Babies get hiccups because their diaphragm, the muscle used for breathing, suddenly contracts without their control. These contractions are common in newborns and are usually harmless, brief, and self-limiting.
Hiccups in babies may happen when their stomach becomes stretched after a large feeding or when the baby swallows air. They may also occur alongside normal infant reflux, since the digestive system and the muscle at the bottom of the esophagus are still developing.
Most babies do not need treatment for occasional hiccups. Avoid overfeeding, burp the baby during and after feeds, and keep the baby upright for a short time afterward. Babies should always be placed on their backs to sleep, even when reflux is suspected.
Contact a pediatrician if hiccups are unusually frequent or persistent, interfere with feeding, or occur with poor weight gain, repeated vomiting, feeding refusal, unusual sleepiness, breathing pauses, abnormal movements, or seizures. Do not give medicines or home remedies for hiccups unless specifically recommended by the baby’s doctor.