Frequent hiccups in newborns

Unlike adults, the stomach of a newborn is horizontal. The opening of the cardia where the bottom of the esophagus connects to the stomach is relatively large, while the pyloric opening where the bottom of the stomach connects to the small intestine is relatively tight. In addition, the newborn's esophagus is narrow and the stomach capacity is small, so newborns are prone to hiccups and regurgitation of milk. It is normal for newborns to hiccup. When feeding, mothers should be careful not to feed too much at one time and should wait for a while before feeding. When your baby burps and regurgitates milk, be careful not to let the baby choke.

Reasons why babies spit up:

1. The baby eats too much, and the newborn's gastric function is underdeveloped, the stomach is horizontal, and the stomach capacity is small, the cardia is loose, and the enzyme activity in the stomach is low. The baby is prone to inhaling air when feeding, and milk is easy to flow back into the mouth, causing vomiting.

2. Incorrect breastfeeding posture. Mothers should try to breastfeed while sitting. Sitting can allow the milk to flow downwards. Lying down to breastfeed will allow the milk to remain in the stomach, and the stomach is horizontal, which is most likely to cause vomiting.

What to do after your baby spits up:

1. When you notice your baby spitting up milk, hold him/her upright immediately and do not put him/her down until you burp him/her.

2. Do not let the baby lie on his back after burping him after feeding. Lay him on his side for a while to avoid spitting up milk which may cause harm to the baby. For example, choking and suffocation.

3. If the baby is feeding with milk powder, the water temperature should be slightly higher when preparing the milk powder, that is, within the range that the baby can bear. Sometimes the temperature of the milk powder

If the milk level is low, the baby will easily spit up after drinking.

Burping your baby

4. The interval between feedings should not be too short, and do not feed the baby as soon as he cries. Frequent feedings can increase the burden on the baby's gastrointestinal tract and make it easy to spit up milk.

5. Don’t let your baby eat too fast when feeding. Let your baby stop for a while before eating. If you feed your baby too fast, vomiting may occur easily.

6. Once you find your baby spitting up milk, turn the baby to the side first, let the milk flow out from the corners of the mouth and clean it up. If the baby is still lying on his back, the milk will easily enter the lungs and cause aspiration pneumonia, so parents must not be careless.

Methods to distinguish the nature of baby's spitting up:

1. Pay more attention to your baby after spitting up. If the baby looks normal, has a natural expression, is not crying loudly, and all activities are normal, then it can be concluded that the baby's spitting up is normal and parents do not need to worry.

Jet-like spitting up

2. If you find that your baby is crying non-stop, spitting up milk in a jet-like manner, and has a painful expression, poor spirits, or even coma, convulsions, etc., this should attract the attention of parents. This is pathological spitting up milk, and the baby should be taken to the doctor immediately.

This is a summary by the editor, and I hope it can be helpful to parents.