breath holding/passing out, 1 yo psycho!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-12-2003
breath holding/passing out, 1 yo psycho!
17
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 11:54am
o god, my one year old is such a trip!! he just got tubes in his ears, and he's miserable, and he's started throwing these HUGE fits that culminate with him screaming until he loses his breath and passes out! his eyes roll back in his head, he goes limp, and passes out! he comes back to in a minute or so, and is exhausted and clingy, and just wants to nurse. it's so scary you guys. the first time he did it i was sure he was having a seizure, so we rushed him to the dr, where they started to run all these tests, only to have him do it again when i wouldn't let him take all the trash out of the trash can. he threw himself on the floor and went at it, and sure enough he passed out again! the dr just started laughing, and said "well i guess we can cancel all these tests, turns out he's just a monster!" the dr says he will grow out of it by 4 or 5! what the heck am i gonna do until then?? the dr only had two suggestions, one, keep some throw pillows handy so he wont get a concussion (o wow thanks, that REALLY helps!) and two, that some people have reported success with dumping them in a cold shower when they start to breath hold. i told him i'd give it a try, as long as he promised to testify in my defense when cps takes my kids away, lol.

but seriously, is that not the weirdest thing you've ever heard? does anyone elses kids do this? are they sane? does he need therapy? a sharp kick in the butt? what the heck? the dr did put ds on the list to see the behavioral therapist, but he didn't seem to think he has mental problems, just that he's a brat. ds has always been a challenge from the minute he was born, but this is over the top!

clarity

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-22-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 5:45pm


My niece does the same thing. They took her to the doctor and he diagnosed her with a type of breathe holding thing. He said she would outgrow it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 7:01pm
I would treat this as a fit/sickness thing.

After you make sure he is OK, then I would put him in his room and tell him that since he passed out, he must be sick. If he is sick, then he can't play (do whatever he wants to). Don't make a fuss, do it matter of factly.

If you punish/don't give in with attention etc., then I bet he will stop after a month or so...or at least the frequency will slow.

Ejkdmom Come visit my store: www.leorra.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 7:51pm

I have not seen this happen, nor does it happen with my 4 year old son, but I do feel for you.


My son went through a stage of banging his head on the floor or wall and so forth, but nothing that severe.


I hope it does not take years for him to outgrow that. Good luck and hugs to you....

Mel


Andrew 3-4-99


Dalton

Mel

Andrew 3-4-99

Dalton  12-4-03

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-07-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 8:40pm
Did she mention that the baby was only 1yr old? How is a baby supposed to interprut that?

Be who you are and say what you feel because those  who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 8:52pm
I don't know what you mean "interprut"?

A 1 year old knows what he is doing. He knows that mommy will probably give in and after the fit (this is a fit), he will get held by mommy and get to nurse to his hearts content. He has no incentive to stop.

It is a common misconception that babies cannot manipulate. They do. At different levels that relate to their age, but they do. While this is extreme, this is manipulation. As long as there is no physical problem, I see no problem in treating this as any other fit.

Hey, this is my advice based on my experience.

Ejkdmom Come visit my store: www.leorra.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-07-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 9:37pm
Well, I just don't understand how a "baby" who can barely walk or talk be able to realize that you are punishing them for holding their breath? I would understand if the child was 2 or 3, but a 1yr old? I don't think a baby could intentionally holding its breath, to manipulate the mother into doing what it wants.

I have four children, and have been a dayhome provider for years...I have known children to hold their breath. However a baby, a year old holding their breath to the point of passing out for a minute I could not see doing on purpose for attention or munipulation. I certainly wouldn't put the baby in his/her room for a "time out" ( I reallize you didn't use those words) so they reallize they can't do that, unattended! Nor would I advise a mother in a situation like this to do so....If that baby happened to fall back, hit his/her head...suffercate...lose contiousness..for more then a minute..whatever!!

She was worried to the point she brought him in, why would it be ok to leave him in his room unattended? I don't want to come of as a bit-- but I would want a "BABY'S" safety to be considered...and not taken lightly!

I do think its good that you said "After you make sure he is OK" but whats to say he will remain OK once he is unattended after one of these episodes. I call it "episodes" rather than "fits" or "sickness" because it isn't normal for a baby to do this, however it does happen to some children. I have seen it as young as 3mnths old, now don't tell me that you would do that for a 3mnth old? or think that was something she was doing to manipulate her mother?

Be who you are and say what you feel because those  who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 9:57pm
We obviously have different opinions on children. I won't debate back and forth on what I know children are capable of and what you think children are capable of.

I have given my advice and I stand by it. I am a teacher and have been around many children also. If the doctor pooh-poohed this as a bratty child, and the mom agrees, then I don't understand your problem.

Children as young as 3 months can, and do, manipulate. A 3 month old wouldn't do the same as a 1 year old, but they do what they can.

One correction is that a 1 year old is not a baby anymore.

Ejkdmom Come visit my store: www.leorra.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-17-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 10:04pm
I personally think that the doctor's suggestion to put the baby (BRIEFLY) in a cold shower is a great idea - it's not harmful (a little shocking, yes - but not harmful), and it could distract him enough so that he begins to focus on breathing again. And it may not even take a shower - maybe just a cold squirt of water from the kitchen sink. And I don't think that your baby is bratty either - I just think that he is very focused and determined to get what he wants - he gets so obsessed with it that it even affects his breathing! I have heard of older children doing this, but never one as young as yours. Good luck!

Paige

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-07-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 11:16pm
"well i guess we can cancel all these tests, turns out he's just a monster"

I sure hope the doctor didn't pooh-poohed it as he being a "bratty" child. I don't think that is how he referred it...especially a 1yr old! And I certainly would hope you, as a teacher would reffer a child as being "bratty"...a 1yr old child at that!

I agree that we obviously do have diffrent opinons, and we are intitled to them..I think the real issue is the stopping breathing and passing out. As a mother I know how devistating it is in any situation for a child of mine to pass out in my arms, or in front of me. My last thought would be to disapline.

I also agree we obvious have diffrent opinions on a 1yr old still being a baby, and I know you aren't alone in that and I am not alone in that some agree that 1yr olds are still babies. I think that comes more with mothers that only have one child. I remember when my oldest was 2mnths old and I went to a birthday party for a 1yr old. Everyone was cooing, over my baby...oh how little, sweet and tiny. I was a little frustrated that they were cooing as if he had just came out of me that day....he was a big boy to me. (He was about 16pnds by that point, he was born 9pnds) So really he wasn't that little. But compared to the other babies(children) who were about a year he was small.

So by the time I had my second and my twins, my babies(the twins) are still babies!

Not that I treat/disapline the twins who will be 4 in less then 2wks like they are 1yr old. Because I believe that a 1yr old is a baby and should be treated accordingly.

Another question...how would you disapline a 3mnth old in this situation...would you send him/her to his/her room and tell them that they are being sick?

I like the cold water idea...maybe the squirting just so to remind them to breath.

Be who you are and say what you feel because those  who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-07-2003
Mon, 12-29-2003 - 11:43pm
ITA! I think the important thing here is the child stops breathing! I think because the baby is so upset she "forgets" to breath! She needs that shock factor to get her concentrating on breathing again. I think that is what mom is concerned about. I had my first son in the ICU under close observation...because he would forget to breath. They wanted to keep him there for a couple of days to rule out anything else, however they concluded he had "baby sleep apnea" and suggest to blow hard on him for a while to remind him to breath. He was only 5wks old...and did this mainly during the time he slept. All I was worried about was getting him to breath again. It was devistating when his lips would turn blue and he would pass out...he would be so upset when I would make him breath again....it was sooo sad!

Be who you are and say what you feel because those  who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

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