Does your child often get hiccups? Don’t worry: it’s a harmless physiological phenomenon. It usually lasts only a few minutes and tends to resolve on its own as your child grows.

Why do newborns get hiccups?

The hiccup , already common from the third month of fetal life (many mothers learn to recognize it during pregnancy), is an involuntary and repeated contraction of the diaphragm that occurs due to stimulation of the phrenic nerve. This results in a rapid contraction and closure of the glottis, producing the classic “HIC” sound.

Often, newborns and infants can experience hiccups, even within the first few months of life. This benign physiological phenomenon does not affect the child’s breathing and tends to pass spontaneously as they grow.

But what are the main causes of hiccups?

One of the main causes of hiccups in newborns is stomach irritation , often due to digestive and gastrointestinal disturbances, or in some cases to the immaturity of the newborn’s digestive system. This is why, in most children who get hiccups, the discomfort mainly occurs after feeding. Hiccups can be caused by gastric distension, mainly triggered by rapid milk intake in particularly voracious newborns, by swallowing air during feeding, or during a crying episode; in these cases, the newborn is more likely to swallow more air than usual.

Hiccups in newborns: remedies and prevention

As we’ve seen, hiccups are a reflex mechanism, so even a small stimulus can trigger them. Normally, you don’t need to do anything to make them go away. However, if the hiccups last too long and your baby seems very bothered by them, you can try soothing them with a few simple tips. Below, discover our suggestions.

Remedies

• During feeding

If hiccups occur during breastfeeding, it may help to take a short break to allow the hiccups to pass and to help release trapped air. You can also try to help your baby burp to support the elimination of intestinal gas that may have triggered the hiccups.

For breastfed babies, one way to prevent hiccups is to latch your baby correctly so they don’t swallow too much air. If your baby is bottle-fed, a can be used anti-colic teething ring that helps your child swallow less air.

• Away from feeding

If hiccups occur at a time unrelated to feeding, you can encourage your baby to suck on a pacifier ; the sucking action can help the diaphragm relax and support the hiccups stopping. If your baby is breastfeeding, you can also latch your baby to the breast because sucking and swallowing can help stop hiccups.

• Let the hiccups stop on their own
  

Children under 1 year old get hiccups quite often, so letting them pass is probably the best choice. Most of the time, your baby’s hiccups will stop on their own within 5–10 minutes.

If it doesn’t bother your child, you can simply let it run its course.

If you don’t intervene and the hiccups do not stop on their own, inform your doctor. Although rare, hiccups can be a sign of a more serious medical problem.

Esistono rimedi della nonna?

Thanks to the small adjustments mentioned above, your child should improve digestion and any gastrointestinal disturbances, reducing episodes of hiccups .

Old “grandma’s remedies” —such as scaring the child, blowing hard on their face, or giving a spoonful of lemon—are popular techniques to avoid, because they are more harmful than helpful.

Should you try gripe water?

Some people use gripe water for hiccups. Gripe water is a combination of herbs and water, and many doctors believe it may help with stomach pain, colic, and intestinal disturbances, although there is no evidence to support this.

The types of herbs can vary and may include ginger, fennel, chamomile, and cinnamon. It has not been clinically proven that gripe water helps with hiccups in children.

However, we recommend NOT using it, as experts often warn parents against giving children gripe water before 6 months, because it can reduce the amount of breast milk the baby consumes. There may also be a risk of adverse effects.

Prevention of hiccups

There are some ways to help prevent hiccup episodes. However, it is difficult to prevent hiccups completely in infants since the causes are not yet clear . Methods to prevent hiccups may also offer some benefits, even if research has not yet confirmed them.

Provate questi metodi per prevenire il singhiozzo (e per una buona digestione in generale):

1. Make sure your baby is calm when you breastfeed. This means not waiting until your baby is so hungry that they are restless and crying before starting the feed.
   

2. After breastfeeding, avoid engaging in vigorous activities with your baby, such as bouncing up and down or playing high-energy games.
   

3. Keep your baby upright for 20–30 minutes after each meal.

Hiccups in newborns: when to worry

Hiccups generally last a few minutes, resolve spontaneously, and during this time the newborn does not show signs of discomfort. However, if the hiccups are particularly persistent (lasting several hours or even days without stopping, or stopping only with brief pauses) or are associated with obvious distress in the child, consult your doctor.

Also, consult a doctor if:

• the child has breathing or feeding problems;
  

• the lips have a bluish tint (cyanosis), which could indicate a low oxygen level;
  

• the baby’s hiccups disturb sleep;
  

• hiccups continue to occur frequently after the first year of life;
  

• the hiccups continue for more than 2 hours.
  

What not to do

If you search for this topic on the internet, you may find a series of recommendations for home remedies—don’t follow them. If your child seems happy, there is no reason to intervene.

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