How to Cure Baby Hiccups

Baby hiccups (or yoke) in babies can be confusing for parents, but it’s actually completely healthy. Today’s wikiHow will give you tips on how to get rid of hiccups and make your baby feel better quickly!

Table of Contents

Changing feeding habits

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/ac/Formula-Feed-a-Premature-Baby-Step-10-Version-2.jpg/v4-460px-Formula- Feed-a-Premature-Baby-Step-10-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/a/ac/Formula-Feed-a-Premature- Baby-Step-10-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Formula-Feed-a-Premature-Baby-Step-10-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,” bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Try to breastfeed your baby. Hiccups occur when the diaphragm is irritated. ^{[1] X Source of Study} When a baby suckles a small amount of slow-flowing breast milk, the diaphragm has time to rest to switch from irregular contractions back to normal movement.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/2/2c/Mix-Baby-Cereal-Step-4-Version-2.jpg/v4-460px-Mix-Baby-Cereal- Step-4-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/2/2c/Mix-Baby-Cereal-Step-4-Version-2.jpg/ v4-728px-Mix-Baby-Cereal-Step-4-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

If hiccups occur inside the body, try giving your child something to eat. Again, basically, swallowing can help regulate an unstable diaphragm. Some of the ideal foods you can feed your baby are:

Apple sauce
Weaning rice cereal
Mashed bananas

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/9/93/Monitor-a-Child%27s-Fever-Step-9.jpg/v4-460px-Monitor-a-Child% 27s-Fever-Step-9.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/9/93/Monitor-a-Child%27s-Fever-Step-9.jpg/ v4-728px-Monitor-a-Child%27s-Fever-Step-9.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

If your child is old enough, give them water to drink. Many people advocate drinking from the “improper position” (e.g. hunched over or slightly leaning back), but both are clearly difficult and dangerous for young children. It’s best to give your baby a bottle of water (with a pacifier) or even a sippy cup if he’s old enough.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/9/93/Gradually-Stop-Breastfeeding-Step-2.jpg/v4-460px-Gradually-Stop-Breastfeeding-Step-2. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/9/93/Gradually-Stop-Breastfeeding-Step-2.jpg/v4-728px-Gradually-Stop-Breastfeeding-Step- 2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Slows down milk flow. When your baby swallows too much milk and too quickly, the stomach will swell, causing hiccups on the diaphragm. Try feeding your baby twice, half at a time, instead of feeding your baby a lot in one go. ^{[2] X Research Source} That way, your baby will swallow less milk each time, hopefully preventing hiccups in the first place.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/8/81/Calm-a-Baby-Step-16-Version-2.jpg/v4-460px-Calm-a-Baby- Step-16-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/8/81/Calm-a-Baby-Step-16-Version-2.jpg/ v4-728px-Calm-a-Baby-Step-16-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Pause and pat your baby on the back to burp in between feeds. Another way to slow the flow of milk into your baby’s body is to give your baby a “midtime break” during each feeding. As you prepare to move your baby from one breast to the other, it’s a good idea to pause and burp your baby on the back before continuing to feed on the other side. If you’re bottle-feeding your baby, pause to burp your baby once the bottle is half full. Your baby will be able to digest some of the milk, preventing over-fullness and initiating hiccups. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Apply folk “tips”

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e0/Sterilize-Glass-Baby-Bottles-Step-6.jpg/v4-460px-Sterilize-Glass-Baby-Bottles- Step-6.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e0/Sterilize-Glass-Baby-Bottles-Step-6.jpg/v4-728px-Sterilize- Glass-Baby-Bottles-Step-6.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser -output”></div>”}

Use some sugar. Originated as a “tip” of “nap” mothers, but some doctors are really behind this story. ^{[5] X Research Source}^{[6] X Research Source} Make the sugar stick to your pacifier or finger. Just wet your finger/pacifier and press into the sugar cup. Then, let the baby suck for a few minutes, the hiccups will gradually go away. ^{[7] X Source of Research} This view (so far, very unscientific) assumes that the attempt to swallow granulated sugar will disrupt and return the diaphragm to normal, other than that there is no other explanation .

Note: try putting some sugar under your child’s tongue and encourage him to swallow quickly, before the sugar dissolves.
Another way to do this is to dip the pacifier in sugar and put it in the baby’s mouth.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e6/Formula-Feed-a-Premature-Baby-Step-12.jpg/v4-460px-Formula-Feed-a- Premature-Baby-Step-12.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e6/Formula-Feed-a-Premature-Baby-Step-12.jpg/ v4-728px-Formula-Feed-a-Premature-Baby-Step-12.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Baby back massage. Gentle back massage will relax the muscles, contributing to a more comfortable diaphragm. Rub your baby’s back with up-and-down movements, moving your hands from the waist up to the shoulders, while the baby is in an upright position. This technique can take several minutes to work.

Another way is to lay your baby on his stomach and let him move back and forth a little. This will remove the air bubbles that originally caused the hiccups. Now, gently rub your baby’s back until the hiccups subside.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/8/87/Cure-Baby-Hiccups-Step-7.jpg/v4-460px-Cure-Baby-Hiccups-Step-7. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/8/87/Cure-Baby-Hiccups-Step-7.jpg/v4-728px-Cure-Baby-Hiccups-Step- 7.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/8/80/Feed-a-Cpicky-Baby-Step-10.jpg/v4-460px-Feed-a-Cpicky-Baby- Step-10.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/8/80/Feed-a-Cpicky-Baby-Step-10.jpg/v4-728px-Feed- a-Cpicky-Baby-Step-10.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser -output”></div>”}

Back patting the child. This will help the baby burp out the excess gas in the body. Usually a baby will give one last loud hiccup before the hiccups stop. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/58/Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-7.jpg/v4-460px-Treat-Acid-Reflux- in-Newborns-Step-7.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/58/Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-7.jpg/ v4-728px-Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-7.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Try giving your baby a syrup for gripe water. Although there is no medical evidence that this medicine is effective in treating hiccups, many parents still use this syrup to ease their child’s intestinal discomfort.

Dilute some colic syrup with water and pump it into a dropper. Note that your child may be allergic to one of the colic ingredients, including alcohol, ginger, fennel, fennel seeds, and more. ^{[9] X Research Source}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/7/7e/Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-5.jpg/v4-460px-Treat-Acid-Reflux- in-Newborns-Step-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/7e/Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-5.jpg/ v4-728px-Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Hold the child in a fully upright position. Try to keep your baby upright if possible, or hold her hand and help her stand. Your child may have reflux after eating. In this case, the doctor recommends that parents maintain the child’s upright position for 30 minutes after eating.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/b/bc/Calm-a-Baby-Step-11-Version-2.jpg/v4-460px-Calm-a-Baby- Step-11-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/b/bc/Calm-a-Baby-Step-11-Version-2.jpg/ v4-728px-Calm-a-Baby-Step-11-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Distract children. Distracting your baby with games or toys will not only keep your baby happy while hiccups are happening, but it can also stop the hiccups.

Play peek-a-boo.
Give your baby a rattle.
Give your baby a chew toy.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/4/45/Calm-a-Baby-Step-10-Version-2.jpg/v4-460px-Calm-a-Baby- Step-10-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/4/45/Calm-a-Baby-Step-10-Version-2.jpg/ v4-728px-Calm-a-Baby-Step-10-Version-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Do not try any other method. While the following are all common folk “tricks”, they can actually hurt your baby inadvertently, so it’s best to avoid them. ^{[10] X Research Sources} These “tips” include:

Startle your baby (works for adults but often doesn’t work for children)
Press down on the tip of the baby’s head
Press the baby’s eyeball
Pull the child’s tongue
Hit the baby on the back.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/ac/Set-New-Year%27s-Resputions-As-a-New-Parent-Step-11.jpg/v4- 460px-Set-New-Year%27s-Resputions-As-a-New-Parent-Step-11.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/a/ac/ Set-New-Year%27s-Resputions-As-a-New-Parent-Step-11.jpg/v4-728px-Set-New-Year%27s-Resputions-As-a-New-Parent-Step-11. jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

If there is no successful way, just wait. While hiccups are annoying, most hiccups aren’t a sign of something serious. If your child has hiccups for hours or days, you should take him to the doctor. But for most parents, simple patience and non-intervention is usually what the doctor asks.

Diagnosing if your baby has gastroesophageal reflux disease

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/f/f7/Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-1.jpg/v4-460px-Treat-Acid-Reflux- in-Newborns-Step-1.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/f/f7/Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-1.jpg/ v4-728px-Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-1.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Diagnosis of other pathological symptoms. Some hiccups are caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease. This is a common disease when young children have reflux of food from the stomach into the esophagus, causing pain and hiccups. If your child seems to hiccup very often, this could be the cause. Here are some symptoms to watch out for:

Crying due to stomachache
Stomachache
Vomiting often

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/3/3a/Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-8.jpg/v4-460px-Treat-Acid-Reflux- in-Newborns-Step-8.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/3/3a/Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-8.jpg/ v4-728px-Treat-Acid-Reflux-in-Newborns-Step-8.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:” <div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Talk to your pediatrician. If you’re concerned that your child may have GERD, see your pediatrician to discuss treatment options. In many temporary cases, your doctor may advise you to let the disease go away on its own. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Advice

Your baby’s hiccups will go away on their own.
Newborn babies may feel uncomfortable with hiccups. Try breastfeeding or rocking until your baby is comfortable. This can help the muscles relax.
Talk to your baby: when you talk, your baby will be distracted and the hiccups will go away on their own.

Warning

Do not scare or make the baby cry. While it can get rid of hiccups, it won’t be good in the long run.

Steps

Changing feeding habits

Apply folk “tips”

Diagnosing if your baby has gastroesophageal reflux disease

Advice

Warning

Related Posts