baby Hiccups

My Justine gets hiccup not that often but seems like she knows how to handle her hiccups. Different with jake before that it took a while before the hiccup would go away. With Justine even if she is drifted to sleep and had an hiccup, it didn't bother her. I learned from jake Pediatrician, to get rid of hiccups just let the baby suck his finger or nurse her/him again and the hiccupwill go away.

Is it normal that baby gets hiccups all the time?

Expert Answers

The BabyCenter Editorial Team

Yes. Hiccups are particularly common in babies under a year old. Babies even hiccup in the womb, which can alarm pregnant moms but is also totally normal. Some mothers wonder how babies can hiccup in utero — after all, they're not really breathing yet. But hiccups have nothing to do with breath: They're sudden contractions of the diaphragm caused by irritation or stimulation of that muscle.

According to Lynnette Mazur, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center and the Shriner's Hospital, both in Houston, infant hiccups are usually caused by feeding (breast milk, formula, or other foods) or a drop in temperature that causes a baby to get cold.

"It's a nuisance to parents, but not so much to the baby," says Mazur. "Unless the hiccups interfere with daily activities like sleeping or eating, there's no need to see a healthcare provider."

Babies with gastroesophageal reflux disease may hiccup more frequently, according to Mazur. If your baby hiccups often, mention it to her doctor, particularly if she spits up a lot or coughs and seems very cranky.

In addition, if your child's hiccups are uncontrollable, happen very frequently, or occur often after age 1, talk to your doctor. Unusual hiccups can — in very rare cases — be a sign of a more serious underlying medical condition.

As for how to stop hiccups, there are a lot of theories, but Mazur pooh-poohs them all. "There's really not much you can do, and they'll go away soon," she says. Some say to give babies sugar water or let them suck on something, which Mazur says "won't really hurt and might help, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Don't try to cure hiccups by startling your baby, pressing on her eyeballs, pushing on her fontanel, or pulling her tongue, which are common folk remedies in some cultures. There's no proof that any of these methods work, and you could hurt your baby in the process.

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baby Hiccups