How to Stop Newborn Hiccups: Safe Ways to Help Your Baby


Overview
- Newborn hiccups are common and usually stop on their own. If your baby seems comfortable and is breathing normally, you can simply let them settle.
- A short feeding break may help. If your baby seems unsettled, hold them upright with their head supported and try gentle burping.
- Avoid home remedies such as water, honey, ghutti, or gripe water for hiccups. Do not force extra milk to make the hiccups stop.
- Keep sleep safe. Always place your baby on their back on a firm, flat surface, even when they have hiccups or spit up.
- Watch for other symptoms. Feeding problems, repeated vomiting, or fever need medical attention. Trouble breathing, blue lips, or difficulty waking your baby need emergency help.
Quick Answer: Why Do Newborn Babies Get Hiccups?
Hiccups happen when the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, tightens suddenly. The vocal cords then close quickly, making the familiar “hic” sound.
Hiccups often happen around feeding. Drinking quickly, swallowing air, or having a full tummy may play a part. Both breastfed and bottle-fed babies can get them. However, the exact trigger is not always clear, and hiccups alone do not prove that your baby has gas or has been overfed.
How to Stop Newborn Hiccups Safely
These steps may help your baby settle. They do not need to stop every hiccup to be useful.
1. Pause the feed if your baby seems uncomfortable
If hiccups start during feeding and your baby becomes unsettled, take a short break. Change their position gently and let them relax before offering more milk.
2. Try gentle burping
Burping helps release swallowed air. Support your newborn’s head and neck throughout.
You can try either of these positions:
- Over your shoulder: Hold your baby against your chest, with their chin resting near your shoulder. Support their head and shoulders while gently rubbing or patting their back.
- Sitting on your lap: Support their chest, chin, and jaw with one hand. Lean them slightly forward and gently rub their back with the other hand. Keep pressure away from their throat.
Use gentle movements. A couple of minutes is usually enough; burping should not become a long struggle. Keep a clean cloth nearby because a little milk may come up.
3. Hold your baby upright after feeding
After a feed, hold your baby upright against your chest for about 10–15 minutes. Stay awake and support their head and neck. This may help reduce spit-up while they settle.
4. Offer milk again if your baby is still hungry
You do not need to keep delaying a feed until every hiccup has stopped. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests trying a few minutes of feeding again if hiccups remain after 5–10 minutes.
Do this only when your baby is calm and feeding comfortably. Pause if they cough, choke or seem distressed. Do not force extra milk just to stop the hiccups.
For bottle feeding, hold your baby partly upright and keep the bottle nearly horizontal, tipped enough to cover the teat opening with milk. Allow breaks and stop when your baby shows they have had enough.
Which Home Remedies Should You Avoid?
Newborn hiccups do not need an adult hiccup remedy. Avoid trying to interrupt your baby’s breathing or giving them something to swallow.
- Do not give water, sugar water, ghutti, ajwain water, or saunf water for hiccups. Indian infant-feeding guidance advises against these extra drinks in early infancy. An exclusively breastfed baby does not need additional water before six months, even in hot weather.
- Do not give honey, even a small lick. Honey should not be given before 12 months because it can cause infant botulism, a serious illness. Do not put it on a teat or pacifier either.
- Do not use gripe water or herbal mixtures as a hiccup treatment. These are not necessary for ordinary hiccups. India’s newborn-care guidance also advises against giving gripe water and ghutti when promoting exclusive breastfeeding.
- Never shake or startle your baby, pull their tongue, block their nose or try to make them hold their breath. Adult-style remedies are unsuitable for babies.
If you use formula, prepare it exactly as directed. Do not add extra water or other ingredients to treat hiccups.
Can a Baby Sleep With Hiccups?
If your baby is comfortable and breathing normally, ordinary hiccups do not usually need treatment before sleep.
Place your baby on their back on a firm, flat sleep surface. Do not raise the mattress, use a wedge, or put them on their side or tummy because of hiccups or reflux. Upright holding after feeding does not replace a safe sleeping position.
Are Hiccups and Spit-Up a Sign of Reflux?
Reflux means milk or other stomach contents come back into the food pipe. You may notice a small amount of milk coming out of your baby’s mouth during or after feeding.
This is common in babies. Reflux disease, sometimes called GERD, is different: reflux causes troublesome symptoms or complications.
Hiccups alone cannot tell you whether your baby has reflux disease. Feeding difficulties, ongoing discomfort and poor weight gain are more useful reasons to arrange an assessment.
Also Read: All about Acid Reflux: Causes, Symptoms & Solution
When Should You Seek Medical Help?
Look at how your baby is breathing, feeding, and behaving, rather than counting hiccups alone.
Seek emergency help immediately if your baby:
- Struggles to breathe or appears to be choking.
- Has blue or grey lips or skin.
- Becomes limp, unresponsive, or very difficult to wake.
These are not signs to manage as ordinary hiccups.
Get urgent medical assessment if your newborn has:
- A temperature of 38°C or higher.
- Green or yellow-green vomit, blood in vomit, or repeated forceful vomiting.
- A swollen or painful tummy.
- Refusal to feed, difficulty keeping milk down, or noticeably fewer wet nappies.
Do not wait for the hiccups to stop before seeking care.
Also speak to your paediatrician if hiccups last unusually long, repeatedly interrupt feeding or happen with ongoing distress. Poor weight gain needs assessment too.
Does a Newborn Need Tests for Hiccups?
Ordinary hiccups in an otherwise well newborn do not usually need lab tests. A doctor can assess the baby by asking about their symptoms and examining them.
Even infant reflux is commonly assessed through feeding history, symptoms, and examination before tests are considered. Further investigations depend on concerns such as poor growth, persistent vomiting, or another suspected illness.
If your baby's paediatrician recommends any tests after examining your newborn, you can explore diagnostic services from Redcliffe Labs. Before booking, check whether the required test is available for newborns and confirm the sample collection arrangements and any preparation your baby may need.
For most babies, the helpful response to hiccups is simple: gentle handling, a feeding break when needed, and time to settle. Pay attention to your baby’s comfort, breathing, and feeding, and seek help when something seems wrong.
FAQS
1. Do hiccups mean my newborn is full?
Hiccups are not a reliable sign of fullness. Look for feeding cues instead. A baby who has had enough may close their mouth, turn away from the breast or bottle, and relax their hands. Do not push them to finish a bottle.
2. What if my baby does not burp?
Not every baby burps after every feed. Some breastfed babies swallow little air and may not need to burp. If your baby is comfortable after a gentle attempt, you do not need to keep patting until a burp comes out.
3. Can a pacifier help with baby hiccups?
Healthdirect lists a pacifier as something parents can try. It is optional, and you do not need to introduce one just for hiccups. Ordinary episodes usually settle without treatment. A pacifier should not be used to delay feeding a hungry baby.
4. Can babies get hiccups before birth?
Yes. Babies can hiccup in the womb. During pregnancy, these may feel like small, repeated, rhythmic movements. Hiccups can continue after birth as well.
5. Should I change my baby’s formula because of hiccups?
Hiccups alone are not a reason to switch to an anti-reflux or other special formula. If your baby also has feeding problems, frequent vomiting or poor weight gain, ask your paediatrician to assess them before changing feeds.
6. Can I prevent newborn hiccups?
You may not be able to prevent every episode. Offering feeds while your baby is calm, before they become extremely hungry, may help reduce feeding-related hiccups. If feeds are regularly uncomfortable, ask a paediatrician or lactation consultant to check feeding technique.


