Naturally, toddlers are usually too sensitive and this is because of their under-developed body systems. When the diaphragm of a newborn contracts involuntarily, the vocal cords tend to close suddenly thus resulting to a hiccup. According to scientific research, these bouts of hiccups are bound to be experienced by a newborn very frequently.
The hiccups are not harmful to the infant because they help to expand the infant’s lungs. If your kid’s frequent hiccups are causing you panic and frustration, trying any of the below methods will help you to get rid of these baby hiccups.
Nine Successful Ways of Getting Rid Of Newborn Hiccups
All the below methods are 100% natural and therefore have no adverse health side effects to the baby. The method that you will choose will depend on your baby’s age.They include:
1 – Feed the child frequently
The rate at which you feed your child matters a lot. When a lot of food or too much milk is given to the child, the child’s stomach distends and this creates air in the stomach thus resulting to a hiccup. You should therefore avoid feeding your toddler with a lot of food at one particular time. Instead, you can divide this food into smaller portions and feed the child more frequently.
2 – Check on the child’s diet
Generally, hiccups tend to occur when you are feeding your toddler. Some foods like the dairy foods trigger the occurrence of these hiccups. The most recommended types of foods to feed an infant include: Mashed bananas, apple sauce or rice cereals.
Put the child in an upright posture and feed it slowly. This will prevent chocking and the distension of the toddler’s stomach. When feeding the kid, you should as well change the position that you are holding it so as prevent air from settling in its stomach.
3 – Always hold the drinking bottle at 45 degrees
When giving milk to your child by the use of a sipping bottle, hold the bottle at 45 degrees. This makes the air in the bottle to settle at the bottom part of the bottle. With this in place, the air cannot be swallowed by the toddler thus reducing the incident of a hiccup occurring.
4 – The use of sugar
Place little crystals of sugar under the tongue of the baby. When the sugar is swallowed by the baby, the shape of the diaphragm is disrupted and returned to its normal shape. You should let the child swallow the sugar crystals before the crystals dissolve in its mouth.
You can as well dip the infant’s pacifier in sugar and put the pacifier in the child’s mouth. The sugar will re-direct the attention of the nerve cells to the sweet taste of the sugar. This helps to stop the diaphragm from contracting hence preventing the occurrence of a hiccup.
5 – Burping the Child
When you are feeding your child, the child might swallow in excess air and this extra air can cause the occurrence of hiccups. You therefore ought to burp the child after feeding it. Put the child in an upright posture and move your hand from its back towards its shoulder in a gentle manner.
Burping will bring out the air that has been trapped in the child’s stomach and also loosen its abdominal muscles. This makes the diaphragm to relax thereby stopping the hiccups.
6 – Distract the baby
When your toddler is having some bouts of hiccups, you ought to attract its concentration by distracting it. Distraction is a simple yet effective baby hiccups cure. You can distract the child by giving it an object to play with or an object to suck on.
This can be: a pacifier, a sipping cup, a suck bottle, a rattle, a chew toy or a play toy. The object will not only make the baby happy but will also help to get rid of the hiccups.
7 – Hold the baby in an upright posture
When your baby starts experiencing these hiccups, you should hold it in an upright position. This upright posture removes the excess gas that is in the child’s stomach and passes it naturally to the lungs.
If the child is suffering from reflux, always hold it in an upright posture for 15 – 30 minutes after feeding it.
8 – Keep the baby warm
Another way to eliminate the newborn hiccups is by keeping this infant warm. When there is a sudden drop in the temperature of the child’s room, the baby becomes cold and this may indirectly make the child to have the hiccups.
To keep the baby warm, you can use a baby humidifier to heat its room’s air or cloth the kid with warm clothes.However, you should not keep the baby too warm to the point of excessive sweating.
9 – The use of gripe water
Take a little amount of gripe water and dissolve it in warm water. Administer this liquid into the baby’s mouth by the use of a bottle that has a sucker. This method of getting rid of baby hiccups should only be used if you have the permission of a medical expert.
This is because the grip water usually has artificial ingredients like dill, alcohol, ginger and fennel. The ingredients may cause allergic reactions to your child hence bringing up other adverse health side effects. The physician will be able to tell you whether or not to use the gripe water.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although these bouts of hiccups are not harmful to your kid, it is advisable to visit a medical expert when you realize that the hiccup is becoming persistent or if the hiccup is getting out of control.
This is because the persistent hiccups are usually a clear indication that the child has a sore throat or complications related to breathing. Long-term and over-persistent hiccups may be brought upon by a digestive complication known as gastroesophageal reflux, a cyst in the throat or a tumor in the throat.
If you are still wondering on how to stop infant hiccups, you are wasting time. Choose any of the afore-mentioned methods and you will be guaranteed of quality and satisfactory results with regard to getting rid of newborn hiccups.