how to get rid of hiccups in a newborn
Inexperienced mothers, when the baby begins to hiccup, are very worried. After all, they do not yet know what is happening to the child, what worries him at the same time, whether it is necessary to treat it. Hiccups occur frequently in infants. There are several common situations in which the baby begins to hiccup. The article considers all these main cases and gives recommendations on what to do.
What is hiccups?
Hiccups in newborns are respiratory disorders. It begins when the diaphragm contracts in the form of jerks and sharp breathing movements. In itself, hiccups are not a disease, but they are a sign of any disorders in the child’s body.
Hiccups occur in all people involuntarily. It is a reaction of the body to various external or internal stimuli. This reduces the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles with it. There is an inhalation, and then the Airways abruptly close. The air flow is suddenly blocked and there is a feeling that the person does not have enough air. Knowing about their own experience, parents worry and think that the baby, who is a month old, is also hindered, as well as adults. In fact, this does not cause any trouble for newborns. Therefore, you need to stop worrying and find out what leads to hiccups in the child and how to help him.
causes of hiccup in newborn
Why do newborn babies often hiccup? Hiccups are a reflex. The baby begins to hiccup involuntarily, as well as sneeze. There are several reasons why newborns do this:
- the child is cold;
- air has gathered in the stomach after feeding;
- from overeating;
- because of being in an uncomfortable position;
- various diseases.
The baby will never hiccup unreasonably, this is a consequence of various stimuli. Therefore, each of these reasons requires the attention and help of parents.
Air in the stomach
The purpose of hiccups is to help the baby get rid of the air that has accumulated in his stomach. Therefore, with children, this often happens after feeding. When the air has left the stomach, the child calms down. The most common cause of this phenomenon in newborns is air in the stomach, which they swallowed together with milk when feeding. Doctors recommend that after feeding, raise the baby to an upright position and keep it so for about 15 minutes, slightly and slightly shake it. This will help rid the stomach of air. If the newborn hiccups after feeding, it can be put back to the breast or given a bottle (with artificial feeding or mixed feeding). Many mothers of children testify that this helps well.
Hiccups from overeating
Hiccups in children begin after heavy feeding. Excess food leads to stretching of the stomach, accumulation of air in it, there is regurgitation, stomach pain. Therefore, infants should be fed on demand and in a calm environment, not to bring it to a state where it is very hungry and will swallow air with the milk. Overeat most often can an infant on artificial feeding, because the mixture is very high in calories. They are not adapted to the stomach of a newborn baby like breast milk. It is necessary to follow the recommendations of pediatricians when artificial feeding. It is necessary to feed the baby only according to the mode and give him the necessary amount of the mixture, without over-feeding him. Mixtures are digested and digested not as well as mother’s milk. Therefore, the child should be fed by the hour, so that each portion is fully absorbed, and he did not regurgitate.
Various stressful factors can cause hiccups, that is, convulsive contractions of the diaphragm, in a baby:
- loud sounds (car horn, music, began to scream);
- the child was left alone; t
- he appearance of strangers.
Some parents try to put their baby to sleep only in complete silence. But doctors recommend that you teach your baby to sleep under moderate environmental noises. Sleep will be calm. Only sharp and loud music or other sounds can scare him. Sometimes the baby begins to get nervous when he is left alone in the room. This can also be a sign of stress. To stop the hiccups, you need to take it in your hands, and this will stop. If the crumbs are in mixtures, you need to give him water. If the baby — then offer a breast. Children then calm down.
Hiccups from the fact that the newborn is cold occurs much less frequently than when the air is in his stomach. The best room temperature for a newborn is 22 degrees. If the room is colder, then the blood vessels narrow, the muscles contract, and then diaphragm spasms occur. To determine the cause of hiccups in this case is not difficult. You need to try to touch the limbs of the baby, they will be cold. Then parents just need to put a sweater on the child and push it to themselves. He will quickly warm up and calm down. The arms and legs of the newborn should always be warm and the lips pink.
A slight dehydration of the body in crumbs can lead to hiccups. Often occurs in newborns who are breast-fed. Pediatricians often recommend that infants who eat mixes drink water. This prevents a shortage of fluid in their body. To help the baby get rid of the hiccups caused by dehydration, he needs to give him a bottle of water. It is necessary to make special teas for children. Chamomile and other herbs have additional benefits, treat colic in the intestines. This is less common in babies who are breast-fed. There is enough liquid in mom’s milk, and you don’t have to drink the baby. But this can happen in the intense summer heat. Therefore, such babies also need to offer a bottle of water.
Hiccups for diseases
The common causes of hiccups in newborns are described above, when parents can determine the cause themselves and help the child. But there are rarely cases when this occurs in children due to various diseases, for example, inflammation (laryngitis, tracheitis) or a tumor in the esophagus or stomach. Therefore, it is necessary to show the child to the pediatrician and examine the baby in order to exclude various pathological conditions. ? In itself, the hiccups in a child are not a disease. It is a consequence of the imperfection of his body, which grows and develops. Therefore, if the baby was examined by a doctor and determined that the newborn is healthy, and the baby still does not stop hiccuping, parents do not need to worry. Over time, his body will grow stronger, and involuntary contractions of the diaphragm will stop.
If newborns hiccups: 9 things to know
1. Begins before birth
Intrauterine hiccups — this happens. In most cases, the expectant mother does not notice this, only sometimes you can feel frequent weak tremors in the stomach. Intrauterine hiccups have nothing to do with the food a woman eats. This is just a sign that the child is developing normally.
2. Adult remedies for hiccups will not help
How are we trying to deal with a fit of hiccups? We gulp a glass of water, clasping our hands behind our backs, holding our breath as soon as possible. For children, all these methods, for obvious reasons, will not work: it is impossible, and even stupid, to force a baby to hold his breath, and it is not just not recommended, but even dangerous to drink water for babies.
3. This can happen while eating.
Hiccups generally overcome infants more often than adults. This is because they are still not very good at controlling breathing. Often this happens after or during meals. Perhaps the baby in the process takes up air. Another reason: the child ate too fast or ate too much.
4. You cannot feed a hiccuping child
The kid may choke. If you notice that he began to hiccup, try to hold the baby in a column — he will burp out excess air, and you can continue the process. Try to change the pose — perhaps the baby is not too comfortable, the diaphragm is compressed, and therefore it begins to hiccup. In any case, try to take a short break in feeding.
5. Changing the regimen helps with hiccups
If changing the posture while feeding does not help, you can try other ways to save the baby from adversity. If the baby hiccups because it eats too much, you can try to feed it not as long as usual, but more often.
6. Do not try to experiment
Among the folk ways to stop the infant hiccups that you will not find. There are tips to cover the baby’s face with a damp cloth, and conspiracies, and fear. If conspiracies are at least harmless, other methods are simply unsafe. The only thing that can help calm the baby is to gently shake it or make a massage. The baby’s body will relax, and the cramps will recede.
7. Temperature matters
Many mothers know that children write more often when they are cold: the body gets rid of excess fluid that needs to be warmed, but there is not enough heat anyway. So, temperature also affects hiccups. But not the environment, but food. If the baby ate something cold and then too warm, it may start to hiccup. As well as due to improper temperature of the mixture, milk or porridge.
8. Hiccups — this is normal
Hiccups can cause inconvenience to adults, sometimes even the stomach starts to hurt. But for newborns, hiccuping is completely normal. So move away the panic and just wait this moment. By the way, it would be nice to record it on video — it will be ridiculous.
9. But there are nuances
If you are still worried, it’s not a sin to ask the pediatrician once again. And it’s worthwhile to beware if the baby is not just hiccuping, but also burping profusely, and is too tense during feeding, arching the back.