{"id":18423,"date":"2024-05-22T13:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T18:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=18423"},"modified":"2024-05-29T11:51:59","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T16:51:59","slug":"why-do-babies-get-hiccups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do babies get hiccups?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Newborn hiccups happen every now and then.<\/p>\n

\u201cA hiccup is part of a natural process,\u201d said Ameera Nauman, MD<\/a>, a pediatrician with OSF Medical Group \u2013 Pediatrics. \u201cHiccups in newborns are normal. Generally, they\u2019re very mild, and they usually go away after a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

What causes hiccups in babies<\/h2>\n

A bout of hiccups occurs with a spasm of the baby\u2019s diaphragm. The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle below the lungs. When it contracts, air is drawn into the lungs. When it relaxes, air is pushed out and you get a hiccupping sound.<\/p>\n

Usually, those movements occur in an even, controlled rhythm. But, when that rhythm is interrupted, the vocal cords tense up and suddenly close, which is the reason for a hiccup.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith newborns, hiccups mostly happen because of eating,\u201d Dr. Nauman said. \u201cThe baby might eat a little too fast or a little too much. Their belly gets full and starts to touch the diaphragm and cause those spasms. Sometimes, they ingest air while taking a bottle or breastfeeding. Sometimes, there\u2019s a little reflux involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

How do you get rid of a newborn baby’s hiccups?<\/h2>\n
\n

Find the cause of your baby\u2019s hiccups<\/p>\n

Talk to your pediatrician<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When adults get hiccups they might turn to an array of time-honored home remedies: drink a glass of water, hold their breath or breathe in and out of a paper bag.<\/p>\n

How to stop baby hiccups looks a little different. After all, Dr. Nauman said, \u201cYou can\u2019t give a 6-month-old child a glass of water to drink.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burping is the best way to get rid of baby hiccups. If breastfeeding, burp the baby when switching breasts. If bottle feeding, burp the baby about halfway through.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, the baby needs a break so their tummy has time to digest. When they stop feeding and relax, they\u2019ll stop hiccupping. \u201c<\/p>\n

Steps to prevent baby hiccups<\/h2>\n

Another thing to do is try to prevent hiccups from starting in the first place.<\/p>\n

Adults have learned the basic things that trigger hiccups. They know to avoid eating or drinking too much or too fast, gulping drinks or sucking too hard from a straw. They\u2019re aware that excess caffeine or alcohol can cause a fit of hiccups, too.<\/p>\n

Babies and kids need help learning the ropes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith a baby bottle feeding<\/a>, make sure it\u2019s full of milk and there\u2019s no air in the nipple,\u201d Dr. Nauman said. \u201cIf breastfeeding<\/a>, make sure the baby\u2019s lips are really latched<\/a> on. When they\u2019re finished feeding, don\u2019t lay them right back down. Keep them up for 15 or 20 minutes to help them better digest. Rubbing their back is soothing and helps alleviate hiccups.<\/p>\n

When to call the doctor<\/h2>\n

A baby\u2019s hiccups don\u2019t cause any physical damage. Even if they go on for 10 minutes or more, they generally are not a cause for concern. But if hiccups persist, a parent should be vigilant.<\/p>\n

\u201cHiccups can be a little more concerning if the child also has other signs, such as being really fussy or arching their back a lot while feeding or after feeding,\u201d Dr. Nauman said. \u201cSometimes the baby might spit up a lot<\/a>. If they have a lot of reflux<\/a>, keep an eye on how they\u2019re gaining weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re concerned or your baby is uncomfortable, then call your pediatrician. Generally, hiccups are very mild and they go away. But if you\u2019re concerned with persistent hiccups, discuss that with your pediatrician<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Newborn hiccups happen every now and then. \u201cA hiccup is part of a natural process,\u201d said Ameera Nauman, MD, a pediatrician with OSF Medical Group \u2013 Pediatrics. \u201cHiccups in newborns are normal. Generally, they\u2019re very mild, and they usually go away after a few minutes.\u201d What causes hiccups in babies A bout of hiccups occurs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":18507,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[1158,1160,12,1159],"coauthors":[1051],"class_list":["post-18423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-birthing-center","tag-baby","tag-bottle-feeding","tag-breastfeeding","tag-hiccups"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy do babies get hiccups?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Babies often hiccup after eating. Find out why babies get the hiccups so much and how to help.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why do babies get hiccups? | OSF HealthCare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Babies often hiccup after eating. Find out why babies get the hiccups so much and how to help.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OSF HealthCare Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-22T18:00:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-05-29T16:51:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katie Faley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Why do babies get hiccups? | OSF HealthCare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Babies often hiccup after eating. Find out why babies get the hiccups so much and how to help.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katie Faley\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/\",\"name\":\"Why do babies get hiccups?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-22T18:00:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-05-29T16:51:59+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bc2dbf158eb9b99f4767d395620eca6d\"},\"description\":\"Babies often hiccup after eating. Find out why babies get the hiccups so much and how to help.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1350,\"caption\":\"Mother holding her newborn baby with hiccups.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why do babies get hiccups?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"OSF HealthCare Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bc2dbf158eb9b99f4767d395620eca6d\",\"name\":\"Katie Faley\",\"description\":\"Katie Faley is a Writing Coordinator for OSF HealthCare. She graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in English Studies. Before joining OSF HealthCare in 2021, she worked in magazine editing, digital marketing and freelance writing. Katie is often found listening to \u201860s folk music, deciding on a new skill to learn, losing track of time in a library or spending time with her family and friends.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/author\/kfaley\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why do babies get hiccups?","description":"Babies often hiccup after eating. Find out why babies get the hiccups so much and how to help.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why do babies get hiccups? | OSF HealthCare","og_description":"Babies often hiccup after eating. Find out why babies get the hiccups so much and how to help.","og_url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/","og_site_name":"OSF HealthCare Blog","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osfhealthcare","article_published_time":"2024-05-22T18:00:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-05-29T16:51:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1350,"url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Katie Faley","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Why do babies get hiccups? | OSF HealthCare","twitter_description":"Babies often hiccup after eating. Find out why babies get the hiccups so much and how to help.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg","twitter_creator":"@osfhealthcare","twitter_site":"@osfhealthcare","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Katie Faley","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/","name":"Why do babies get hiccups?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-05-22T18:00:02+00:00","dateModified":"2024-05-29T16:51:59+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bc2dbf158eb9b99f4767d395620eca6d"},"description":"Babies often hiccup after eating. Find out why babies get the hiccups so much and how to help.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1350,"caption":"Mother holding her newborn baby with hiccups."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-do-babies-get-hiccups\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why do babies get hiccups?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/","name":"OSF HealthCare Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bc2dbf158eb9b99f4767d395620eca6d","name":"Katie Faley","description":"Katie Faley is a Writing Coordinator for OSF HealthCare. She graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in English Studies. Before joining OSF HealthCare in 2021, she worked in magazine editing, digital marketing and freelance writing. Katie is often found listening to \u201860s folk music, deciding on a new skill to learn, losing track of time in a library or spending time with her family and friends.","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/author\/kfaley\/"}]}},"modified_by":"Elesa Anthony","featured_image_url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/motherandbabywithhiccups-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/122"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18423"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18568,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18423\/revisions\/18568"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18423"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=18423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}