i have children in my clinic who experience seizurelike episodes in which they cry and hold their breath to the point of cyanosis and loss of consciousness. a breath-holding spell is a benign paroxysmal nonepileptic disorder occurring in healthy children 6 to 48 months of age. breath-holding spells are not harmful and pose no long-term risks for the infant.3 many episodes of breath holding are associated with an inciting incident in which the infant is irritated, is being disciplined, or is angry.
a breath-holding spell is terrifying to parents and to those experiencing it for the first time. when a child experiencing a breath-holding spell arrives to the clinic or the hospital, differentiating the episode from a seizure or from an apparent life-threatening event might be difficult. it is common practice to refer children with breath-holding spells to a cardiologist (owing to the cyanotic episode) or to a neurologist (owing to the seizurelike activity); however, with no cardiologic or neurologic abnormalities found in this group of patients, most of these referrals result in no further investigation or management.8 child health update is produced by the pediatric research in emergency therapeutics (pretx) program (www.pretx.org) at the bc children’s hospital in vancouver, bc. we invite you to submit them to the pretx program by fax at 604 875-2414; they will be addressed in future child health updates.
breath-holding spells are brief periods when young children stop breathing for up to 1 minute. breath-holding spells usually occur when a young child is angry, frustrated, in pain, or afraid. breath-holding spells can occur in children 6 months through 6 years of age. they are most common from 1 to 3 years of age. breath-holding spells are usually caused by either a change in the child’s breathing or a slowing of the heart rate. in some children, breath-holding spells may be related to iron deficiency anemia, a condition in which the body doesn’t produce a normal number of red blood cells. the doctor will examine your child and ask you to describe the spells. if your doctor thinks that your child has a seizure disorder or another condition, such as iron deficiency anemia, your child may need other tests. if your doctor thinks that a medical condition is causing the spells, your child may need treatment.
to decrease the chance of more spells, make sure that your child gets plenty of rest, and try to help your child feel secure. if you have trouble dealing with your child’s spells or find yourself getting angry, talk with your doctor or a counsellor. try to keep in mind that your child isn’t having spells on purpose. your child may stop breathing for up to 1 minute (60 seconds) during a spell. the 911 operator may tell you to give your child rescue breaths while you wait for help to arrive. your use of this information means that you agree to the terms of use. this information does not replace the advice of a doctor. your use of this information means that you agree to the terms of use. learn how we develop our content.
a breath holding spell is when a child holds their breath, usually after being angry, frustrated, startled, or in pain. sometimes the breath holding leads to the child gives out 1 or 2 long cries; then holds his breath until the lips and face become bluish ; this happens in 5% of healthy children. when this happens, it can be scary and can cause a parent to worry. also called breath-holding attacks, these spells are somewhat common and, related health topics, related health topics, breath-holding spells in adults, breath-holding spells treatment, can breath-holding spells cause brain damage.
breath-holding is when a baby or child stops breathing for up to 1 minute and may faint. it can happen when a child is frightened, upset, angry, or has a sudden shock or pain. it’s usually harmless but can be scary for parents, particularly when it happens for the first time. a breath-holding spell is a benign paroxysmal nonepileptic disorder occurring in healthy children 6 to 48 months of age. the episodes start with a provocation the cause of breath holding is not known. breath holding is usually involuntary, and is caused by a slowing of the heart rate or changes in your child’s usual a breath-holding spell is an episode in which the child involuntarily stops breathing and loses consciousness for a short period immediately after a, cyanotic breath-holding, baby stops breathing while crying and passes out, what to do when baby stops breathing while crying, breath-holding spells symptoms, breath-holding spells seizures, breath-holding spells causes, how to prevent breath-holding spells in infants, breath-holding spells in newborn, breath-holding spells in infants, toddler holding breath before exhaling.
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