He is having breath holding attacks!

**PhAnToM** · 10-04-2007 08:50

My DS is now 16 months. Since around 8-9 months he has been having breath holding attacks.

This is when for one reason, or another (and more often than not, for some unknown- reason) he holds his breath, tenses up, and turns purple (I mean LITERALLY purple!

) and doesn't start breathing for quite some time, no matter what we do.

It happens periodically, say once or twice a week; but it seems to be increasing in frequency now. I have taken him to our GP who told me it was normal, but sent us to a ped, who also said it was normal and he'd grow out of it. He even did it during the ped appointment and the Ped acknowledged how scarey it is to watch, even when you are a Dr... but i'm at my wits end. Everytime he does this, he takes DECADES off my life.

Tonight, I went to take the rubbish out, left the door open.. and he came following me, calling out. I said i was coming back... and he went quiet. I was gone for only a few seconds, because the bin is right outside the door.. when i turned back in, he was lying at the base of our staircase, tensed backwards, in a banana like shape... crying, but silently.. and not actually breathing... his lips were purple, he was yellow.. and turning purple also. When i picked him up, he was still tensed in the same way and i kept talking to him "calmly" as advised by the Ped. But he just stopped breathing.. i mean to the point where he blacked out for the first time. He actually closed his eyes, flopped on my chest and wasn't responding to DH or my talking, screaming, poking..

until i started blowing in his face... he eventually started breathing again, but was very lethargic and clingy.

How much longer am I supposed to live like this?

I can feel my legs turn to jelly everytime, and i'm thinking my heart will stop one of these days and i'm not sure it will start again...

Anyone heard of this? Anyone experienced this? Anyone got a magic wand to stop this???????

**PunkyDiva** · 10-04-2007 08:58

Awww hun I would be getting a second opinion immediately.

Mmaybe nothing but an attention thing but that last one you described at the foot of the stairs almost sounded like a seizure, the rigidity and passing out not something I've heard of in attention seeking behaviour.
Do you have a video camera you could record one on?, if not write down immediately after it happens everything you can remember.

it's nothing but I would be getting another opinion just in case, any family history here??

**SilverStarfish** · 10-04-2007 08:58

wow

that's a tough one. Most kids can't/won't actually pass out, no matter how hard they try and hold their breaths because their breathing reflex will eventually take over - but it sounds like your little man is even more determined than that!

Does you GP/Ped know about the latest event? ie that he was actually able to black himself out? With the new information they might be able to suggest something else to help

**PhAnToM** · 10-04-2007 09:11

PunkyDiva- we do have a history of it in our family, unfortunately. I grew up hearing that my brother was a breath holder whenever he got upset as a baby. (lucky me.. of all things to inherit from his uncle, THIS is what he got!

)

I've actually spoken to a few GPs about this, including DD's friend's mum. She assures me it's normal and they all said that blacking out is a normal thing, and that once he blacks out, he has no control over it, his body will kick in and get him back to normal breathing (and the funny thing is, as a biomed grad, i have studied and know all of this... but it just never seems to apply to YOU when it's YOUR child!

)

However DH and i have decided that with travelling overseas in a couple of months, and him taking it to a new point witht he blacking out, we would feel better if we got a second opinion. So I will try to make an appointment with my GP today to get a second opinion from another Ped.

Faeml- no, I haven't told our Drs about the black out yet. The problem is, when you speak to so many healthcare professionals and they try to down play what's happening and dismiss it as "normal.. he'll grow out of it".. it makes it hard to keep going back to them... though i WILL!

It's not something I can sit there watching and not react to.

**lukaelmo** · 10-04-2007 09:12

Oh you poor thing, I would be really worried too, and going straight back to get another opinion.

I have heard about kids holding their breath as a tantrum throw, but as Faeml said, never to the point of blacking out.

ETA I just saw your reply then... and yes, you can be armed with all the knowledge in the world, but when it's your child, it's completely different...

**Lin** · 10-04-2007 09:14

I read something about that recently. Some kids will hold their breath until they passout. And there's really nothing you can do until they grow out of it.
This nurse that wrote the article (I'll see if I can find it for you) said that it was a learning thing that children do and they will grow out of it in time.
Although, I wonder if it's worth your while getting a second opinion? It does seem to be a really frightening experience!

**SilverStarfish** · 10-04-2007 09:16

Originally Posted by PhAnToM

It's not something I can sit there watching and not react to.

Nor should you have to, honey

I hope you are able to get a little more compassion and understanding from the doctors etc now!

**Missy75** · 16-04-2007 06:56

I did this as a baby. I had cold water thrown on me a few times, my petrified pop slapped me once, but for the most part my parents just learned to accept it and not react.

I grew out of it and progressed onto world champion 'everybody stop and look at me' tantrums. My parents wished I would shut up and hold my breath.

**ann n mick** · 16-04-2007 07:02

my son does the same thing blow in his face more than once tell him to breath my son done it when he was 10months we thought he was dead but he was ok he still does it now and he is 2 years old but not as much hope it helps

**PhAnToM** · 16-04-2007 12:57

Originally Posted by Missy75

I grew out of it and progressed onto world champion 'everybody stop and look at me' tantrums. My parents wished I would shut up and hold my breath.

PMSL..

Just between you and me, right now I live the fear he may not get to grow out of it and promote himself to tantrums... I'm kind of looking forward to the tantrums. I'm sure when we get there, I'll be thinking the same as your parents.

My brother used to do it too.. yet my mother still freaks out when she sees DS do it.. because he actually has managed to black out. And since the black out, he has had 2 blood noses. I don't know if they are related... but I'm a Mum... I'm off to a Dr's appointment this afternoon.

Ann n mick- yes, a friend whose son also does the same thing (though not to the blacking out point) told me the same a while ago. I have been blowing in DS's face to get him to start breathing and to snap out of it. Got to love parenthood!