Scary moment - do I do anything?

[minibmw2010]

Had just finished giving DS (14 mths) his dinner and was washing up. He's struggling with the heat so is v tired. Was doing some washing up while he was playing with his bowel and I dropped the steamer in the sink.

Very loud noise so cue big intake of breath to cry/scream - only he didn't. He kept his mouth open and held his breath for what felt like ages but was probably about 15/20 seconds. Am trying desperately to get him to stop/cry and he slumped in the chair and his eyes rolled in his head. Kept shouting at him and lightly slapping his cheeks but nothing so ran for next door neighbour. While at her door I heard him cry & scream. She came back to make sure we were both ok and said what I should have done was blow direct into his face when he was holding his breath. I'm sure our baby first aid man prob told us that but I freaked.

So am sat on sofa with him having had a little cry and he's gone to sleep. Sod bedtime, he can go a bit later.

It sounds like breathholding to me - my friends dd does it. Basically if she gets very upset she holds her breath until she passes out (but obviously then starts breathing again). If thats what it is then blowing on them wont help at all. The only real problem associated with it afaik is the hysteria from passers by when they do it.

Its quite common apparently but I think she started younger than your lo. Tbh I think you should ring nhs direct and ask them, because obviously I'm just guessing. Plus deffo go to the gp and talk about it with them.

there is a condition called RAS which is when a child momentarily stops breathing when in pain or has a shock. it is not life threatening and they mostly grow out of it. might be worth googling it. Repeat NOT life threatening! of course may not be this but sounds similar to a child i know

I rang NHS Direct after he woke up (30 min nap on me), she was quite abrupt and said I should have rung 999 and to take him to A&E.

They think it was a febrile convulsion and that he has a virus and rash. That combined with the heat and being so tired probably brought it all on.

He's just gone down after a quick cool bath, downed a bottle and is upstairs asleep in just a sleeveless vest. Luckily he'd had a huge dinner and a nap on me so being later than normal didn't matter too much, he was v good at the hospital, a bit impatient but who wouldn't be.

Jamie's just gone to McDonalds for our dinner !!!

Does he have a fever then? Fwiw I thought current advice wasnt to give cool baths because it fools the body into thinking it was cold and overheats further. Has he has calpol or calprofen?

My kids both did breath-holding and ds has passed out from it - yes blowing in their face usually works. What my GP told me was that because somethings caused it (eg not getting own way / falling) it meant it wasnt a fit.

Did they tell you at the hospital that having had one febrile convulsion he is at greater risk of more? Im not saying that to scare you just so you know to keep a very close eye on him when hes ill.

Seems strange. my daughter has febrile convulsions and she fits full on. not just pass out n her temp has to hit 39.

Iv not seen a child hold its breath but my friends child did it until he passed out and iv heard its very common.

nhs direct panicked me not so long ago my daughter has severe nose bleeds this time blood was cumin out her eyes so i rang them. she told me rush her to A n E i didn't even have to wait a call back. so i thought worse i.e tumor , dieing etc. threw up by time i got to hospital in a right state ...... to be told its completely normal!!!!!

Oh god meria :(

I don't think its always a very high temp that causes a febrile convulsion but more the speed at which it has risen iyswim.

Thats exactly wat it is but my daughters had to fly to 39. and was always a infection. I wouldnt have any warning off temp before. only sumtimes shakes or blue feet.

She has grown out off it.

But this doesnt sound like a convulsion to me. he was scared/shocked that doesnt cause convultions :/

To me, this sounds like breath holding after shock, pain or very bad tantrum. My daughter used to do this and gp said it was often found in 'stubborn intelligent children'!!! She grew out of it - last one about 2 years I think. She also had a febrile convulsion which was totally different - she was out of it for much longer, and I had to call an ambulance. Very high temperature which came on very quickly and she didn't cry, just sat very still and stared into space. When I picked her up she went stiff and eyes rolled back, then floppy and I thought she wasn't breathing. I was told the speed at which the temperature rises is why convulsion happens. She stayed overnight in hospital. Odd that your ds had 'convulsion' immediately after loud noise scared him. Not saying hospital is wrong but did you tell them it happened after he heard the steamer drop in the sink'?? Whichever it was, it is very frightening the first time it happens.

I don't particularly think it was a convulsion either but I'm guessing the term covers an umbrella of things. Dr was very much 'I think it was' as opposed to 'it was'. When we got there he had a temp of 39 but I'd checked his temp earlier in the day as he'd seemed out of sorts and it was fine, so his temp had gone up quite quickly.

Re the cool bath, it was more so I could clean him as he was covered in sun cream and I figured cooler was nicer because it's hot outside? Was that a bad thing to do?

He slept well (woke up at usual 7am despite not going to bed until nearly 9) do here's hoping for a good day.

I hope hes ok now. and it doesnt happen again :)

A friends dd has something called reflex anoxic seizures (I think!)
Sounds just like this. If her dd doesn't come round within a certain time period, they have to ring an ambulance - they've never had to do this though, and at 5 yrs old, she's stopped having them.

I go for RAS too. My dd had it and although it is pretty frightening to witness, it is NOT life threatening.
The tests to give a definitive answer aren't particularly pleasant, so they only tend to go down that route if it carries on into older childhood.
My dd had her last one at 3 yrs of age.

DS used to do the breath holding thing (if that's what it was) when he was angry or upset. First one at 7months, I don't remember him doing it since DD was born, so he was 2y4m. The first time was terrifying, his lips went grey, I was shaking him (not the right thing to do!), DH dashed out of the shower and seeing him, assumed he was choking on something so was holding him upseide down and bashing his back, we called 999 and were taken to hospital. Since then, when we knew what it was it was easier to stay calm and blow in his face. It is terrifying though, and I hope you are feeling better now.