can't get breath when cries, turns grey and passes out...

[thelollipoplady]

help - my nearly 2 dd has been doing this for the past few months. it's only when she's really upset, and she just sobs and can't catch her breath - gets more and more panicked, thrashes about, and finally passes out - and starts breathing. It's really awful - does this happen to anyone else's child?

no (thankfully) but my neice used to hold her breath when she was having tantrums, and would 'make herself' pass out. she was about the same age. it stopped eventually, as her speech improved i think. is it a temper thing?

have you talked to GP?

My Dd1 used to do this (from about 14mths old) and it used to frighten the life out of me.

She would do exactly as you say, scream and scream and then hold her breath until she passed out.
My H.V was forever telling me it wouldn't hurt her, but it was horrible to watch.

Some old woman once told me that her daughter used to do it and they used to sit her on the back door step, as the cold would shock her into taking a breath. Never tried it so i don't know if it worked.

Dd just stopped doing it at about 2.5 i think.

glad it's not just my child! Although it isn't a holding breath on purpose sort of tantrum - it's like she can't get her breath and she panics and it gets worse. When she was a bit younger we tried blowing on her face - clapping our hands to try and shock her out of it - but it didn't seem to help. Now i just have to hold her till she manages to breathe or passes out and then reassure her when she comes round.

I was going to suggest the blowing in the face that usually works for the ds (nearly 2) he has always done it since he was old enough to have tantrams but has never passed out on me though. My MIL told me about one of her sisters used to do it she is quite older that her and as a teenager got fed up with it and threw a glass of water in her face. She never did it again. dont know if i could do it myself but she swore that it worked. I know how it does frighten the life out of you but at least you know if they pass out the will breath again. Good luck.

Could she be getting something like a mild stress-induced asthma?

I'm not suggesting there's anything physically wrong btw - just an emotional thing that might make her throat feel a bit tight when she's upset.

my mum suffers from asthma agy - although i;ve not seen any other symptoms. this could be worth checking out though.

I really doubt that its anything physical causing it though. She's probably going to be a bit highly strung! You're gonna have to keep her calm! yes I know! It can't hurt to get it checked out though.

one of my dds did this a few times as a baby when she'd hurt herself. First time round I'd screamed at dh to call an ambulance (she also had a heart defect so it was that extra bit scary), thankfully he didn't get that far before she came round again.
Her paediatrician said that it is normal and quite common in toddlers.

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