Why do newborns get the hiccups so much?
Infants are prone to hiccups because of a common and temporary malfunction of their diaphragm. The diaphragm is that large muscle that sits between your chest and abdomen. Normally, it expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale, but in some newborns, just the opposite happens — the diaphragm contracts as they breathe in and expands as they breathe out, a glitch that can trigger hiccups but is otherwise harmless. As babies mature physiologically, hiccupping episodes become less frequent. If baby seems bothered by her hiccups, you can try stopping them by blowing on her face or taking her out into the cold air; either may cause her to gasp, and the sudden inhale may correct the movement of her diaphragm. Feeding baby may also reset the diaphragm.
