Many mothers recall feeling their babies hiccupping
while inside the utero. Hiccups are very common in healthy
newborn babies, and they are caused by frequent, sudden
contractions of the diaphragm muscle. Hiccups seem to
bother parents more than they do babies.
How
long does it last?
An individual session of hiccups usually lasts only
minutes. The tendency to hiccup frequently usually
disappears within the first year.
How
is it diagnosed?
Hiccups are easily recognized, and no diagnostic tests
are needed unless either the hiccups are unusually
prolonged or are accompanied by other symptoms.
How
is it treated?
Folklore is filled with many suggestions to help a
child break a cycle of hiccups. Nothing needs to be
done unless the child seems upset or the hiccups last
longer than five or ten minutes.
If you want to try something:
• Blow on the baby's face. This might cause
him to inhale quickly and change the movement of
his diaphragm.
• Feed the baby some sips of water. The regular
swallowing and breathing might set the diaphragm
to normal.
• Take the baby outdoors. The sudden burst
of cool air might change the rhythm of her breathing.
• Burp the baby.
How can it be prevented?
Like sneezing and snuffling, hiccups are normal
and are very rarely due to any health problems.
Generally nothing needs to be done to prevent them.
Feeding when the baby is calm, and before the baby
gets too hungry, may prevent some episodes of hiccups.
A
word of caution
if the baby has hiccups, do not attempt to end them
with adult methods. Do not try to hold baby’s
breath; do not frighten baby with loud noises thinking
a shock to the system will make the hiccup go away
THE
FINAL WORD
Although hiccups occur without an obvious trigger
and are common in babies, it has been claimed that
they can sometimes indicate that the baby is stressed.
Hiccups may be one of the signals that tell you that
you need to help your baby relax for a while or do
whatever you know which will comfort your baby.
