What should you know about newborn having hiccups?

Hiccups are repeated contractions of the diaphragm, the muscle that helps draw air into the lungs. Newborns can trigger this reflex while their feeding and breathing coordination is still developing. A full stomach, rapid sucking, swallowed air, or a change in activity can bring an episode on.

The sound may worry you, but the sound itself is not a sign of choking. Watch the whole baby rather than the hiccup: comfortable breathing, good colour, effective feeds, and normal alertness are reassuring features.

If hiccups start during a feed, stop briefly and hold your baby upright against your chest while supporting the head and neck. A quiet burp may help. Restart slowly when the hiccups ease, and keep your baby upright for a short period after feeding while awake and supervised.

Avoid trying to stop the reflex with honey, water, herbal products, sugar, breath-holding, or startling. These approaches can be unsafe for a newborn. For sleep, use a firm, flat surface and place your baby on the back; do not prop the mattress.

Get emergency help for breathing difficulty, blue or grey lips, pauses in breathing, severe weakness, or inability to wake. Arrange prompt medical review if hiccups come with repeated vomiting, choking during feeds, persistent coughing, fever, marked abdominal swelling, or a clear drop in feeding and urine output.

A clinician can assess a baby who is distressed or not gaining as expected. Do not assume hiccups are the cause of every feeding problem; record what happens before, during, and after episodes.

Tell the clinician how often episodes occur, whether they follow feeds, and whether spit-up, arching, crying, or coughing occurs. Ask for practical advice about pacing, burping, and the safest position for your baby’s feeds.