My daughter for some time now seems as though she goes into a trance like stage. Its a little difficult to explain but what she does is she she sits down and bends her legs back (kinda like a frog). She arches her back and seems to holds her breath for what seems like minutes. I have gone to my daughters pediatrician about this issue but she said that its her relaxing time. the pediatirican told me that it is ok for her to do that but I have to explain to her that its her own personal time and that she has to do that only in her room. The pediatrician also said that as time goes by she will do it less and less. For some reason though it seems as though its gotten worse. She does it constantly! I try to distarct her in some way but she always ends up in that position. What can it be?
Get a 2nd opinion.
I have never heard of that before.
She seems to do it at-will, right? As you describe it.
I would get a 2nd opinion.
Lots of posts below, and I'm going to agree with them to get a second opinion. It very well could be just a strange behavior, but the first thing I thought of (as mentioned below as well) was epilepsy. My youngest sister had seizures starting at 6 months old. There are different types of seizures, but I recall her having episodes where she would just fade out, staring off at nothing at all, muscles tensing up a bit, and she would stop breathing. These episodes didn't last long, and she'd usually just "wake up" after a couple of minutes. These were "petite" seizures; they appeared mild, barely noticable at times, but were harmful none the less.
Any good doctor would be supportive of your desire for a second opinion, and it's your right as a patient-or the patient's mommy in this case! It probably is just a behavioral thing, especially at that age, but when it comes to your daughter's health, it's better to double check, than to miss something important.
I second SH on get a second opinion
I'm not exactly sure what it is or why your daughter's doing it, but it seems a little unusual. I've raised 4 kids now through that age range, and I think I would get a second opinion if I were you, just for peace of mind. Especially if it's been going on for a while now. Not to alarm you -- the pediatrician's explanation doesn't sound impossible (children are strange little things sometimes) but I think I'd rather err on the side of caution. JMHO
Videotape it and SHOW it to the pediatrician.
Sounds like she doing her own form of meditating. We all have our little quirks. If she is healthy and happy I wouldn't worry about it.
how is her weight and growth? developments milestones? her bowel movements? i know that sounds super crazy, but i watched a special on tv not that long ago about a child who would do things like that, and he ended up having celiac disease (which both of my children and my husband have) it is basically a severe allergy to gluten and it erodes away the intestinal lining and makes it extremely difficult to absorb nutrients. "zoning out" is pretty common with it. So is severe diarrhea, constipation, slow development, skin problems, inability to concentrate, vomiting, and a plethora of other stuff.
here is a youtube clip of the kid i was talking about. You want to start it about 4 minutes in to get to where they are talking about him zoning out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am6AUFVpKUk
here is the second part of it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL_O-uInv3U&feature=re...
It's obvious that you're concerned and based on that alone, I'd ask for a referral to a pediatric neurologist. It can't hurt to get a second opinion and it would put your mind at rest if a specialist tells you the same thing as the ped right? Keep us updated!
I would recommend asking for a refferal to pediatric neurologist or ask your pediatrition if you can request a eeg to rule out epilepsy. Just as a precaution! My son was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 4 only because we were intune and he was spacing out a lot. Very controlable!!!!! This is a very simple harmless test and you will feel better!!! It could be absolutely nothing but as a parent you know best!
I would get a second opinion. Start keeping track of when it happens so you can possibly find a pattern and discuss it better with her doctor. i.e. Did she just start doing this recently? What prompts her to do it (when she's tired, frustrated, hungry, needs to go to the bathroom)? How many times per day/week? How long does it last? Is she upset afterward? Does she ever talk about it?
I add this not to scare you, but to help you begin to look for possibilities as what is happening: My nephew had a form of epilepsy as an infant; when he had a seizure, his body would become stiff and he would stare into space (like a trance) for a minute or two. This began soon after birth, but he outgrew it after a couple of years and as I understand it, was in no way harmed because of it. My brother and sister-in-law found out what it was and what to do when it happened, so everyone was able to recognize what was happening and were comfortable in dealing with it. My brother's family lives in another state, so I only witnessed the seizures couple of times, and know very little about the condition myself -- so I certainly am no expert (or even an informed bystander!). And again, I only mention this because sometimes there are medical reasons behind the weird things our kids do.
It is very possible that this is just her way of relaxing and nothing is wrong. But if you're worried about it at all, you should definitely be persistent in getting it checked out until you're comfortable with the doctors' explanations.
Good luck.
I agree with your ped. All 3 of my kids have done something somewhat like that. I have worked in child care for 22 years and have seen many children with similar behavior. Does she rock or bounce when she does it? That is common. As your ped said, some children do this to calm and relax. It is a self soothing tool for them. Many children will do this while sitting like your dd, with their legs like a "W", or do it while laying down - especially at bed or nap time. A lot of children also combine it with rocking, bouncing, or what you could say looks like "humping". Again, all very normal, common, and a way to relax, calm, and self soothe. Children who do this, in my experience, tend to be calm, well adjusted children because they have learned - on their own - how to calm themselves. I think we, as adults, could take a lesson from them, and learn to take a minute or two for ourselves now and then and think about nothing and zone out. I would not be concerned about it being a neurological problem, since she seems to be in control of it. If she was not in control of it, she would not be getting in the same position every time. If it calms you, I would go for the second opinion, but I imagine another doc will tell you the same thing. Good luck.
S.
Agreed on the checking for epilepsy, that sounds very similar to some of my little sister's behavior, and it wasn't until she was in high school that it got obvious enough that they finally diagnosed her with a form of epilepsy. Seems like it would be good to rule that out...
I agree with S.H. A second opinion is in order if for no other reason so that you can relax. Your pediatrician may be right but you have a gut feeling here. A "trance" like state made me think of a seizure related thing, but I truly don't know. I'd say get a referral to a neurologist maybe.
