How To Cure Hiccups In Newborns & Make Your Baby Comfortable Again

Few things are more adorable than a tiny baby who has a case of the hiccups. Unfortunately, those little involuntary spasms may make your baby feel uncomfortable. What’s more, the typical tricks used to cure hiccups — such as holding your breath or having someone scare you — are not really appropriate for tiny babies. Fortunately, there are still many baby-friendly solutions you can try and knowing how to cure hiccups in newborns will help your little one can rest easy.

First, what causes hiccups to happen in babies, anyway? According to Baby Center, hiccups are diaphragm contractions triggered by muscle irritation or stimulation. As as further explained by Baby Center, they are very common in young babies, especially infants under one year of age. Apparently, that developing diaphragm can go into fits over just about anything.

Fortunately, helping your baby cope with the hiccups is usually simple enough, although it may take you a little trial and error to find the best method for you and your little one. First, it may be helpful to tweak your feeding routine. As noted in New Health Guide, feeding your baby more frequently may help lessen hiccups, because too much milk too fast could make your baby’s stomach distend. Smaller, more frequent meals could be the key. Also, you could try to burp your baby when the hiccups happen, according to Healthy Children. A few pats on the back just might do the trick.

Next, you could look at other ways to soothe your hiccupy newborn. Swallowing air sometimes helps alleviate the situation, so you may take a note from Health Guidance and try giving your baby a pacifier to stop the hiccups. If nothing else, your little one may be distracted long enough to no longer be bothered by the spasms. And sometimes, a soothing touch can make all the difference. According to The Bump, simply rocking your baby or patting her back may be enough to make the hiccups go away. Whatever method you choose, hopefully you and your baby will not have to deal with those annoying (but adorable) hiccups for too long.