Why does my infant hiccup so much?

What is a hiccup?

A hiccup is caused when the [simple_tooltip content=’A large and strong muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen’]diaphragm[/simple_tooltip] contracts due to some sort of irritation, most commonly when the full stomach presses against it, typically after the infant has swallowed a lot of air.

Hiccups are quite common in a baby who is less than a year old.

Babies hiccup even when they are in the womb! These are felt as rhythmic movements of the baby in the womb. Nobody really knows why they occur but they do indicate a certain amount of maturity in that the diaphragm has matured enough for it to contract.

Hiccups are more common when bottle-feeding rather than when breast-feeding. Hiccups are also more common in children who have [simple_tooltip content=’When stomach contents return up through the food-pipe to a variable distance towards the mouth’]gastro-esophageal reflux[/simple_tooltip].

Hiccups usually bother parents more than the infant.

What should I do about the hiccups?

• If the hiccups occur when the baby is feeding – stop feeding the baby
• Change the position of the baby.
• Burp the baby – this also changes the position of the baby
• If the baby continues to hiccup after the above – wait 5-10 minutes and continue to feed the baby.

Preventing hiccups

If your baby hiccups frequently, try to feed your baby before he really gets hungry. He is less likely to swallow a large amount of air and therefore less likely to hiccup

When should I worry and show him to my doctor?

• Hiccups accompanied by vomiting and spitting up frequently.
• [simple_tooltip content=’Unstoppable’]Intractable[/simple_tooltip] hiccups
• Hiccups occurring very frequently.
• Hiccups occurring after the age of one year of persisting beyond one year of age.

It is better that your doctor evaluates your child to rule out more sinister causes that are very rare.

To stop hiccups do not:

• Try to startle the child.
• Press on his eyeballs
• Pull her tongue
• Press on the [simple_tooltip content=’The soft portion on the top of the head of the infant’]fontanelle[/simple_tooltip]