To get rid of hiccups in a newborn. What to do with hiccups in newborns? Hiccup provocateurs in babies

Hiccups in newborns are a fairly common condition. Many mothers, while still pregnant, feel their baby hiccups in the tummy. Therefore, as a rule, hiccups do not scare parents. However, looking at a small defenseless hiccuping child, one feels sorry for him. How to get rid of hiccups? What are the ways to do this?

What is hiccups and why does it appear in newborns

A hiccup is a sharp involuntary sigh, which is explained by the contraction of the diaphragm. hiccups baby in most cases considered normal. As a rule, it lasts from 5 minutes to half an hour. Then the attack of hiccups goes away on its own.

Most often, hiccups in babies occur after feeding. This is the most common cause of physiological hiccups, due to the imperfection of work. digestive system. The child hiccups after feeding for two reasons:

  • Air trapped in the tummy during feeding;
  • Binge eating.

When feeding, air enters the baby's tummy, which begins to put pressure on the diaphragm, causing it to involuntary contractions. Another option is that the child overeats, as a result of which the full tummy “presses” on the diaphragm, provoking its contractions and, as a result, hiccups.

There are other causes of hiccups in babies:

  • Cold;
  • Excessive nervous excitability;
  • Diseases.

Hiccups in newborns in the first two cases can be stopped by following the rules described below. If hiccups are a symptom of the disease, you need to urgently contact a specialist for diagnosis and treatment.


How to get rid of hiccups?

To know how to stop hiccups, you need to determine the cause of its occurrence. Consider only those cases that do not relate to serious diseases.

If hiccups appear after eating, adjustments should be made to the feeding process. This is done in order to prevent the main causes of this type of hiccups: overeating and air ingestion with food. The following solutions to the problem are offered:

  1. When overeating, you need to reduce portions, and increase the frequency of feeding. In this case, one should not forget about the mode.
  2. Swallow air during feeding and infants, and artificers. When preventing hiccups (as well as intestinal colic and regurgitation) in infants, you need to monitor correct attachment baby to the chest. The halo of the nipple should be pulled into the baby's mouth, the mother should not feel pain and hear smacking sounds. For children on artificial feeding you should choose special bottles that do not allow air bubbles to form in the mixture. You should also pay attention to the hole in the nipple - it should not be too big.
  3. In order for the air that has entered during feeding to come out, it is necessary to vilify the child after eating in a “column”, that is, in vertical position without forgetting to support the head. This is done until the characteristic belching of air.

What to do if the baby hiccups not after eating? If the child is cold, wrap him or keep him warm own body, rocking, and the hiccups will pass. You can understand that the baby is cold by feeling his arms, legs and nose: they will be cold.

If infant hiccups due to stress, you should calm him down, give him a drink warm water and eliminate irritants. It can be loud music, noise, screams. If hiccups appear often enough, you should seek the advice of a neurologist.


When to See a Doctor

Hiccups in a child should not cause concern to parents if it does not have the following manifestations:

  • Hiccups (meaning those that do not occur after eating) are often manifested;
  • Hiccups do not calm down for a long time, last more than an hour;
  • Hiccups cause pain and discomfort. For example, the baby cannot eat.

In these cases, you need to seek advice from a pediatrician or neurologist.

Be attentive to your own children from birth. About everything that worries or worries, you need to ask the observing local pediatrician. Grow healthy!

In a family where there is a baby, parents carefully monitor his health, so such a physiological manifestation as hiccups in newborns causes them justifiable concern. Meanwhile, experts have proven that even an unborn baby can hiccup - for example, at a six-week period, the fetus already has hiccups. In infants, it appears very often, it can last for several minutes, or it can last for an hour or more, which causes discomfort in the child, preventing falling asleep. In order for hiccups not to raise panic among mothers, you need to know the causes of the appearance and find ways to stop it in the baby.

Hiccups are a normal physiological reaction of the body, and the baby can hiccup even before birth - in the mother's tummy

Reasons why a newborn hiccups

In order not to worry in vain, parents should know: if a newborn hiccups, this is physiological phenomenon natural origin. It can pass on its own, but if the hiccups continue for a long time, then it must be removed. Before looking for ways to eliminate it, you need to clarify why the baby has this phenomenon? Pediatricians see the causes of hiccups in the following:

  • She often appears as a result of spitting up after sucking milk, which is explained physiological features child's body.
  • If the mother notices that the newborn hiccups all the time, then you need to look for the immediate causes of this condition. IN pediatric practice it has been noticed that one of the most common is aerophagia - a pathology when air is swallowed in large quantities, and then it is burped. Aerophagy - bad sign, as frequent burping leads to weight loss in a child. To eliminate such a reason, you need to change the position of the baby, then a burp will come out, and he will calm down. You can establish aerophagy by a voluminous tummy, crying while sucking (see also:).
  • Although pediatricians consider hiccups to be normal, it is still better avoid triggers: it could be the tide mother's milk while sucking, wrong posture baby at breast, sucking fast when hungry, overeating. When feeding with milk formula, such factors will be an improperly prepared papilla (the hole is larger than normal) and an unfortunate position of the bottle.

It is the wrong, non-physiological posture of the child that can be the cause of squeezing the diaphragm and letting air in. You should carefully monitor how parents and relatives hold the child in their arms.

What to do if the newborn hiccups after feeding?

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If overeating has occurred and the newborn hiccups after feeding, then the mothers themselves are to blame, especially the young ones, who do not yet have sufficient experience in caring for children. They often worry about the amount of sucked milk and feed the baby - this action provokes pressure on the diaphragm. When an overeating of a baby occurs, it is not difficult for a mother to establish; for this, nutritional control can be introduced - for example, change the volume of milk or milk formula in subsequent feeding. In order to eliminate overeating, you need to use preventive measures:

  • There is a lot of controversy in pediatrics about how it is better to feed the baby - on demand or by the hour. It has already been established that babies overeat from mothers who feed by the hour. This is explained by the fact that the child has a small volume of the stomach and a portion of milk is only enough for a short time. wait next appointment It is very difficult for a baby to eat food, so during sucking he is hungry. The baby begins to suckle greedily at the breast, resulting in an overload of the baby's stomach with a large amount of food. The newborn after feeding in this case hiccups.
  • It must also be taken into account that breast milk conditionally divided into two types: anterior and posterior. Experts note that the back has a higher fat content, and it is with them that the baby can get enough. In a mother who has a lot of milk, the baby is quickly saturated with the anterior, and then only with the posterior, more saturated. It turns out that by the end of feeding the baby is already full.

In order not to overfeed the baby, mommy must calculate the amount required mixture or milk for the day according to the table
  • In infants up to 3 months observed in the intestines flatulence. This is due to the underdevelopment of the gastrointestinal tract, so children may have colic, causing hiccups(We recommend reading:). Mom can easily determine if her baby has colic, because at this moment he is restless, trying to raise his legs, the tummy is elastic, even hard (we recommend reading:).

What other reasons cause hiccups?

Often a newborn hiccups and without any connection with feeding. Mom is worried, because she follows the pediatrician's instructions for feeding, and the baby's hiccups do not go away. It is important to understand here that there are other reasons for its appearance. Experts believe that the provoking factors are:

  • Excited state during emotional upheaval. Due to the weakness and instability of the nervous system, infants may be afraid of something unusual (for example, unfamiliar surroundings, loud sounds, bright lights), while anxiety state resulting in spasm of the diaphragm.
  • Everyone knows that hypothermia is sure sign the appearance of hiccups in the crumbs. A caring mother should touch the nose, arms, legs of the crumbs, if they are cold, it means that he is frozen. Hypothermia can occur due to poor thermoregulation in children, so it is necessary to maintain a constant body temperature, wear socks, a blouse so that the child does not freeze.
  • Sometimes hiccups occur in sleep, pediatricians also give a scientific and practical explanation for this. If a newborn sleeps and hiccups in a dream, it means that the diaphragm contracts, the vocal cords close, and a sound that frightens parents is obtained. The baby wakes up on its own, as it becomes difficult for him to breathe. To eliminate discomfort and help the baby, the mother needs to take it to her chest, hold it in an upright position and press it with her stomach to warm and soothe.

Pressing the baby to her in a vertical position, the mother contributes to the gradual discharge of air and the normalization of the position of the internal organs

Preventive measures for hiccups

Mom who sticks to such uncomplicated but important rules, can always prevent hiccups in the baby. To do this, you must follow preventive measures which pediatricians advise to use:

  • Feeding is best done at the request of the baby. In this case, reduce the portion of food, and make the intervals between feedings more frequent.
  • In order for the baby to be better saturated with hind milk, you can express milk (front) if the mother has a strong rush of it.
  • Grab maternal breast when sucking, you need to correctly, and the mother herself can help the baby. If feeding is with a bottle, then the nipple should be with the correct hole and be at (we recommend reading:) the right angle so that the baby does not choke on the liquid. classic rule- the baby should drink from the bottle with a little tension.
  • Feeding should only be done when mother and baby are comfortable. If the baby is worried, it is better to wait a bit, pick it up, calm it down and only then feed it.
  • So that the baby does not get cold, you need to constantly maintain body temperature, check with the touch of your hand t of his arms and legs.
  • When breastfeeding, the mother should consult a pediatrician about her diet and follow a diet so as not to cause gas in the baby.

If, nevertheless, the newborn hiccups

What to do if the baby still has hiccups? Mom should take the baby in her arms and warm his tummy with her warmth to get rid of colic. Hold the "column" at your chest (more in the article:), wait until the baby has released excess air, and the hiccups will stop.

Another way to stop hiccuping can be plain water. You should give the baby some water to drink to get rid of prolonged hiccups.

When should parents worry?

Parents need to know that hiccups are not a pathology, they do not require treatment, there will be time to get rid of them, but if this condition lasts all day, it causes discomfort and inconvenience to the newborn. To stop it, you should contact a pediatrician - he will help take appropriate measures, carry out prevention and prevent the development of any complex disease (various infections, pneumonia, gastrointestinal tract).

Hiccups in newborns, and even prolonged ones, often frighten parents, although this does not bring much suffering to the child himself.

The mechanism of hiccups at any age is a convulsive contraction of the diaphragm (the muscle barrier between the chest and abdominal cavity) with a closed glottis - in this case, a characteristic movement and sound occur. Unlike vomiting, which is a manifestation of the “anti-peristalsis” of the stomach and is often caused by nutritional reasons, hiccups are a purely nervous, reflex phenomenon, not directly related to food. However, some errors in feeding can cause it.
What are the causes of hiccups in newborns:
This may be overeating, when the walls of an overstretched stomach press on the diaphragm, there may be a desire to drink, swallowing air - both due to a large hole in the nipple or too active absorption of food, and due to dysfunction of certain nerve centers, for example, when the brain is damaged by hypoxia during childbirth or during pregnancy is a kind of neurosis. Often the baby hiccups because he is cold, or from bloating - the mechanism is the same as with a full stomach - the pressure of the swollen intestinal walls through the stomach onto the diaphragm. Sometimes hiccups are caused by nervous shaking - the arrival stranger, bright light, loud sound - this can also be attributed to a neurotic manifestation, although it also happens in children with a healthy, but too sensitive nervous system. Helminthiases can also cause hiccups, but here, rather, we are talking Still, not about newborns, but about older children.
If hiccups are not a constant, frequently occurring phenomenon, one should try to eliminate its cause. In case of hypothermia - bring the child to a warm room and immediately feed, even with an extraordinary meal. Give some water, sometimes hiccups disappear immediately. If the baby sucks very actively - take a break for him, briefly removing him from the chest and holding him vertically - the excess air that has entered the stomach will leave. The same goes for artificial feeding- do not make a wide hole on the nipple - of course, feeding the baby quickly is a great temptation, but that's just not good for the baby. After feeding, you must also hold the baby upright - this will save not only from hiccups, but also from spitting up - common problem newborns. If hiccups are neurotic in nature, associated with encephalopathy or other pathology, this pathology must be detected by visiting a neurologist or other necessary specialists and patiently treated. If your child reacts with hiccups to emotional upheavals - the child should have these stresses minimal amount. You can temporarily refuse from noisy guests, and from loud music and other annoying phenomena.
When hiccups in a newborn child are permanent, incessant, the baby needs to be examined urgently - this can be a manifestation of both pneumonia and a severe lesion of the central nervous system, in which you cannot get off with just a calm atmosphere in the house - such a child needs long and persistent treatment, appropriate care, sometimes even requiring hospitalization.

With such an unpleasant ailment as hiccups, everyone met in his life. Basically, it does not cause strong troubles and fears. Another thing is when hiccups occur in newborns. Why does the spasm begin to bother, what to do so that the hiccups go away, and also what are its features in newborns?

Hiccups in young children are a manifestation of the process of adaptation to food and feeding.

Why and how does it occur?

Hiccups in a newborn have nothing to do with the breathing process. Basically, the reason for its appearance lies in the sudden contraction of the diaphragm. Young children suffer from hiccups more often due to the fact that the diaphragm muscle is not yet formed and, at the slightest irritation, it begins to contract involuntarily.

Causes

Rarely, but still it happens that hiccups in babies are associated with some internal diseases. It may be gastroesophageal disease, when the spasm is observed quite for a long time, sometimes more than a day, which brings discomfort to the baby. The baby hiccups, vomits profusely after feeding and coughs.

When spasms arouse suspicion in parents, do not hesitate and show the baby to the doctor. However, most often, hiccups in infants are not pathological in nature and develop against the background of such factors:

  • Incorrect attachment, as a result of which, when feeding, the baby swallows a large number of air, which subsequently irritates the diaphragm. Along the way, the baby suffers from frequent colic, irritated, constantly crying;
  • Overfeeding the baby, when the unformed digestive system cannot cope with a copious amount of food. In addition to hiccups, in this case, the child also spits up profusely. It is necessary to establish an optimal feeding regimen;
  • Unformed nervous system. In this case, you need to calm the child, give him a drink of water, make sure that there are fewer annoying factors, loud sounds, bright lights in the environment;
  • The child wants to drink, in this case, try to provide him with a drink.
  • The baby is cold and needs to be warmed up. Make sure that the baby is dressed according to the weather, do not let him freeze. Overheating also negatively affects the well-being of the baby.

Frequent hiccups: norm or pathology?

With frequent and prolonged hiccups the child needs to see a doctor, as this may be a sign various pathologies

If the duration of hiccups is a week, the child is exhausted by seizures, nervous, irritated, then this may be evidence of pathologies and diseases that occur in the body. Pathological hiccups happens central, and also peripheral genesis.

With central hiccups, the brain or spinal cord is most often affected. The main factors can be severe prolonged labor, when the child was subjected to hypoxia and trauma. The development and untimely detection of intrauterine infection can also cause pathology.

Viral diseases, such as meningitis, herpetic encephalitis, can cause brain damage if crumbs flow in the body inflammatory processes(pneumonia, inflammation of the kidneys, liver, sepsis).

The fact that the child is unwell, in addition to hiccups, will also be evidenced by symptoms such as lethargy, irritability, fever, rapid weight loss. If the symptoms do not go away within a week, it is urgent to go to the hospital.

When hiccups have a peripheral form, then in this case the phrenic nerve and its branches are affected. The root cause of this pathology may be congenital lung tumors, aortic aneurysm, neuritis of the phrenic nerve. Sometimes hiccups can develop with congenital diseases of the digestive system. To exclude these symptoms, you need to visit a doctor at the slightest suspicion, who will determine why the child is suffering from spasms and how to get rid of them correctly.

When to see a doctor for treatment?

When a baby often hiccups, it is difficult to get rid of this ailment, why baby restless and whining, he eats and sleeps poorly. In this case, it is necessary to show the baby to a neurologist. After the reason why the baby hiccups is established, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment that can fight the disease.

First of all, the child will be tested for the presence of worms. This is a common cause of hiccups. For problems with digestion, liver and pancreas, a gastroenterologist prescribes treatment. To do this, you will need to undergo an ultrasound examination and pass other specific tests.

Pay attention to whether the acute respiratory disease preceded the onset of the problem, as this may be in the nature of complications on cardiovascular system which can also cause hiccups. In children of one month of age, weak immunity and the slightest disease is fraught with serious consequences.

Hiccups in a dream in a newborn

The reason for the constant hiccups of the crumbs in a dream is associated with the constantly tense muscles of the diaphragm, since the crumbs are used to this state even in the womb. month old baby still retains some intrauterine habits, so spasms can be repeated.

The baby may hiccup in his sleep because he is cold. Keep track of how many degrees the thermometer shows. The temperature should be between 18-20 degrees. In extreme heat, the child may hiccup in his sleep due to the fact that he began to be tormented by thirst. Calm down the baby, let him drink water room temperature, this should help get rid of spasms and fall asleep.

An unformed nervous system can also cause hiccups in a dream. Children of one month of age are very sensitive to irritants in their sleep. Sometimes loud talking or music can disturb sleep and cause hiccups. It is necessary to ensure that nothing disturbs the child during sleep. When the baby is awake, give him a relaxing massage. This is very beneficial for the general well-being of children.

If the child hiccups a lot when he sleeps, while he is restless, cannot fall asleep, cries a lot, watch him for a week. If the causes are eliminated, and the condition does not improve, you should see a doctor.

What to do to stop the disease in the baby?

Most often, the baby begins to hiccup after being fed. This is a consequence of improper attachment to the breast during feeding, as a result, a lot of air is swallowed, which is why the disease begins. It is necessary to learn how to apply correctly, if the mother does not succeed, it is necessary that she asks to teach a specialist in breastfeeding. It is also very important to vilify the baby vertically after eating, this will help excess air to escape from the stomach.

Try to feed more often, but give less milk each time. The stomach will not be overloaded and the constant hiccups will pass.

Give the baby a drink first, and then try to feed. Such an action can stop the attack. It is necessary to warm the baby if he is cold. Wrap your baby in a blanket and snuggle up to you. Do not speak loudly and listen to music when the child is around. It might annoy him nervous system, after which the disease may begin again.

In the room where the newborn is, there should be no bright lighting and loud noise. Do not introduce your baby to strangers. Even two month old baby may become frightened and have hiccups. When helping a child, it is worth considering his age. What is normal for a baby of one month may be completely incompatible with the behavior of a child in a year.

A newborn child requires special care and attention from parents due to the physiological characteristics of their body. Such a phenomenon as frequent hiccups in babies scares many mothers and makes them see a doctor. In order to help the child and alleviate his condition, it is necessary to establish the causes that caused hiccups.

Causes of hiccups

It can result from the influence of many factors. The process of hiccuping in a baby begins when the vagus nerve is clamped, which passes through the diaphragm and connects internal organs. Contractions of the diaphragm cause hiccups.

Most common causes diaphragm contraction:

  • hypothermia,
  • binge eating,
  • swallowing air,
  • fright,
  • immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract.

Often, hiccups in a newborn begin after crying or swallowing large amounts of air while feeding. This contributes to the immaturity of the digestive system.

In addition, the baby may eat more formula or milk than usual, causing the stomach to distend and the diaphragm to compress. This occurs when the baby is not properly attached to the breast or when there is too much milk.

Also, frequent hiccups in newborns can be a consequence of hypothermia and the body's response to this condition.

Overeating can cause frequent hiccups in the baby

Hiccups sometimes appear even in a fetus in the womb, as a result of the development of hypoxia or the ingestion of amniotic fluid.

Other causes of hiccups in babies include intestinal colic where a large amount of gas accumulates. Gastrointestinal tract the child is unable to cope with this problem. Affects the formation of gases nutrition of a nursing mother: use fatty foods, smoked meats, pickles, etc.

External stimuli

External stimuli that can cause hiccups in infants include emotional shock, excitement and anxiety. Too bright light or loud music can lead to reflex muscle tension, and in the future - to squeezing the diaphragm. Even unfamiliar surroundings or new faces can cause anxiety in a child.

Prolonged and persistent hiccups, which are accompanied by constant coughing, regurgitation and irritability, in a newborn can be a sign of gastroesophageal disease, pneumonia, spinal cord injury and liver disease. In this case, you should immediately contact your pediatrician to determine the cause and conduct appropriate treatment.

Treatment

Frequent hiccups are considered normal and harmless, which last no more than 15 minutes and pass on their own without affecting general condition child. To eliminate it, it is enough to establish the cause and eliminate the provoking factors. If the hiccups do not disappear on their own and take on a permanent character, you need to contact your local doctor.

Since hiccups in and of themselves are not a disease, they should not become serious reason anxiety, and no special treatment is required. Just enough to keep certain rules and recommendations that will help reduce the likelihood of its occurrence several times:

  • after feeding, keep the baby in an upright position and stroke his tummy;
  • start feeding the baby when he is not too hungry and in the most upright position;
  • increase the frequency of feeding and reduce the amount of milk (mixture);
  • give the child some warm water to drink;
  • watch your diet and stick to your diet.

Hiccups in newborns are, in most cases, a normal physiological phenomenon that does not affect the state of his health in any way and goes away on his own as the growing body forms.