How to stop hiccups in a newborn

Hiccups are brief diaphragm spasms and are common in early infancy. They may happen when a baby feeds quickly, swallows air, takes more milk than is comfortable or becomes unsettled. Some babies also hiccup with spit-up or reflux. Hiccups alone do not show that a newborn has acid reflux or gastritis, and a well baby who feeds and breathes comfortably usually needs observation rather than a home remedy.

Stop the feed for a moment and keep your baby upright with the head supported. Try a quiet burp, then restart slowly when your baby is settled. Keep the teat filled with milk during bottle-feeding and check that the flow is not too fast. Avoid giving water, sugar, herbal drinks or medicine for hiccups unless a paediatric clinician specifically advises it. Do not frighten, startle or hold your baby’s breath. If episodes follow most feeds, note the timing, spit-up, coughing and feeding effort for the baby’s doctor.

Contact a paediatric clinician if hiccups repeatedly disrupt feeding, your baby is not gaining as expected, or there is frequent painful-looking spit-up. Seek urgent care for blue or grey lips, pauses in breathing, struggling to breathe, unusual sleepiness, repeated forceful vomiting, poor feeding or signs of dehydration such as markedly fewer wet nappies. These signs need assessment even when hiccups are also present.

Ask whether feeding position, teat flow or reflux could be contributing, how to burp your baby safely, and which changes in feeding or wet nappies should prompt a call.