Psychogenic hiccup in children and adolescents: a case series

Hiccups can be due to organic diseases or psychogenic causes. Psychogenic hiccup in children is an understudied area. We report a series of four cases presenting with psychogenic hiccups to the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of a tertiary care hospital in North India. The cases were aged 11 to 13 years; three of them were males and one female. Three of the patients belonged to a rural background and all of them were from Hindu nuclear families. The duration of hiccups for which treatment was sought ranged from three to fourteen months. The most common gains seen in two of the patients were, lesser scolding from the parents and getting eatables of their choice. The patients were managed by counseling and psychoeducation about the problem and cutting down the secondary gain. Techniques of suggestion and double bind were tried. Two of the patients had improved on the day detailed assessments were done, and all of the patients had improved on follow up. Psychogenic hiccups in children and in the adolescent age group can be effectively managed by using non-pharmacological methods and appropriate education of the parents.