Everyone copes with hiccups now and then, but children are more prone to hiccups than adults. Hiccups are spasms of the diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle below the lungs that pulls air into the body and pushes it out. When the diaphragm contracts, the vocal cords shut and create the familiar hiccup sound. Doctors aren't sure what causes hiccups, but overeating, drinking too much soda, and taking a big breath while giggling are possible causes. Hiccups usually end quickly and the vast majority of cases require no special care. However, there are some remedies for busy kids who want a quick cure.
Water
A glass of water is a commonly recommended remedy for children's hiccups, but there are some variations. Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City suggests kids should drink the water quickly, while the Mayo Clinic recommends sips. Mercy Hospital also suggests that a child should drink the water with his head stretched forward and down. A tall glass of water with ice is also frequently recommended. The cold water quickly drops the temperature in the esophagus, which seems to be enough to end some cases of hiccups.
Vagus Nerve Remedies
The vagus nerve runs from the brain down the throat into the abdomen. Minor irritations to the vagus nerve are believed to trigger cases of hiccups. Some hiccup remedies stimulate vagal nerve endings in other parts of the body to redirect the brain's focus away from the diaphragm to something new. Gently pulling a child's tongue, or massaging a child's ears are ways to stimulate other vagal nerve endings and possibly cure a case of hiccups.
Breathing Remedies
Encyclopedias of home remedies and prestigious medical schools recommend that a child take a deep breath and hold it as long as possible. According to the Yale Medical Group, holding a deep breath increases carbon dioxide and breaks the cycle of hiccups. Breathing slowly into a paper bag may accomplish the same small rise in carbon dioxide and may end a bout of hiccups.
A Spoonful of Sugar
Dr. Edgar Engleman published his cure for hiccups in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1971. According to Engleman, a teaspoon of dry, granulated, white sugar ends most cases of hiccups almost instantly. If a child continues to hiccup, a second spoonful of sugar might be needed. For kids who don't want dry sugar, corn syrup is sometimes suggested as an alternative. Like other remedies, the sudden rush of sugar resets or redirects the vagus nerve, and hiccups often seem to end.
Rare Cases
In most cases, a child's hiccups will simply stop. However, if hiccups are accompanied by abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, or if they last for more than a couple of hours, parents should contact their pediatrician. Although rare, hiccups can sometimes be a sign of a more serious underlying problem.
References
- Children's Mercy Hospital: Hiccups Simple to Explain; Usually Harmless
- Hiccups: Information about Hiccups
- The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies; Joe and Teresa Graedon; St. Matin's Press; 2002
- Dr. Krider: Hiccup
- Yale Medical Group: Hiccup Remedies
- Parenting and Child Health: Child and Youth Health: Hiccups
