Baby hiccups, what's the cause? is it dangerous?

Does the child often experience hiccups? Is it normal for your baby to have hiccups? Hiccup or hiccups indeed often experienced by newborns even in the womb. Then what are the causes and how to overcome them? Let's look at a full explanation of the condition of frequent hiccups below.

The cause of the baby having hiccups

As in adults, hiccups occur due to diaphragm contractions in a developing infant.

Quoted from the Indonesian Pediatric Association, hiccups (hiccups) or in medical language singultus is a sudden and involuntary contraction of the diaphragm.

This condition causes sudden suction of air into the lungs through the space between the vocal cords. This is what causes the distinctive "hik-hik" sound.

It is not yet known the exact cause why hiccups occur in babies. However, it is common for children to experience hiccups under 12 months of age.

Even though it is not a condition to worry about too much, you need to know some of the reasons why babies often hiccup, namely:

1. Drinking too much milk

In newborns, hiccups are often caused by the child drinking too much milk and swallowing too quickly so that a lot of air enters the body.

This can cause gastric distension. Gastric distension can push the diaphragm, causing contraction of the diaphragm and hiccups.

The condition of the child who often hiccups can occur after or while breastfeeding.

2. Gastroesophageal reflux

In addition, children who experience hiccups can also be caused by gastroesophageal reflux or commonly referred to as GERD.

Gastroesophageal reflux in infants is a condition caused by the valve between the stomach and esophagus not functioning properly.

This valve serves to prevent food that has entered the stomach from returning to the esophagus.

In children, especially premature babies, these valves are not functioning properly so that food can back up into the esophagus and can cause gastroesophageal reflux.

In addition to experiencing hiccups, children who experience gastroesophageal reflux may cry more often and experience spit up (spitting up) more often.

3. Allergies

In some conditions, allergies can also cause babies to experience hiccups. This is because your child cannot accept certain foods or drinks so that a reaction occurs.

For example, when your child does not match the protein levels in milk, it is difficult for the body to digest it. Therefore, allergies in this baby make him experience hiccups.

4. Swallow lots of air

Too much air getting into the body can also cause babies to hiccup frequently.

This condition occurs when the baby uses a milk bottle, so there is a risk of swallowing a lot of air.

Of the several causes above, there are also other factors that cause your child to experience hiccups, such as:

• Eating too fast
• Drink too cold water in babies over 6 months
• Laughing or coughing too loudly
• Eat foods that are too hot
• Irritation of the diaphragm

How long is a normal baby hiccup?

Apparently, children can experience hiccups several times a day. In developing babies, hiccups can last for 5 to more than 10 minutes.

If your baby seems calm and fine, then you don't need to worry. Try to wait a while for the hiccups to go away on their own.

However, if a child who experiences hiccups does not stop for more than an hour, you should immediately take him to the hospital.

How to deal with babies who have hiccups

Hiccups in children usually stop on their own. However, if you feel that this condition makes your child uncomfortable, it doesn't hurt to try a number of ways to deal with hiccups in babies.

Here are solutions that you can try yourself at home, such as:

1. Give breastmilk and burp the baby

Breastfeeding can be a way to deal with hiccups in babies. The breastfeeding movement can help relax your child's diaphragm and stop hiccups.

Another thing to remember is when giving breast milk or milk, make sure the baby is calm.

If he is hungry and cries, the air that comes in along with the food can cause the child to hiccup.

After breastfeeding, you can let the baby burp to make room for the air trapped in the stomach.

2. Position the baby

After the breastfeeding and burping process, it's time to position the baby. Hold and position the baby in an upright condition for 20 minutes, while holding it.

You can also gently pat the baby on the back. This aims to help gas in the stomach to rise, so it is not stuck and makes the baby hiccup.

3. Give something to smoke

Give your child something to suck on, such as a pacifier, pacifier, or mother's nipple. This method can be done to treat hiccups in babies.

This mouth motion will help relax the diaphragm so that it can stimulate belching and stop hiccups.

In addition, you can also give him water when he starts to feel uncomfortable. This method is likely to soothe the throat and stomach.

4. Take the baby to a warm place

To deal with hiccups, take and place the child in a warm and humid place. Avoid an air-conditioned room or a slightly cold temperature.

Remembering hiccups in babies can be caused by temperatures turning cold.

The baby hiccups in the womb

It has been explained above that children who experience hiccups are normal. Especially at the age of 1 month until the development of the baby at 11 months.

However, it is possible if this condition occurs when the baby is still in the womb. Usually, babies who are hiccupping are often mistaken for a kick in the mother's stomach.

The reason is, both of these activities are both marked by an upheaval that presses from the inside of the stomach.

If you are sitting still and feel a throbbing vibration emanating from one area of ​​your abdomen, your fetus may be hiccupping.

Usually, you begin to feel the occurrence of fetal hiccups in the womb in the second and third trimesters.

What happens when a child hiccups in the womb?

The cause of hiccups in children in the womb is not certain. However, in American Pregnancy it says that at 27 weeks of gestation, you can feel the baby moving a lot more.

This movement may be caused by hiccups. A child who is hiccupping in the womb is also a sign that the lungs are developing.

This hiccup is what also helps the baby in the womb to strengthen the muscles in his respiratory organs

However, be careful if at 32 weeks of pregnancy, you still feel hiccups around the stomach for up to 15 minutes.

Although rare, this can indicate a problem with the umbilical cord.

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