What usually causes the hiccups?

Tertiary question: how does one help babies overcome the hiccups?

the nerve which controls the diaphragm runs down the back of the esophagus. when this nerve gets tweaked by the pressure of swallowing something to large, or something stuck in the throat, or alcohol soaking through the esophagus, then you get the hiccups.

there are lots of folk remedies for the hiccups, but they all boil down to two things: clear the throat and hold your breath. this allows the nerve to “reset”.

try to get the baby to drink water, or maybe get the baby to laugh. anything to disrupt normal breathing for long enough to allow the nerve to reset.

In my personal experience, hiccups usually follow a stimulus acting on the back of my tongue or throat e.g intense flavor. I’ve discovered that causing a second stimulation stops the hiccups. A teaspoon or packet of sugar poured onto the tongue and slowly swallowed stops the hiccups almost instantaneously. I have found that this technique is 100% effective for me, and anyone I’ve convinced to give it a try. Although, I’ve never tried it on an infant, it’s probably worth a shot.

When adults have hiccups they hurt at times for what reason I don’t know. In babies hiccups do not hurt them. They simply go away on their own.