What should I do if my newborn hiccups while sleeping?

Newborn babies are very cute when they sleep. Mothers often find that their babies always hiccup when they sleep. So what is the reason for newborn babies to hiccup when they sleep? What should we do if newborn babies hiccup when they sleep? How to prevent newborn babies from hiccuping when they sleep? The following editor will introduce you in detail.

Why do newborns hiccup while sleeping?

The symptoms of baby hiccups are the sudden and strong contraction of the diaphragm muscles, accompanied by the involuntary closure of the glottis, which makes the typical "hiccup" sound. Compared with older children, most babies do not seem to feel any discomfort, unless the hiccups continue for too long, which will interfere with their normal life such as eating.

Babies often hiccup while sleeping mostly because of abdominal bloating after feeding. They will hiccup when they are laid down to lie flat. Because the nipple hole is small, the baby needs to suck very hard when sucking milk and swallow too much air, causing bloating.

What to do if a newborn hiccups while sleeping

Newborn hiccups during sleep are caused by diaphragm spasm. It is generally normal and does not require medication. You can give your baby oral pancreatic enzyme powder to help digestion.

If the hiccups are caused by undigested milk and food or the person has no appetite for milk and food, he or she may smell an undigested sour and rotten odor when hiccups occur. You can use methods to help the food get digested and relieve the stagnation. Once the food is digested and the gas is relieved, the hiccups will naturally stop.

If the baby suddenly has hiccups without any other illness, there is generally no need to treat it. The hiccups will usually stop on their own after a while, unless the attack lasts for a long time, lasting 5-10 minutes.

After the baby finishes drinking milk, parents can hold the baby for a while longer, gently pat the baby's back, or gently massage the baby's abdomen to help expel gas and prevent the baby from burping and regurgitating milk.

Try feeding your baby in small, frequent meals, or pick up your baby and pat his back after feeding to help him pass gas. Feeding your baby some warm water or distracting him with interesting activities can also help improve hiccups.

If your baby hiccups frequently and is accompanied by a poor appetite, weight loss or frequent vomiting, you should take your baby to the hospital for a detailed examination.

How to prevent newborns from hiccuping while sleeping

The feeding posture should be correct. Avoid feeding too hastily, too fast, too cold, or too hot. If you are breastfeeding while sitting, make sure you are in a comfortable position and use cushions or pillows to support your arms and back when necessary. You can also prepare a small stool in advance. Putting your feet on the stool can raise your thighs and bring the newborn's head closer to the mother's breast.

If the hiccups and milk regurgitation are caused by "gastroesophageal reflux", the newborn can be allowed to stand upright on the mother's shoulder to pass gas after feeding. Do not let the newborn lie flat within half an hour. After 4 months old, rice flour or wheat flour can be added to increase the viscosity of the milk to prevent hiccups.

Newborns should be fed in a quiet state and environment. Never feed them when they are too hungry or crying loudly, otherwise they will eat too fast and inhale too much air, causing hiccups.

Let the newborn take a break in the middle of drinking milk, let the newborn stand upright on the mother's legs, and gently pat his back to expel gas. Burping after the newborn can avoid continuous hiccups.

If the newborn hiccups because of an allergy to milk protein, special formula milk can be used as directed by the doctor.

Why do newborns hiccup?

1. Due to improper care by parents, the baby is exposed to cold, which induces hiccups. If the baby has no other diseases but suddenly hiccups, and the hiccups are loud, powerful and continuous, it is usually caused by cold. At this time, you can give the baby some hot water, and at the same time pay attention to keeping the chest and abdomen warm, cover him with warm cotton clothes and quilts, and put a hot water bottle outside the clothes and quilts to keep warm in winter. Hiccups can sometimes be cured without treatment. If the baby's hiccups last for a long time or occur frequently, you can also soak a small amount of orange peel in boiling water (orange peel has the effect of unblocking the qi, clearing stomach turbidity, and regulating spleen qi), and drink it when the water temperature is suitable. The hiccups will stop when the water is cold enough.

2. Due to lack of dietary control over the baby, feeding the baby too much milk, or feeding the baby too much raw and cold milk, or taking excessive amounts of cold medicines, the baby's spleen and stomach function will be weakened, causing the stomach gas to move up and move the diaphragm, leading to hiccups. At this time, parents can use methods to help digestion and relieve stagnation, such as gently massaging the baby's chest and abdomen to let the hiccups go down, or drinking hawthorn water to relieve gas and defecation (hawthorn tastes sour, helps digestion and strengthens the stomach, and increases the secretion of digestive enzymes). Once the gas is smooth, the defecation will be unblocked, and the hiccups will naturally stop.

3. Hiccups can also be induced by choking when the baby eats too quickly or after crying. In fact, hiccups in newborns are mostly benign and self-limiting. They are not as uncomfortable as those in adults and will go away after a while. Parents don't need to worry too much.