Why Does My Newborn Get Hiccups?
Most newborn babies hiccup sometimes. But hiccups don't start at birth. Many moms know the sometimes alarming feeling of their babies hiccuping in the womb. While it might be a strange phenomenon for parents, since babies in utero aren't breathing, they are perfectly normal. Some doctors say it's the baby "practicing" to breathe, with sudden contractions of the diaphragm.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics states that most newborns and infants hiccup on occasion. Often, newborns will hiccup when they are being fed, and this behavior is generally normal and should not be cause for concern. If you breastfeed your newborn and he is hiccuping, you can minimize hiccups and spitting up by "keeping your nursing sessions quiet and calm and changing your baby's position to help him relax," according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Significance
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If your baby is hiccuping frequently as well as spitting up, this could be a sign of GERD, or gastrointestinal reflux disease. Coughing and crankiness are other symptoms of this illness, which involves the stomach acid moving up into the esophagus. If your doctor diagnoses your newborn as having GERD, there are a number of things he or she might recommend, including changing feeding habits and, possibly, medication.
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Speculation
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Scientists are not sure why babies, and for that matter any humans, hiccup. Some speculate that it is because humans evolved from sea creatures with gills, and our primitive ancestors needed a way to keep fluid from the lungs. A more modern theory is that humans and other mammals hiccup as a way to learn how to suckle, since hiccuping is similar to suckling. This could be why it is so common in newborns.
Misconceptions
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Most experts sources agree that if your newborn has hiccups, there is really nothing you can do to stop them. According to Lynnette Mazur, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center and the Shriner's Hospital, "There's really not much you can do, and they'll go away soon." 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." Furthermore, some folk remedies say to startle the baby, press on her eyeballs, press her fontanel or pull her tongue. These methods are unproven, however, and not recommended because you could hurt your baby.
Warning
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There are some cases where newborn hiccups might be cause for concern and discussion with your pediatrician. These cases include if the hiccups seem uncontrollable or if they happen often. In some rare instances, hiccups could be a sign of a more serious medical condition. Keep in mind, though, that most of the time, newborn hiccups are totally normal. If you are concerned, be sure to speak to your pediatrician.
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References
- Photo Credit man touching newborn baby"s nose image by Diane Stamatelatos from Fotolia.com
