Hiccups occur during convulsive contraction of the muscular septum – the diaphragm separating the cavity of the chest and abdomen. Such a contraction is accompanied by a sound familiar to us, which appears as a result of inhaling simultaneously with a closed vocal gap.
Hiccups in infants is considered a physiological and harmless phenomenon, which is rarely a symptom of any disease. She can disturb the baby often, sometimes from the first days of life.
The frequent occurrence of hiccups, scientists attributed to the lack of maturity of the digestive and nervous system.
Also the cause of hiccups can be some mistakes of parents in the care and feeding.
Hiccups in babies can occur due to:
- he is thirsty;
- air got into the digestive system;
- the baby suffered an emotional shock, a loud sound or a flash of light could be the cause;
- his stomach is full – overeating often causes hiccups;
- he was cold;
- lesions of the central nervous system, spinal or chest injury, inflammation of the lungs, stomach, liver or intestinal diseases.
Prevention of hiccups
- After each feeding, place the baby in an upright position. This will not only prevent the occurrence of hiccups, but also protect against regurgitation.
- If the newborn is fed artificially, make sure that the hole in the bottle is not too large and not too small – this will protect the child from swallowing air.
- Make sure the crumb correctly captures the halo of the breast or nipple.
- Keep a comfortable temperature for the child.
- Do not overfeed baby.
- If you notice that the crumb begins to hiccup after emotional turmoil, minimize the number of stress, refrain from noisy guests, loud music and bright light.
How to deal with hiccups
- The most effective remedy for hiccups is to distract the child. You can show him a bright toy, take it outside or attract attention with an interesting sound.
- In the event of hiccups during feeding, the newborn should be removed from the breast, picked up and worn in an upright position.
- Not bad can cope with hiccup water, drink crumbs or give him a chest – everything goes instantly.
- If hiccups are caused by hypothermia, put the baby in a warm or warmer dress and feed, even if the time for feeding has not yet come.
In most cases, hiccups in newborns do not need treatment. If this phenomenon occurs frequently, prevents the newborn from eating and sleeping, does not stop for more than an hour and causes anxiety, it is better to contact a pediatrician. To exclude pathologies, the doctor will prescribe tests and examinations. In other cases, parents should be patient, apply the necessary preventive measures and wait for the crumb to get a little older.
The emergence of a newborn hiccups scares parents, especially young. These worries are in vain, since the phenomenon is considered normal and does not bring discomfort to the baby. Hiccups are not even born crumbs. Hiccup in a fetus can occur in the first months after conception. The future mother feels rhythmic winches.
