The hiccup is a minor alteration but can become very annoying, especially for a young child. This alteration is caused by an existing irritation in the nerves that control the muscles in respiration, mainly in the diaphragm; however, in most cases, it is due to the immaturity that exists in the nervous system.
The baby may produce strange sounds that can scare their parents; it is something ubiquitous that does not cause pain or discomfort. Although generally, it does not indicate a health problem, it is essential to consult with a pediatrician to clear up doubts. If you have already done it and the specialist assured you that the cause was not any pathology, at FastlyHealwe explain how to remove hiccups from a baby.
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Hiccups in babies: why is it?
Although hiccups are very common in all people, regardless of age, few know what it consists of; since it does not have a meaning of importance for health, it is not paid attention to.
Hiccups are a sudden, strong, and violent inspiration caused by an involuntary contraction of the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm. As the organs involved in hiccups are controlled by a nerve called the phrenic, the alteration occurs when it undergoes a large number of stimuli.
Sometimes hiccups can be a symptom of serious pathologies, but it is scarce; however, it is essential to consult a specialist to clear up any doubts. In babies, hiccups can be very common because their digestive system has not reached sufficient maturity to be more common in premature children.
Hiccups in infants: causes
There are very few cases where hiccups are caused by a chronic or severe disorder in a newborn. The involuntary contraction of the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm usually lasts between 10 and 30 minutes and may be due to the baby:
- He filled his stomach with breast milk
- It is exposed to cooling
- Swallows a lot of air while feeding
Avoid hiccups in babies.
On the other hand, the young child may have hiccups due to gas retention, so it is essential to take various precautions to prevent it from happening. For example, so that the baby does not swallow air while eating, the mother must make sure that she latches on to her nipple well or has the correct bottle nipple for her baby’s mouth.
Also, it is necessary that the existing hole in the nipple is of adequate size and allows the suitable liquid to pass. This is easily checked by placing the bottle upside down and observing that only drops come out.
The woman must prevent the baby from feeding quickly if it is to prevent him from suffering from hiccups later. For this, it is advisable to take small pauses to slow down the rate with which the child is feeding, and, during them, you can take advantage of helping him expel gas, as it should be done rigorously at the end of each meal.
Remove hiccups in babies: tricks
Several times the mother may try to prevent the child from suffering from hiccups, but on many occasions, it appears the same way. While it is true that it can be annoying, it is essential to know that the baby does not suffer pain, so you should not try to remove it in any way, although some methods can help:
You can try to calm the hiccups by massaging the child’s back and tummy. But you should not seek to eliminate your involuntary diaphragm contraction with various popular home methods such as a scare or plugging your nose, as this could be detrimental to your health.
If the baby retains a lot of intestinal gas, it is essential to consult a pediatrician and never opt for home remedies such as lemon, honey, or sugar, since the newborn cannot ingest any other liquid other than his milk until 6 or 12 months of age. Age. In the following FastlyHealarticle, we will talk about the tricks to remove gases from a baby.
One option is to lay the child on his right side to avoid pressure on the stomach and thus reduce the time he suffers from hiccups. On the other hand, you can remove these discomforts to the baby by giving him warm milk or, if it appears after feeding, give him his pacifier for a while so that the alteration goes away.
Finally, it is essential that the newborn is always warm to avoid a cold grip and hiccups. Also, the child should not be put to bed as soon as he finishes eating without first making sure that he has burped him at least once.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.