Paediatricians have debunked the long-held belief that placing a strand of thread on a baby’s head will stop hiccup, stating that the practice often shared as a home remedy by well-meaning family members, had no scientific basis.
They warned that such practice could lead to unnecessary anxiety and distraction from more effective approaches, such as gentle burping or adjusting feeding positions.
The child health experts explained that hiccups in infants were a normal and often harmless reflex, caused by involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, stressing that these can occur for various reasons, including swallowing air during feeding, sudden changes in temperature, or even overfeeding.
The experts said while hiccups usually resolved on their own without the need for any serious medical intervention, they emphasised that placing strands of thread on a baby’s head had no relationship with hiccups.
According to an online medical information portal, Mayo Clinic, hiccups are repeated spasms or sudden movements of the diaphragm that cannot be controlled.
“The diaphragm is the muscle that separates your chest from your stomach area and plays an important role in breathing. A spasm in your diaphragm causes your vocal cords to suddenly close, producing a ‘hic’ sound.
“Eating a large meal, drinking alcoholic or carbonated beverages, or getting excited suddenly may cause hiccups. In some cases, hiccups may be a sign of an underlying medical issue. For most people, hiccups usually last only a few minutes,” Mayo Clinic stated.
The experts advised parents to gently burp their babies or adjust their feeding positions whenever they experience hiccups.
A Consultant Paediatrician and Gastroenterologist at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Eki, Adefunke Babatola, said the practice of placing a strand of thread on a baby’s head would not stop the child from having hiccups.
The specialist said that the practice was merely a superstitious belief common among many traditional African families, noting that it had no association with hiccups and had no scientific proof in medicine.
She said that hiccups, which were generally considered a common, self-limiting condition that did not require medical intervention, came as a result of certain challenges with the diaphragm and could stop if the mother changed the child’s position.
Babatola said, “There is no association between hiccups and placing a strand of thread on the baby’s anterior frontal head, the area of the head that used to go up and down when the child breathes. Hiccups come and go on their own. However, changing the position of the baby will facilitate it.
“For babies being fed exclusively, the mother can give them breast milk or extract can be given to the baby by another person other than the mother to achieve the same effect of stopping the hiccups. Or the mother should change the child’s position, and it will stop.
“Hiccups do not have any relationship with the anterior frontal head thread. Rubbing their back and rocking the baby back and forth can help them relax. This may stop the spasms that cause hiccups. Rubbing the back can also help with burping, which may help stop hiccups.
“In children, hiccups don’t pose any danger; however, if it lasts more than these few minutes or becomes persistent for up to an hour, the mother should consult a doctor.”
She added that while hiccups were not harmful to children, hiccups in adults could be a result of an underlying medical condition and shouldn’t be completely ignored.
“It could be as a result of kidney problems or other underlying problems. So, in adulthood, such a person experiencing persistent hiccups should visit their physician,” Babatola added.
Corroborating his statements, a Consultant Paediatrician at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Dr Sylvia Echendu, said that hiccups were self-resolving and required no medical attention
