A breath-holding spell is a condition in which a child stops breathing and falls unconscious for up to a minute. Children may unintentionally experience these spells when they are frustrated or in pain.
There are two types of breath-holding spells. They are:
- Cyanotic spell which happens when the child is angry;
- Pallid spell which happens when the child’s heart rate drops.
These spells are usually caused by the following causes:
- Alternation in your child’s breathing pattern
- Slowing of his/her heart rate due to intense emotions or pain;
- In certain cases, it may be due to iron deficiency anemia, a medical condition where the body is unable to produce the required number of red blood cells, that your child may be suffering from.
What Are the Symptoms of Breath-Holding Spells?
Children usually have breath-holding spells between the age of 6 months and 4 years old. They occur the most among children between one and three years of age.
While some children have a spell occasionally, some others may have them a few times every day. Symptoms of breath-holding spells are:
- Unconsciousness that last for up to one minute
- Muscle twist
- Seizure or stiffness of the body
- Heartbeat and breathing changes
- In a cyanotic spell, the child may breathe too fast or there may be difficulty in breathing. There may be a long pause before his/her next breath.
- In a pallid spell the heartbeat rate may be slower than the required rate
- Skin color changes
- May turn red or blue-purple, especially around the lips (in a cyanotic spell)
- May become pale and perspire more (in a pallid spell)
- Crying
- In a cyanotic spell, there may be a short and intense outburst
- In the case of a pallid spell, it may be accompanied by maybe a single cry or no crying at all
Could Breath-Holding Spells Be Related to a Medical Condition?
In most cases, breath-holding spells may disappear on their own without any complication when the child grows up. However, in unfortunate cases, what looks like a casual spell may result from much more serious medical conditions such as seizure disorder or iron deficiency anemia.
So, if your child starts to experience breath-holding spells, take him/her to a doctor for a proper diagnosis.
How Can Breath-Holding Spells Be Diagnosed?
In order to diagnose the underlying reason of a child’s breath-holding spells, you should record the specifics of each spell.
If your doctor suspects that your kid’s breath-holding periods are caused by a medical illness such as seizure disorder or iron deficiency anemia, you may be encouraged to take your child for medical tests.
Reminder: you must remember that you should not practice diagnosing diseases or conditions by yourself without proper medical training.
Treatment Options
Most cases of breath-holding spells do not require treatment. But to help reduce their frequency, get your child to have sufficient rest and make sure that he or she always feels safe.
During the spell, keep the child in a safe place where nothing can hurt him or her. You might not want to give it too much attention since your child may perceive this as a way to get attention and try to fake it.
If a spell happens for the first time, bring your child ASAP to the doctor for proper assessment. Additionally, for children who is already known to have breath-holding spells, watch out for duration your child becomes unconscious. If it happens more than a minute, consult your doctor as this may indicate a more serious condition.
As parents, you may help with your child’s condition by keeping him or her from situations that may provoke breath-holding spells. Find another way to discipline your child that is strict, but does not get him or her too frightened.
It is also a good idea to teach your child how to deal with negative emotions. These kinds of lessons will benefit your child for their entire life.
Learn more about Child Health here.
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