Why do babies in the womb get hiccups?
In addition to kicks, turns and other body movements, your baby will likely have a few cases of the hiccups while still in utero. Hiccups will feel like little spasms in your belly, and are distinct from other movements. Some babies may get the hiccups several times a day everyday. Hiccups in your baby are just a fetal reflex that is remarkably similar to our own. Only the more mature fetuses will hiccup, as hiccups rely on the development of the central nervous system. Some experts think that hiccups in utero is a response to fetal drinking or fetal breathing, which causes the flow of amniotic fluid in and out of the lungs, stimulating the diaphragm to contract. Hiccups in babies in utero do not seem to cause the same discomfort as it does in adults.
