Why do children hiccup frequently?

Many children often hiccup, which makes mothers very worried, especially some infants. If they often hiccup, many mothers will think that they have some disease, such as lung or respiratory function. However, even if there is such a situation, it is still relatively common. This situation is called diaphragm spasm, so how should it be relieved?

Diaphragm spasm, commonly known as hiccups or gastric neurosis, is a diaphragm dysfunction disease. It is a type of hiccups in which the glottis suddenly closes during inhalation, producing a hiccuping sound. This abnormal contraction of the diaphragm is caused by stimulation of the vagus nerve and phrenic nerve. Hiccups are a clinical symptom. There are many reasons for hiccups, such as eating too fast, eating irritating foods, and inhaling cold air, which can cause diaphragmatic spasms. In mild cases, hiccups occur intermittently, while in severe cases, hiccups may occur continuously or cause vomiting, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and urinary incontinence in some cases.

Hiccups usually occur in the following situations: fullness, cold abdomen, swallowing dry food, food that is too cold or too hot, and mental stimulation while eating.

Drink water and bend over: drink a few sips of warm water, swallow it slowly, and bend over 90 degrees 10-15 times. Because the stomach is closer to the diaphragm, it can warm the diaphragm from the inside. When you bend over, the internal organs will also massage the diaphragm, relieving diaphragm spasms and achieving the purpose of stopping hiccups.

Breath-holding method: Just hold your breath for 30 to 45 seconds, or take a clean chopstick and put it in your mouth, gently stimulate the back 1/3 of the upper palate, and the hiccups will stop immediately. Because stimulating the upper palate with chopsticks can induce the pharyngeal reflex, which can cause the patient to hold his breath suddenly, increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the airway, thereby interfering with the neural reflex activity of hiccups. However, people with poor cardiopulmonary function should use this method with caution.

The above methods can effectively relieve diaphragm spasm, but if the child still persists in this state, it is recommended that the mother should pay attention to it and take the child directly to the hospital for a more detailed examination to see if there are any problems with cardiopulmonary function and timely treatment is required.