Why does the newborn hiccup after feeding. What to do?

Young mothers very closely monitor the behavior, health and condition of their baby. Especially if the child is the first and the woman does not know all the intricacies of caring for the baby. Therefore, in the event of any unusual situations, parents worry whether this is normal and whether it is necessary to help the baby. Today we will talk about hiccups of a newborn - how and why it occurs, whether it is necessary to fight hiccups and what to do if hiccups do not go away.

Causes of hiccups of a newborn after feeding

Hiccups are abrupt contractions of the diaphragm in the form of tremors. The diaphragm is a muscle that separates the abdominal and chest cavities. In fact, hiccups are a congenital reflex that helps us survive inside the womb; hiccups help circulate fluids inside the fetal lungs. After birth, hiccups gradually lose their destiny, and the reflex slowly fades away. That is why hiccups most often occur in newborns and much less often in adults. So, let's try to understand why the children of the first month of life hiccup after feeding.

1. Most often, hiccups occur if the child, when sucking, swallowed not only milk, but also air. This can happen for several reasons. Firstly, if the attachment is incorrect, an absolute vacuum is not created between the areola of the nipple and the mouth of the baby. Secondly, the baby can swallow air if the milk flows from the chest very intensively and the baby just does not have time to swallow, he has to constantly break away from the chest. In addition, the baby can swallow air if his nose is blocked, and he is forced to constantly take his mouth from his chest in order to breathe. If the baby has a stomach ache, he also constantly breaks away from his chest and cries.
2. If the baby is breast-fed, the reason may be in the wrong bottle, namely, the nipple. If the opening in the nipple is too large, the baby can swallow the contents very quickly, along with air.
3. Hiccups may occur in case of overeating. If the stomach grows in size and stretches, it presses on the diaphragm, it contracts and hiccups occur.
4. Sometimes the cause of hiccups may be the formation of gases in the intestines of the child. The fact is that the digestive tract of the baby has not yet matured, so we may experience colic, frequent hiccups, diarrhea, etc.
5. Thirst can be the cause of hiccups, in this case the mucous membrane of the baby’s digestive tube simply dries up.

Hiccups can occur not only after feeding, but also after heavy crying. In this case, the baby also easily swallows a large amount of air. In addition, hiccups may be the result of hypothermia. If the baby hiccups for a long time, first touch its nose, legs and arms. If the limbs are cold, probably the reason for the hiccups is in the cool air. Often, hiccups appear amid fear and a strong nervous shock. A child may be afraid of a sharp flash of light, a loud sound, etc.

How to feed a child so that he does not hiccup

Many mothers try to protect their child from overeating and restrict the baby in food. In fact, this is not worth it. In any case, the baby will burp. It is better to adhere to feeding on demand, you need to offer the baby a breast according to any of his squeaks. In this case, the baby eats often, but in small portions. If you adhere to the feeding rules by the hour, the baby will be hungry for a long time and, when he receives the treasured chest, will start drinking milk quickly and eagerly, which will certainly lead to swallowing air.

If the child is artificial, you need to carefully adhere to a certain portion of the mixture. Some mothers, thinking that the crumbs are not full, offer him an addition, making a mistake. In many cases, the baby just wants to satisfy his sucking reflex, and therefore cries. Such babies need a nipple and a mom's presence nearby. Pay attention to the size of the hole in the bottle. If the baby does not have time to swallow the mixture, it is constantly forced to turn away so as not to choke, most likely, the hole is very large and the nipple needs to be changed.

It is very important not to overfeed the baby, because excess food and overheating increase the intensity and frequency of infant colic. In general, almost every child has colic to varying degrees, and they rarely depend on the nutrition of the mother. Colic is caused by the immaturity of the digestive tract of the child, this is an absolutely normal phenomenon, which should simply be experienced. Hiccups almost always accompany colic. To get rid of excess air in the stomach and intestines, you need to do a massage of the tummy for the child, exercise the bike with legs, you need to lay the child on his stomach, use a warm diaper. All these simple rules will help you reduce the amount of gas in your stomach.

What to do so that the child does not hiccup

Here are some more tips to help you get rid of your newborn's hiccups.

1. After each feeding, you need to keep the baby "column" for some time, that is, in an upright position. Take the baby in your arms, lean back slightly and lay the baby on the chest. Be sure to hold the crumb head. In an upright position, the air will quickly come out, belching will occur, the baby will stop hiccuping and will not burp valuable mom's milk.
2. If the child hiccups without stopping, take it in a column and walk around the room. The amplitude steps will help the baby quickly get rid of unnecessary air in the stomach. A light massage will help speed up the process - just slide your palm along the children's back so that the bubbles find a way out faster.
3. If a child hiccups stubbornly and continuously, perhaps he is frozen? Touch the nose of the crumbs - it usually serves as an excellent indicator of its condition. If the nose is cold, you need to dress warmer. Check the diaper, the baby may be cold due to the wet butt.
4. If the baby swallows a lot of air while feeding, when his nose is blocked, it is necessary to use vasoconstrictive drops so that the baby can suckle normally. But only those prescribed by the doctor, observing the dosage of the medicine.
5. With a long hiccup, try to give the baby not a breast, but a little water from a spoon or bottle.
6. If the hiccups began as a result of a fright, try to calm the baby - take him in your arms, hold him close, give your chest, talk to him with kind words. Gradually the baby will calm down and hiccups will pass.
7. If the hiccups do not pass more than 30 minutes, you can try this recipe. Prepare a weak broth of chamomile - about a teaspoon of inflorescences per liter of boiling water. When the broth has infused and cooled, drip a few drops under the tongue with a pipette. Chamomile will relieve muscle spasm and the diaphragm will calm down.
8. Here is another effective way to get rid of hiccups.Take a bath of warm water and lower the crumbs there. The tummy will warm up, and excess air will quickly find a way out. This is a great way to get rid of hiccups and colic.

If a child hiccups more than three times a day and hiccups last longer than half an hour, this is most likely a pathological condition. This happens with various neurological abnormalities, and may also be a consequence of hypoxia in the womb. In this case, you need to show the child to a neurologist.

There is a sign that says that during a hiccup someone remembers a hiccuping person. Your baby has just been born, but many people are already thinking about it - parents, grandparents, relatives. Well, how can you not start hiccuping here? Hiccups are an absolutely normal physiological manifestation, all children hiccup. But it is in our power to rid the baby of this discomfort and eliminate the cause of hiccups. Be close to your child - this is the best remedy for all problems.

Video: what to do if a newborn hiccups after eating