Why do babies get hiccups? Is it normal? How to prevent it?
—K
Broadly, the same reason we do! Hiccups occur when the diaphragm spasms, because we breathe funny or swallow something funny, or just at random.
For babies, these often happen during feeding. Babies can swallow air, while either breast- or bottle feeding, and this can give them hiccups. (They’ll also get them in the womb.) You can sometimes prevent it by feeding more slowly or by burping your baby or using a smaller nipple. If you’re breastfeeding, a good latch will help (with this and other things!).
But basically, babies will get a lot of hiccups. They do not generally get bothered by them and can usually even sleep through it. You don’t need to do anything, and adult remedies like breath-holding and jumping out and surprising people are not likely to work well with a baby.
Community Guidelines
Log in
In addition to the air swallowing, my baby (5 months) also gets hiccups when tired. Her big brother (now 3yo) was/is the same – he outgrew the standard feeding/air swallowing hiccups around 1 (about the same time he stopped spitting up), but still gets hiccups when really sleepy.