13m old making herself faint!

[alwaysright]

Morning,

My friends 13m DD has taking up making herself faint, by holding her breath, if she can't get her own way!

Although she has a bedtime routine, it tends to happen in the evening before bedtime.

My friend gently blows in her face sometimes to stop her and make her grasp breath, but she's worried that if she makes herself faint when she's being to put bed, when she doesn't want to go, will she be ok to be left alone, rather than pandering to her wants!

Also any tips on stopping her doing this would be appreciated!

You can't stop yourself breathing, it's a reflex. You hold your breath, you pass out, you start breathing. Ignore her, lie her down safely when she passes out and walk away. She's just doing it for attention and will stop when she doesn't get any.

yes tis attention-seeking and as DrS says, is by it's very nature, self-limiting

walk away, ignore, as you would with any other kind of unwanted behaviour

My latest child was/is a breath holder- and not all breath holders do it consciousy for attention seeking-my daugher luckily never learnt to controll it- but she would have learnt very quickly if we had reacted. It was due to an abnoraml reflex not developed properly.

She didn't learn to do it manipulativly ( due to me totally ignoring it- other then to catch her when she fell unconscuious) she was a severe case from aged 6 months until she was about 2, she would pass out 6-7 times a day. If I had reacted to it, she would have been a thousand times worse and learnt to do it to - and so from very early on ( after she had scans etc at hospital- as sometimes the passing out would cause a fit) she would pass out nearly every time she cried , or hurt herself or laughed too much!!
I was reasuured that as soon as she fell unconscious she would begin to breath again- so sure enough she would turn blue- eyes would roll to the back of her head and she would drop down wherever she was. then after about 5 seconds, she woudl slowly come around and we would all carry on as normal. It is apparently hereditary- and I learnt that I was a breath holder too! although I learnt how to do it for attention too!
My daughter is now 3.5 and only passes out occasionally- usually when she has hurt herself- or REALLY upset!
She has hit her head a few times on the was down- and sometimes i just hear the THUD when she collapses- as she doesn't always cry out loud-especially if she has passed out from something that made her jump!
Tell you friend NEVER to give her daughter the thing she wanted befroe she passed out- and to pretend as if nothing has happened.