HELP! MY DAUGHTER IS SCARYING ME!!!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-07-2004
HELP! MY DAUGHTER IS SCARYING ME!!!!!
8
Thu, 04-15-2004 - 4:11pm
HI EVERYONE. MY DAUGHTER IS SCARYING ME TO DEATH AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. SHE IS 13 MONTHS OLD AND HAS BREATH HOLDING SPELLS. SOMETIMES WHEN SHE GETS ANGRY, HURT OR TIRED SHE BEGINS TO CRY ONLY IT IS A SOUNDLESS CRY CAUSING HER NOT TO BREATH. IF I CAN'T SNAP HER OUT OF IT SHE PASSES OUT IN MY ARMS. AFTER THIS HAPPENS, HER EYES LOOK UP TOWARD THE TOP OF HER HEAD, HER BODY TWITCHES, HER LIPS TURN BLUE, SHE MAKES GURGGLING SOUNDS, BLOWS SPIT BUBBLES OUT OF HER MOUTHS AND IS NOT BREATHING THE ENTIRE TIME. THE ENTIRE EPISODE LASTS ABOUT A MINUTE UNTIL SHE BREATHES AND COMES OUT OF IT. AFTERWARD SHE IS REALLY TIRED AND SLEEPS. NOW, I KNOW FOR SURE THAT THIS IS A BREATH HOLDING SPELL BECAUSE I HAD HER TO THE DOCTOR AND SHE HAD AN EEG. THE DOCTOR TOLD ME IT IS LIKE A TANTRUM BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE BUT MY RESEARCH SAID THAT ONE IN EVERY FIVE CHILDREN DOES THIS. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I CALLED 911 BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. NOW WHEN IT HAPPENS I TRY TO KEEP MYSELF CALM BUT THAT IS HARD TO DO WHEN I'M HOLDING A LIMP UNRESPONSIVE CHILD IN MY ARMS. MY QUESTION IS, DOES ANYONE HAVE A CHILD THAT DOES THIS OR KNOW A CHILD THAT DOES THIS? I COULD USE ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO COPE WITH THESE SCARY EPISODES AND HOW DO I PARENT A CHILD THAT IS GOING TO PASS OUT EVERY TIME SHE DOESN'T GET HER WAY.

TANYA

MOMMY TO MAKENNA
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2000
Thu, 04-15-2004 - 4:28pm
Oh I'm so sorry you are going through this. How scary. Here's a link to an advice column at parents place that mentions the same thing. Wish I could be more helpful. I'm sorry this is happening to you - Suzanne

http://www.parentsplace.com/toddlers/behavior/qas/0,,166457_101288,00.html

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-11-2004
Thu, 04-15-2004 - 8:36pm
are you sure it is that? Please just read up on tracheomalacia. I hope that it would not be anything like that, but it isnt anything to mess with. I know of a child who did this and they found it to be tracheomalacia. I am familiar to this because we recently had a round of fear, wondering if our daughter had this. I did a lot of research on it, and all of the docters asked if she had fainting spells. Its probably not this, but please just read on it to be sure. Good luck

Violet

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-17-2003
Fri, 04-16-2004 - 7:35am
I have heard of this before - in fact, I believe that someone on this board even posted about this several months ago (at least I think it was this board - it could have been another PP board). Her son was around 13 months also. My understanding is that this is a harmless condition that kids will grow out of by the time they are 5 or so. I'm sure that it's unsettling, but I really don't think that it's dangerous. Obviously, she will start breathing again as soon as she passes out. Hopefully as she gets older she will learn to control her frustrations a little better. And as she gets older and starts to feel the effects of her episodes (fatigue, headaches, etc.) she will stop doing it because it will just not be worth it! Until then, I would just keep monitoring her and keep your doctor up to date. Good luck - I'm sure this is disturbing.

Paige

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-17-2003
Fri, 04-16-2004 - 7:48am
I found the other thread where we discussed this several months ago - if you'll go back to Jan 1st in this folder (the General Discussions folder), you'll see a header that says "breath holding/passing out/1 yo psycho!" - the poster was in the same situation as you.

Paige

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-19-1999
Fri, 04-16-2004 - 5:28pm
i don't post much, but i thought i would reply since my son passed out once from the "soundless cry" it was extremely scary. the only advice i can give, is what i was told. hold and comfort them, and blow a puff of air in their face. it almost always makes my son take a breath and start crying normal. it's worth a try, since it is so scary to see them pass out.

luvmy4kids Made with My Cool Signs.Net

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2004
Sat, 04-17-2004 - 12:31am
That sounds very scary! Did your daughter have a sleep deprived eeg? Its where they stay awake at night and the eeg is performed in the morning while they're sleeping. It sounds like a normal breath holding episode that is harmless. I know thats not much comfort to you. It is also possible she is having seizures. My dd,6, has a history of partial complex seizures, she will basically blank out for a minute or two. Seizures are usually caused by stress. In your dd's case, being hurt, sad, angry or whatever could be a stressor. I don't THINK your daughter is having seizures, but it is a possibility. You should make another appt with her dr. and insist on a sleep deprived eeg and a consultation with a neurologist. If possible, record a few episodes on video and keep a "diary" of what happened just beforehand. Take these to your doctor, they will be very helpful. I suppose I've just scared you more than helped you. Sorry, I just want to be honest. Like I said, a seizure is just a possiblity, but its worth checking out. You definitely did the right thing calling 911 the first time it happened. Don't hesitate to do it again if her episodes last for longer periods. Good luck and keep us posted!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-12-2003
Wed, 04-21-2004 - 9:27pm
hey tanya, i finally found your post! btdt, freaky isn't it? and yes sweetie, i have some hints that may help. my ds started this at almost the same age, and now at 17 months i think we've finally broken him of it. the trick for us was a spray bottle of water that we would use to spray him directly in the face when he started a fit. sounds barbaric, i know, but it was the only thing that worked. it would distract him long enough to derail the tantrum and kept him from passing out. if the spray bottle was not available i would either quickly take him outside, flip him upside down, or clap my hands very loudly right next to his ear. i know those all sound really weird, but trust me, they work. the trick is a quick but strong distraction right when they start the breath holding. if you do it too early in the tantrum they will just cry louder, but if you wait until the little buggers start holding their breath it will shock them out of it. if you do it right they will either stop crying altogether or break down into a normal "hold me" cry, at which point you can comfort them. i've heard that some people have had success with putting them in a cold shower, but that was just too cruel for me, and a lot of trouble when you think about doing it 5 or 10 times a day. if you can be consistent in preventing an "episode" for a few months, they seem to stop the breath holding on their own. my ds still throws at least 3 or 4 temper tantrums on a good day, and what seems like one constant one on bad days, but he has completely stopped the breath holding. now he just throws himself on the floor and kicks his feet while looking over his shoulder to make sure i am paying attention to the show. but heck, any progress is good progress!

let me know if this works for you, maybe we'll write a book. there seems to be a great dirth of information on this.

clarity

btw, please don't be offended, but it's considered shouting when you write in caps, so you might want to avoid it in the future. just a thought :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2004
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 9:37pm
I dont know any one who does this but I just wanted to tell you that I would demand my doctor to send me somewhere to find out if its involentary or not, and what can be done about it. I couldnt imagine what that must be like and I hope you find some help!