Hiccuping is one of the first habits your baby forms. Your baby may hiccup a lot — even when they're in your womb. Their whole body can twitch, and the "hic" can be quite loud.
"Hiccups in infants are common, usually harmless, and typically resolve on their own after a few minutes," says Gary Kirkilas, DO, a pediatrician at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
You may wonder why your baby gets hiccups after you feed them. That's because some eating habits can trigger newborn hiccups. Most of these "hic" sounds help them develop, but some babies may experience discomfort with hiccups.
Find out the causes for baby hiccups, what to do if your baby's hiccups linger, and when to be concerned.
What Causes Hiccups in Newborns?
The exact cause of hiccups in newborns isn't known, and they often happen for no reason at all.
But hiccups can also happen because your baby:
- Eats too much
- Eats too fast
- Swallows extra air
That's because your baby's belly can swell and rub against their diaphragm to cause hiccups. The diaphragm is a thin sheet of muscle below the lungs that controls breathing patterns.
As the diaphragm spasms, air rushes in and the vocal cords quickly slam shut to make a "hic" sound. In fact, anything that irritates your baby's diaphragm may upset this breathing pattern and trigger hiccups.
So hiccups can happen if your baby gets fussy or they run into a sudden temperature change.
How to Get Rid of Newborn Hiccups
You probably drink a cold glass of water or hold your breath to get rid of hiccups, but a baby can't. Most newborn hiccups go away without treatment, but every baby can react differently.
A baby's hiccups usually don't bother them — they can eat and sleep just fine with hiccups. Sometimes, your baby's whole body moves with hiccups, and you may want to ease them.
Although there's no foolproof method to get rid of your baby's hiccups, you can try to:
- Stop and wait 5-10 minutes before feeding them again.
- Take feeding breaks to burp your baby.
- Feed your baby more slowly.
- Hold your baby upright.
- Give a pacifier.
You can also try a few things to prevent baby hiccups in the first place. Here are some ways you can help prevent newborn hiccups.
Burp your baby during feeding
If your baby starts hiccups during feeding, they can swallow extra air. This can cause gas to build up in their tummy. The gas can upset your baby's diaphragm and trigger more hiccups.
Take a feeding break to burp your baby. Prop them up and gently tap on their back until your baby burps. This can sometimes prevent hiccuping.
Hold your baby up after feeding
After your baby is fed and burped, try to hold your baby up for 25-30 minutes. Safely holding your baby up "will help prevent spit-ups and allow for easier burping," says Kirkilas. And keeping the extra air out of your baby's tummy helps lower the risk for hiccups.
Feed your baby only when they are calm
If your baby is crying and upset, their milk or formula doesn't go down smoothly. This can irritate your baby's throat, tummy, and diaphragm to trigger hiccups. Try to feed your baby before they get very hungry and start crying.
Get a good latch
If you're breastfeeding, make sure your baby gets a good, deep latch over your whole nipple. This prevents your baby from swallowing extra air, and lowers the chance of hiccups and spit-ups.
Fill up the nipple with milk
If you feed with a bottle, tilt the bottle to fill the nipple with milk first. The extra air at the top of the nipple can worsen your baby's hiccuping. But tilting the bottle first helps push the extra air out before you feed your baby.
Get the right nipple size for your baby
The nipple size controls the flow of milk from the bottle into your baby's mouth — not too fast or too slow. But every baby is different, and your baby's eating style may not match their age. If your baby’s bottle flows too much or too little, they can swallow air and get hiccups.
Your baby may need a faster nipple size if they:
- Take longer to eat
- Suck too fast and the nipple collapses
- Get fussy or fall asleep while eating
But your baby may need a slower nipple rate if they:
- Gulp
- Choke
- Swallow hard
- Cough
- Drool more often or milk leaking
- Won't eat
Watch your baby for signs to choose the right nipple size, and talk to your baby's doctor — they can help, too!
Slow down feeding
If your baby eats quickly, they can gulp down milk. They can swallow extra air that swells their belly up. Their swollen belly can press against their diaphragm to trigger hiccups.
You can help your baby by taking short breaks between feedings. This method, called paced bottle feeding, can help lower your baby's chances for hiccups and spit-ups by:
- Choosing a slower nipple flow to mimic breastfeeding
- Allow your baby to latch onto the bottle's nipple
- Take small breaks to sit your baby up, burp, and check on them
How Long Do Hiccups in Babies Last?
Usually, your baby's hiccups go away after a few minutes. And most of the time, baby "hiccups only last 5 to 15 minutes," says Kirkilas. And most baby hiccups are harmless, going away "completely on their own."
As babies grow older, they begin to eat solid food. So, there's a lower chance for air to get trapped in their belly, and hiccups may happen less often.
"Hiccups will likely become less frequent when an infant takes larger volumes of feeds, or has started some solids," says Robert Quillin, MD, a pediatrician and medical director at Pediatrix Newborn Services of Texas.
What Should You Not Do for Baby Hiccups?
It can be tempting to try common quick fixes that adults use when your baby has hiccups — but they don't work for babies and may cause more discomfort or harm. It's important to know what not to do so you can keep your baby safe.
"Adults often use various techniques to rid themselves of hiccups," says Kirkilas. "But these tactics should not be used on babies."
Here are some things you should not do for baby hiccups, avoid:
- Scaring your baby.
- Giving your baby cold water.
- Putting ice cubes in your baby's mouth to suck on — they may choke.
- Offering hot sauce or lemon.
- Pulling on your baby's tongue.
- Pinching your baby's nose.
- Feeding your baby more.
- Giving your baby gripe water.
"These techniques are often ineffective [don't work] for adults and definitely unsafe for infants," says Kirkilas. Most of the time, your baby's hiccups will go away on their own after a few minutes.
When Should You Be Concerned About Hiccups in Newborns?
Although baby hiccups are usually harmless, sometimes they last longer or signal a medical condition. Knowing the signs can help your baby get the right treatment.
Gastroesophageal reflux and hiccups
Some babies get hiccups after eating because of acid reflux, also called gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). The stomach acid can travel up toward your baby's throat to irritate the diaphragm.
Along with hiccups, your baby will have other GERD symptoms such as:
- Spitting up
- Crying or irritable
- Coughing
- Arching their back after eating
"If a baby is uncomfortable with hiccups, particularly after feeding, it may be a sign of reflux, and parents may want to speak to their pediatrician," says Quillin. If your baby has GERD symptoms, talk to your baby's doctor to find out what's causing them and get the right treatment.
When to call the doctor
Most baby hiccups go away after 10 minutes, but sometimes they can last longer.
Call your baby’s doctor if hiccups last longer than 10 minutes and your baby:
- Can’t sleep or eat
- Vomits or spits up often
- Looses weight
- Is irritable, fussy, or arching their back often
Takeaways
Baby hiccups are usually harmless and typically go away on their own after 5-10 minutes. Often triggered by overfeeding and swallowing extra air, you can lower your baby's risk for hiccups with paced feeding, burping, sitting your baby up, and more. Talk to your baby's doctor about acid reflux if you notice your baby coughs, cries, spits up, and hiccups longer than 10 minutes.
Newborn Hiccups FAQs
Do hiccups mean the baby is full?
Hiccups can mean your baby is full — it's the same in adults, too.
But a "full belly isn't the only possible cause," says Kirkilas. "Sometimes, infants get hiccups completely randomly with no association to food."
Do fetal hiccups indicate baby position?
Not always. Hiccups are like "little practice breaths" as your baby's lungs develop. During the later months of pregnancy, hiccups may give you a clue about your baby's head position. But only an ultrasound can really tell you their position, says Quillin.
Does gripe water treat newborn hiccups?
Over-the-counter gripe water is a blend of herbs such as chamomile, ginger, or cinnamon. The dietary supplement claims to help with tummy trouble (digestion problems). Because the FDA doesn't regulate it like medications, there's no real proof that gripe water helps relieve hiccups.
"There's not enough scientific proof that gripe water helps stop hiccups," says Kirkilas. "Hiccups go away on their own without the need for treatment."
What if my baby's hiccups aren't going away?
Call your baby’s doctor if the hiccups aren't going away after 10 minutes and your baby can't sleep or eat, vomits or spits up, is losing weight, or appears unusually fussy. Your baby's doctor can check your baby for gastroesophageal reflux and help you get the right treatment.
