Coping with temporary holding of breath in children

Many children can cause extreme panic from their parents with temporary suffocation, a condition very common in young children. So what is the cause of temporary breathlessness and how can it be resolved? 

Symptoms of temporary holding of breath in children

Features and symptoms of shortness of breath include:

Babies feel uncomfortable by something, such as disappointment, anger, injury, or fear;

Baby emits 1 or 2 long cries;

The baby held his breath until his lips turned pale;

Babies exhale afterwards but most of them are stiff, some may have convulsions or muscle twitching;

The baby then resumes normal breathing and becomes completely alert for less than a minute;

Onset between 6 months and 2 years of age;

Only happens when the baby is awake.

If your child has other symptoms, call the doctor for help. 

Reason

A baby holding their breath when angry is a fairly common and rarely considered abnormal reaction.  Baby's temporary holding of breath occurs 1 or 2 times a day or 1 to 2 times a month and usually goes away by the time the baby is 4 or 5 years old. They are not dangerous and usually do not lead to epilepsy or brain damage. 

When do babies need a doctor?

Take your baby to the doctor right away if she:

Do not breathe for more than 1 minute (call 115);

Your child is unconscious for more than 1 minute;

Babies younger than 6 months old and gradually pale;

The baby turns pale rather than pale.

Call your doctor if your baby:

Have any seizures occurred while having the disorder;

The baby's holding of his breath happens almost every week;

You have other questions regarding your baby's condition. 

Take care at home when your baby holds his breath

Temporarily holding your breath is usually harmless, so try to stay calm. Put your baby down to increase blood flow to the brain. This position may prevent twitching in some muscles. Use a cold, wet washcloth and place it on your baby's forehead until the baby starts to breathe again. Calculate the duration of several attacks using the seconds timer.

Do not put anything in the baby's mouth as these can cause choking or vomiting. In particular, do not shake the baby as this can lead to brain bleeding. 

Get treatment after your baby experiences temporary holding of breath

Give your baby a gentle hug and go back to your work and stay as comfortable as possible. If you are scared, don't let your friends know. If your baby is angry and leads to temporarily holding his breath when he wants something the way he wants, don't let him / her satisfy his / her wishes after the temporary hold is over. Let your baby know that temporary breaths of breath will not bring any results. 

Prevent temporary breaths of breath

Most holding breaths happen when a baby falls or gets scared suddenly or is caused by anger. However, some babies may be distracted from temporarily holding their breath if you distract them. Call your baby up and give him a hug or just look at something interesting. Ask your baby if he wants to drink a glass of juice. If your child has a daily seizure, he may have learned to trigger his hold of breath. When they hold their breath, they know that you will be anxious, run to hold them and pamper them. This causes the baby to become reliant and continue to repeat holding their breath every time he wants to feel hot or angry. So, be strict with your baby to limit these negative actions in the future. The biggest risk of holding your breath temporarily is brain damage. If your baby begins to hold their breath while standing near a hard surface, quickly approach and gently bring him down.