My 14 month old little guy has started this thing where he cries so hard he doesn't make any noise, can't catch his breath, his lips turn purple, and he passes out. This has happened twice so far that I know of, and is absolutely scaring the daylights out of me! The first time it happened - a couple of weeks ago - was when his 4 year old brother was teasing him with a toy, not letting him have it. (4 year old had an immediate time-out for teasing.) Then this afternoon, baby woke up grumpy from a nap, and wanted to be held. I nursed and held him for a while, and then set him down so I could go use the bathroom, and he started crying so hard that there was no sound... my husband was in the room watching as well, (which I am so glad, because he could finally witness what I had the first time) and we were both like "breathe Baby breathe!" we saw his lips go purple, and his eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out. Of course I'm sitting him up on the sofa yelling his name, and he quickly came to. We took him outside and watched the color come back in his cheeks and lips. This is horribly frightening. What frightens me even more is that he is in daycare full-time, and I know for a fact they let him cry much more than I do. (I've never even been able to do the cry-it-out method for sleeping.) So what happens if he loses consciousness at daycare, and I'm not there, and they don't really notice immediately? I will definitely be bringing it to their attention in the morning so they can watch him closely, but it still worries me. Especially if it's him crying and being upset that triggers it.
I'm planning on calling my pediatrician in the morning, and see what she says about it. But I'm wondering from other moms, is this a common thing? Has anyone else experienced this? He's a happy, wonderful and fun baby. Thanks so much for your words of wisdom.
p.s.- I would also like to mention, I have an excellent daycare, with caring and attentive women and grandmothers. (I like that they each only work a 4 hour shift so they aren't as likely to get burned out like someone going 9 hours a day.) Maybe I didn't express myself very well in the post.. What I mean is, other people are never as attentive as a child's own mother is.
My sister's son did that. It was very scary, but the only good thing is that once they pass out, they start breathing again.
He will pass out and wake up at daycare. My youngest did this. Then after he woke up, he would throw up. Fun, fun. I saw the other day, it has some kind of name for it but I can't think of it right now.
He will grow out of it. My little guy was about 3 when he did outgrow it.
The first time he did it was about 7 months and yes, every time it was scary. I bet he did it about 7 or 8 times.
I can remember my younger brother doing this when I was a kid -- a LOT. Fortunately, my mom was a nurse and this was her 7th kid. I learned from her not to sweat it, which came in VERY handy when my youngest used to do the same thing!
Apparently, the way my mom explained it, it has to do with an inability to both breathe & cry intensely at the same time. As she said, though, it actually helps when the baby passes out (I know, weird, right?). Then, the autonomic nervous system takes over & breathing starts again. No damage, no harm (well, not to the child anyway, though it's scary like crazy for the parents!).
For what it's worth, my brother is now in his mid-forties, successful, healthy, smart and a really good guy. My youngest child just turned 20 (now THAT's scary!) and is healthy, engaging, smart and totally capable of crying & breathing and whatever else she needs to do!
So, talk with your pediatrician. Mention it to the daycare. But, mama, no worries. He'll be fine. He just needs to figure out how to do two things at once.
This is scary, but harder on you than on him. Really -- it'll be OK.
It's called a breath holding spell. Both of my twin girls did it around that age - and it freaked the living heck out of me. Our pediatrician said it was "normal" (ie - no cause for major concern) and that as soon as they pass out they start breathing again. So whether it happens with you or at daycare, he should be fine.
Of course - tell the daycare and ask them to watch out. But there isn't anything they need to do. He's holding his breath because he's mad and can't keep holding it once he's fainted. Hang in there. It's awful to watch your child keel over like that -- but it happens to lots of kids and they outgrow it usually in a few months.
Very scary to see! After a breath holding spell they can actually look like they are having a seizure, it's scary. They start breathing once they pass out and will be just fine. I would be careful not to fuss too much about it so he doesn't start doing it on purpose as he gets older. You can throw a little water in his face when you see him start a spell.
When you see him starting to do that, take a deep breath yourself and from a few inches away, blow a quick hard breath at his face. It will distract him and he will start breathing again and either stop crying completely or cry normally. My mom used to do that when she took care of my nieces and nephews when they were babies. I did it with my girls too.
Yes call the doc and make the daycare aware, but don't let him go for so long. My niece used to do this and we either blew in her face or we sprinkled a little water on her. Do it before he passes out.
My son did it, too, and my older sister says I did it when I was a baby.
The doc told me it's normal, and to hold him as if he were lying down. As soon as they pass out, they start to breath normally again.
Confirm with your pedi to be sure, but if it's what my son did, it's pretty common.
It would have frightened the heck out of me.
I think it's called Breath Holding Spell (BHS) and it's a type of apnea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breath-holding_spells
Definitely have the doctor check him out and make sure there is no iron deficiency.
If you can, try to record it if it happens again so you can show the doctor.
They do grow out of it eventually and there's no treatment for it but it's a scary thing to watch.
My boss' daughter used to do that.
When you hold your breath and pass out, you automatically will start breathing again.
Definitely discuss with the pediatrician and anyone that watches him!
Good luck.
My sister did it, her son, and now my son will do it too.
Its scary but pretty normal. I spray water on his face. Pops him right back up. Though he never has any seizure symptoms. He just holds his breath till he blacks out.
Breath holding spells. Scary as hell. Happened to my 4 month old daughter. I rushed her to the hospital because it looked like she was having a seizure. Snapped right out of it though. They grow out of by age 8 is what I'm told.
Oh mine did this too. I would blow in his face when he started. It would startle him and he would catch his breath. Try that a couple of times. Should work.
I think you should reconsider this daycare. I'm wondering about a daycare that lets a baby cry a lot.
I also think that at his age, you should try to console him as much as possible so he doesn't go into these fainting spells. You sound like a great mom. And yes, call the doc.
This is actually something that some kiddies do, S.. Yeah, it'll scare the beejeebers out of you. He isn't intending to pass out. He doesn't even understand that this is the result of his little tantrum. And it is a tantrum. Your doctor will most likely tell you that when he passes out, he starts breathing. The important thing is to NOT let him rule the house just because of this.
No one in your lives is causing this, by the way. It's the way your baby is crying and holding his breath - not because he's allowed to cry a lot.
Oh yeah, really scary, also pretty normal. My now 5 yo did it regularly until he was 2 or so. He's fine now, I promise :)
