Chronic hiccups are caused by sudden and involuntary contractions of the diaphragm.

Here the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. The contraction causes the sudden closure of the glottis [part of throat that contains the vocal cords].

The glottis creates the characteristics hiccup sound. You need to watch out for the following and ensure your child is guarded against them: eating too much food, smoking passively and taking beverages with gas.

You also need to see a paediatrician as soon as you can because persistent hiccups could be a warning of central nervous system problems, such as infections, stroke or injury.