Hiccups in newborns - how to stop a hiccup in a newborn

There is still no single and clear answer, it is useful or harmful hiccups. Is this a protective reaction of the body or, on the contrary, a process that is harmful to health? It occurs in healthy people. In this case, it is an innocuous phenomenon that passes by itself. But sometimes the appearance of this symptom signals a serious illness. But in any case, everyone wants to know how to stop a hiccup in a newborn.

Hiccups cause - contraction of the musculature of the diaphragm. Various factors can provoke this reduction. However, the specific mechanism of this process is not fully understood.

There are different opinions of scientists about this. The main thing is that the vagus nerve is irritated and affects the diaphragm. For example, a full stomach presses on the nerve and irritates it, and hiccups relieve the clamped nerve.

Another opinion is that in this way the respiratory organs are trained. This explains why babies hiccup in mom's belly.

Hiccups in newborns cause, usually, a special alarm among parents. What to do, how to help the baby and stop it?

Causes of hiccups in newborns

In medical practice, several circumstances are known to provoke a contraction of the diaphragm:

Air in the digestive system of

Most often this is due to the peculiarities of the digestive system of newborns. The walls of the digestive tract and stomach are thin, easily stretched and can press down the vagus nerve. This is possible with overeating or swelling, when gases accumulate in the intestine.

However, the most common cause of hiccups in infants is the ingress of air into the stomach. In this case, the contraction of the diaphragm is a physiological reaction of the organism, which helps to regurgitate air. If it does not come out, then regurgitation is possible, or the gas enters the intestine and becomes the cause of colic.

Hiccups in a newborn after breastfeeding most often occur when breastfeeding is incorrect. When the milk comes abruptly during the application, and the baby does not have time to swallow it. Together with the milk, the child swallows the air. At this point, it is advisable to push it away from the chest, wait until it is released and then continue.
After feeding, it is recommended to hold the baby in an upright position. This allows you to exit the air from the tummy.
In the case of a baby on artificial feeding, you need to monitor the size of the hole in the nipple, it should not be large. During feeding, the nipple should be completely filled with milk, this will prevent ingestion of air. It is better to use special bottles for these purposes.

Now manufacturers offer variants with air vent tubes, for example Dr. Brown's. They have a special ventilation system that prevents mixing milk with air. The device of the bottle allows creating conditions close to breastfeeding.

Emotional shock

Very often children start hiccuping with fright. For example, a loud sound, an unexpected touch, a flash of light or, on the contrary, it was suddenly turned off. Any emotional shake can cause a contraction of the diaphragm. For some kids, even going to visit is stress.

Thirst

Another reason is thirst. Drying of the oral mucosa and digestive tube, can provoke hiccups. In this case, it is enough to give a drink to the baby and it will stop.

Undercooling of

Many believe that the main cause of hiccups is hypothermia. This happens when the baby is not dressed in the weather, or the room is cool, the window is open, etc.
As a rule, small children in caring parents are rarely supercooled. Moreover, they often overheat, because the mechanisms of thermoregulation of the child's body differ from adults. Usually when an adult is warm, the child is hot.
To find out, you need to touch the skin on the elbow and knee folds, or the neck region from behind. They must be warm. Traditionally, they pay attention to the legs and pens. However, in an actively moving baby, they are normally cool.
Periodic hiccup in newborns is a common occurrence. And, as a rule, passes quickly, without causing any special concerns. However, there are cases when hiccups are a harbinger of the disease.

Diseases in which there is hiccough

When a hiccup acquires a permanent character, this can not be taken lightly.

It is necessary to consult a doctor and examine the child when:

• attacks are prolonged, more than an hour( normally 15 minutes);The
• attack occurs several times a day, and sometimes for no apparent reason;
• if the child worries, cries, does not sleep well.

Specialists will help to establish the true cause. Currently, there are many diseases in which hiccups occur.

Most likely, when you visit the hospital, the doctor will advise you to examine the child for worm infestations. Medical practice shows that many children have hiccups. After the course to remove the worms, all the symptoms pass. More often helminths are found in toddlers, they are very rare in newborns.

The cause may be abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord. This happens when pregnancy and childbirth were accompanied by complications, hypoxia. In this case, the problem is of central origin. In order to find out the cause, you will need to take an X-ray and undergo an ultrasound examination. Treatment in this case appoints a neuropathologist.

Hiccups occur with problems of the pancreas, liver and digestive system. If there are such concerns, you need to turn to the gastroenterologist.
Sometimes a persistent hiccup causes pneumonia. These can be viral or bacterial infections. Inflammatory processes irritate the diaphragm and cause its contraction. Especially, such moments should be treated with care if the child has recently had an acute respiratory disease.

Although such events in newborns are extremely rare, you need to know about it and, if necessary, to come to the rescue.

Help and treatment

In the case when the hiccup is not alarming, every mother knows what provokes her. Most likely, it will pass by itself, but why wait if you can help. Eliminating the causes will help alleviate the suffering of the little person.

If the child is frozen, it should be warmly dressed, leaned against yourself, warmed. You can do gymnastics. When hiccups occur after feeding, you need to pay attention to how the baby eats. Ensure that he completely swallows the nipple and areola.

A dummy is the cause of air ingress. When the cause of hiccups is a nervous overstrain, it is enough to distract the child's attention and hiccups will stop. You can sing a song, read a book, or feed, offer water. All these simple remedies are effective with a conventional hiccup.

As a rule, hiccups, as such, do not need treatment. And, most likely the doctor will not prescribe any medicines. However, the children's body signals a problem and it must be found and eliminated.

When assessing a baby's condition, always take into account his age. Children of the first year of life develop with great speed. Accordingly, the phenomenon that is normal for a monthly infants can be a pathology for a one-year-old child. If a small baby hiccups after eating, most likely there is nothing to worry about. When a more adult child constantly starts hiccup after eating, there is something to think about.