My sister has a 10 mo. old DD. She was cooking dinner last night when all of a sudden her cat ran off really fast and her DD started to cough, gag and scream. It was one of those cries where the baby is silent for awhile and then wails. While crying her little body went limp and she didn't make a sound. This happened a couple of times and my sister even thinks her color was off a bit. Her DD didn't have a temp. so I don't think it was a febrile seizure. My sister said she noticed her DD trying to eat magnets off the fridge and cat food earlier but didn't see anything in her DD's mouth. My sis is a good mom but her DD tries to eat everything and she has 2 older kids with a lot of small toys. Her DD seems ok today but my sis is confused and wondering what happened. Could she maybe just have been scared from almost choking on something (even though nothing was found in her mouth) or do you think it is something more serious like another type of seizure? I know this sounds weird but we just want to know if other moms have had a similar experience. Thanks!!
What's a 'DD'? Is that animal, vegetable or mineral? Just curious.
Get that child to the doc. Insist on blood work, CT and anything else that may point to ssomething. Many neurological things show up first with mild seizures and with the body going limp that is a big sign of a siezure. Also, her blood O2 levels should be monitored.
I work in a Peds unit at a hospital. She really should be admitted and watched for at least 24 hrs.
The cat thing...this may be a little off but there have been studies about cats having instincts about things like that. They are using them some in nursing homes...anyway.
Get her to a doc and keep looking until there is an answer. Let us know what happens.
Get that baby to a doctor.
Leah,
I had the same type of thing happen not too long ago and the baby ended up being fine - no trip or call to the doctor. I just went on my instinct and watched her. We think our baby is simply dramatic and held her breath a bit while crying after being frightened by the cat or something else. Tell you sister not to worry and just try to keep a closer eye on her. Hope that helps!
I would definitely call the pediatrician and take her in to be evealuated. Magnets can cause the airway to collapse which is why there was a recall on the magnetics not to long ago. BUT if she lost consciousness and turned blue, this is very serious and the baby needs a thorough evaluation.
Hey Leah. It is common for cats to go up to babies and get in their face and take their breath away. Babies have even died from it. Babies aren't smart enough yet to turn their head away when a cat does that. Is the cat always around when the baby does this? Also, a trip to the pediatrician wouldn't hurt just to make sure all is well. And seizures can present themselves in many forms. My daughter has many kinds. Probably not one but it's safe to ask the peds doc.
My response seems a little out of place with all of these but I am going to post it anyway. I agree you shoulld go see the doctor just to make sure she is okay. But also wanted to tell you my son has been a breath holder since he was tiny. When he got real upset he would cry and scream but it would be silent. he would finally fall over and go limp. Then a few seconds later he would get up and start regular sniffling crying. There was nothing we could do to stop it. He still does it occasionallly and he is four. I am not saying this is what your niece did but it is another option. I would say see a doctor to see if she has swallowed soemthing and inquire about seizures just to be sure though.
GO TO THE DOCTORS NOW!!! I am a birth doula (Labor coach) and this is SO beyond my scope of practice to talk about! I would be worried about her oxygen levels!
If she has no insurance, there are free clinics.
H.~ mother of three, military wife, birth doula
Yikes, I would just have her keep an eye on her and make sure it doesn't happen again. I don't want to alarm you but I read somewhere that a boy ate 2 magnets and the magnets connected in his intestines shutting them down! Don't scare her with the info; just let her be aware of that.
.
She definitely needs to see a pediatrician right away. Her body going limp like that is definitely not normal as a reaction to being scared. Maybe she ate something, maybe she had a seizure...it's best to have it checked out.
If I were the mom, I'd take my baby to the doctor immediately. First off, it could be that she was choking on something, and whatever she was choking on went down instead of coming out. If that's the case, it may be advantageous to make sure that whatever it wasn't something harmful (something with lead in it, a magnet, etc.). Secondly, if it was a siezure, that needs to be checked out immediately because next time it could be much worse.
Leah,
I agree that your sister should take her daughter to a pediatrician. My friend who is a physician told me that magnets are not only a choking hazard, they can perforate the intestinal wall and need to be removed by surgically if swallowed. Hopefully the baby didn't swallow a magnet, but they should be put out of her reach.
--J. K
I would take the baby to the doc, if your sister thinks she might ate a magnet(or something). They can do a x-ray. It is not a matter of being a bad mom, stuff like that happens.It sounds a bit like a seizure to me( I worked as a nanny with a child that had them),but doctor needs to check it out.
I would call my pediatrician, too......regarding seizures, there are many different types of seizures; some as mild as someone simply starring off at nothing with a blank look on their face.
Where was the baby when this happened? her high chair? the floor? And I'm confused about the cat thing? was the cat with the baby when it happened?
She may just have to just baby proof her home more intensly since the baby puts everything in her mouth and enlist the help of the older kids to clean up their toys to prevent the baby from getting into them and possibly choking or swallowing something little.
Pam
