Hiccups in newborns are caused by drinking too quickly and can be prevented by slowing down feeding and burping more frequently. Hiccups are normal and usually harmless, but persistent or intractable hiccups should be checked by a pediatrician. Parents can try to distract the newborn to make hiccups go away.
Hiccups are spontaneous, convulsive narrowing of the diaphragm and are a common occurrence. The exact cause of hiccups in newborns is not known, but many specialists believe they occur because a newborn drinks too quickly. Like people of any age, drinking too quickly will cause the newborn to gulp air. It’s also possible for an infant to be fussy or upset when feeding, rushing each sip and increasing the likelihood of hiccups in infants.
Preventing hiccups in newborns requires parents to be attentive when feeding. If possible, the parent should try to slow down the rate at which the child drinks. If he seems to be drinking too quickly, the parent should gently pull the bottle or nipple away and let the baby catch his breath. Power can be resumed after a moment. Burping a baby more frequently can also help prevent hiccups.
Medically speaking, hiccups stop the flow of air. When the larynx and diaphragm constrict at the same time, the glottis, the space between the vocal cords, closes. The end result is hiccups.
Although parents may be concerned when hiccups occur, there is usually no reason to worry about them. Hiccups in newborns, like those in children and adults, are normal. They can occur at any time of day. Normally, hiccups last only a few minutes, but they can last an hour or even the whole day.
On rare occasions, hiccups can actually last over 48 hours at a time. When this happens, they are known as persistent hiccups. On even rarer occasions, hiccups can persist for more than a month. Hiccups in newborns that last longer than a month are known as intractable hiccups, and this causes fatigue and weight loss. Parents should take a newborn who is experiencing persistent or intractable hiccups to see a pediatrician.
Hiccups don’t actually harm a newborn in any way. In fact, a newborn will rarely seem bothered when they happen, even if they get loud and violent. Indeed, more often than not, parents find themselves more annoyed than the newborn. If the newborn still looks happy and smiling, there’s nothing to worry about.
When the hiccups occur, parents can take some steps to try and make them go away. For example, parents may walk around with a newborn and try to distract him from hiccups. Showing a newborn baby objects around the house can also help distract them, effectively preventing the hiccups from returning.
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