct "hic" sound of a hiccup.

Despite the fact that hiccups are so closely related to breathing, studies have found that animate and hiccupping are not continued; they seem to be two separate mechanisms. That is, your body won't crusade you to start hiccupping in place of animate.

This process may sound peculiarly precarious for babies. Thankfully, enquiry shows that typical bouts of hiccups don't cause significant changes in the respiratory rate, heart charge per unit, or oxygen saturation of healthy infants.

What Else to Know About Babe Hiccups

Interestingly, fetuses can exist seen hiccupping on ultrasounds. Sometimes hiccups can even be felt through the parent'southward abdomen. "In fact, many pregnant people feel their babies hiccupping while meaning, and those hiccups volition proceed, usually without reason, once the baby is born," explains Dr. Stempel.

The hiccupping reflex is besides very strong in newborns. Researchers estimate that babies spend up to ii.5% of their time as newborns hiccupping. Equally they grow during the starting time few months of life, hiccups tend to decrease.

"I say appreciate the sweetness of baby hiccups! Hiccups are rarely a cause of concern and holding and being with your hiccupping infant can be groovy for bonding," says Dr. Stempel.

How to Forestall Hiccups in Babies

Although they're typically harmless, there are means that parents can help prevent hiccups in babies. If your baby hiccups frequently or seems uncomfortable when they hiccup, you can try some of the following solutions.

Track Timing of Hiccups

Beginning, accept note of when your baby'due south hiccups are occurring. For case, if they are only happening later on your baby'southward feedings or when you lay them in a certain position, these moments could exist triggering the hiccups. Try adjusting how and when you feed your baby or what position you place them in.

Feed Smaller Amounts More than Oft

Some research suggests that overfeeding your baby or feeding too fast can lead to hiccups. Whether you are breastfeeding or canteen-feeding, information technology may help to give your infant a little less at each feeding.

In improver, bank check the charge per unit at which they are nursing or drinking from the bottle. Drinking too fast could cause them to take in air along with milk or formula, and this tin can trigger hiccups.

Burp Your Baby Regularly

Burp your baby after every feeding. Hiccups can be acquired by excess air bubbling that get trapped while your baby is eating. Burping tin can help articulate the gas bubbling from their esophagus.

Cheque Your Baby's Bottle

If hiccups are a major problem, your infant's bottle could exist the culprit. Some canteen designs will trap more than air in than others during feedings. Try dissimilar brands or types that tin reduce the amount of air in the canteen.

How to Get Rid of Hiccups in Babies

In general, occasional hiccups are not dangerous for babies. They will happen from fourth dimension to time in your infant and resolve on their own. "Hiccups nigh often cease as all of a sudden every bit they began," says Dr. Stempel. Nevertheless, you can try the following things to aid stop your baby'southward hiccups once they get-go.

Rub Your Baby's Back

Effort rubbing your infant's back in a circular movement to assist release excess air and cease hiccups. Fifty-fifty if they continue, this motion tin be comforting to your babe.

Burp Your Infant

If your babe starts hiccupping during feeding, stop and burp them. Burping volition help release excess air to relieve discomfort and may stop the hiccups.

Modify Your Baby's Position

It is fine to try to either lay your baby down or prop them into a sitting position depending on where they were when the hiccups started. Changing positions won't always stop a baby'southward hiccups, but it can help.

Offer Your Baby a Pacifier

The sucking motion of a pacifier may soothe a baby who is hiccupping and lessen the diaphragm spasms.

Note that some abode remedies that may piece of work for adults and older children tin exist unsafe for babies. When your baby is hiccupping, exercise non requite them h2o, hold them upside downwardly, scare them, pull their tongue, or effort to make them agree their breath.

When to See a Pediatrician

If you notice that your baby seems to be hiccupping ofttimes and/or the hiccups are causing them pain, it is best to consult a md. Your baby may be experiencing digestive issues.

"If the hiccups e'er come with lots of spit-up, irritability, or fussing, and then y'all should speak with your pediatrician. Your pediatrician will consider the whole picture, including your baby'southward growth, and discuss if something like gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) could be the reason for hiccups," explains Dr. Stempel.

In some cases, hiccups tin be caused by GERD, also known every bit acid reflux. Especially if your baby'southward hiccups are accompanied past vomiting, they should exist evaluated past a pediatrician to rule out any underlying medical conditions.

If a baby'due south hiccups seem to interfere with their breathing in whatever fashion or they are turning blueish, call 911 and seek medical attention right abroad.

A Give-and-take From Verywell

Hiccupping is a normal function of the torso that begins well before birth. There are many theories regarding why our bodies hiccup, only no definite reasons take been found nevertheless.

In general, hiccupping is very common in babies (especially newborns) and will subtract every bit your baby gets older. If your baby is having hiccups that seem to be causing pain or discomfort or they are having other symptoms with the hiccups such as vomiting, however, check with a pediatrician.

wallaceconved.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-get-rid-of-infant-hiccups-4160825