Breath-holding in babies and children (2024)

FAQs

Breath-holding in babies and children? ›

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.

Answer. 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 such as emotional upset or minor injury, and might progress to breath holding, cyanosis, and syncope.

Sometimes the breath holding leads to the child passing out. It can be frightening to watch a breath-holding spell, but they aren't harmful and usually last less than a minute. Kids outgrow the spells without any treatment.

If a breath-holding spell is captured on an EEG, it does not show features that are seen during a true epileptic seizure. Instead, it shows transient slowing of the brain waves. This occurs due to a decrease in the blood and oxygen supply to the brain during a spell.

It is important to remember the spell is not harmful and your child will start breathing again on their own. Most children who have breath-holding spells will have their first spell before they are 18 months old, and most children grow out of breath holding by the time they are six years old.

Researchers have sequestered the potentially fatal breath holding episodes associated with the autistic-spectrum disorder Rett syndrome. A group of researchers at the University of Bristol have sequestered the potentially fatal breath holding episodes associated with the autistic-spectrum disorder Rett syndrome.

Follow these tips to help your child through a breath-holding spell: Stay calm. The spell is likely to pass within a minute. Lay your child on their side and watch over them until the spell ends.

This is called the bradycardic response, or commonly “the dive”, and it makes babies open their eyes and hold their breath underwater. They may also move their arms and legs in a swim like motion. This reflex starts at birth and lasts for about 6 months, occasionally up to one year.

This can affect all of your organs. If you hold your breath for too long it can cause your heart to start beating irregularly. It can damage your kidneys and liver. Holding your breath also causes the amount of carbon dioxide building up in your body to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Breath-holding test is a reliable and safe method for assessing the sensitivity of peripheral chemoreflex to carbon dioxide in patients with chronic heart failure.

When should I be concerned about a holding breath spell? ›

What do if your child experiences a breath-holding spell? If this is the first time your child has experienced one of these spells, contact your primary care provider. There may be a correlation of breath-holding spells with iron-deficiency anemia, so your child's primary care provider may check the blood count.

How are breath-holding spells treated? Most children don't need treatment for breath-holding spells. Spells will go away as your child gets older. If your doctor thinks that a medical condition is causing the spells, your child may need treatment.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Most children outgrow breath-holding spells by the time they are 4 to 8 years old. Children who have a seizure during a breath-holding spell are not at higher risk for having seizures otherwise.

Some children also have seizures during breath-holding spells. This does not mean they have a seizure disorder. Seizures are different from mild twitching, and they may cause a child to vomit or pass urine. They are more likely to occur in children who have long periods of breath-holding.

Breath-holding spells are more common in children with: Genetic conditions, such as Riley-Day syndrome or Rett syndrome. Iron deficiency anemia. A family history of breath-holding spells (parents may have had similar spells when they were children)

Treatment. No treatment is usually needed. But iron drops or pills may be given if your child has an iron deficiency. Breath-holding can be a frightening experience for parents.

Because newborns have developing lungs and weaker muscles, their typical breathing pattern may appear fast. Heavy breathing, coughing, and whistling sounds may be signs of a breathing problem. You might notice your newborn breathing fast, even while sleeping.