Why Does My Newborn Have Hiccups? Common Causes and Solutions

Newborn hiccups are normal and caused by an immature diaphragm, and they usually stop on their own.

Why

A newborn’s diaphragm is immature and gets irritated by feeding, especially when they swallow air.

Normal

Hiccups are common and harmless.

How to help

• Burp the baby.
• Feed slowly.
• Keep the baby upright after feeding.
• Wait. They usually stop in 5 to 10 minutes.

Don’t

Scare the baby or give water.

See a doctor

If hiccups are frequent, with spit up, poor feeding or breathing trouble.

Why infants hiccup

Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm followed by closure of the vocal cords. Newborns hiccup frequently, often after feeding, because the stomach distends and irritates the diaphragm. Fetuses hiccup in the womb as early as the end of the first trimester.

• Hiccups usually last 5 to 10 minutes and rarely longer than 30 minutes.
• They do not bother most babies, who can sleep or feed through them.
• Burping during and after feeds, slowing feeding, and keeping the baby upright for 20 to 30 minutes can reduce them.

When to check

Hiccups that interfere with feeding or sleep, come with spitting up large amounts, arching, irritability or poor weight gain may indicate reflux, and warrant a pediatrician visit. Do not give water, sugar water or home remedies, and do not startle the baby. Most hiccups decrease by 12 months of age. Blue color, breathing pauses or labored breathing need emergency care.

Why infants hiccup

Newborn hiccups are common, caused by immature diaphragm control, feeding and swallowed air. They usually stop in minutes and do not bother the baby.

When to check

Ask a pediatrician if hiccups interfere with feeding, come with spitting up, or last long. Burp the baby during feeds.

Physiology of infant hiccups

Hiccups begin in the womb as early as 9 weeks of gestation, and may help train breathing muscles. Newborns may hiccup several times a day, often after feeding. They rarely bother the baby.

Practical care

Pause feeding to burp, feed in an upright position and avoid overfeeding. Do not give water or remedies. Hiccups lasting more than a few hours at a time, or accompanied by reflux and fussiness, can be mentioned to the pediatrician. Reflux in infants is common, peaking at 4 months, and resolves in most by 12 to 18 months.

Based on data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the NIH