16 Mth Old Cries Util Passing Out

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16 Mth Old Cries Util Passing Out

by Kim
(Montgomery, IL)

My 16 month has started crying until she basically passes out. Her lips and around her mouth turn blue and her eyes roll back into her head and she still hasn't taken a breathe.

This is the third time this has happened and I know that if she actually passes out she will begin to breathe, but it is very scary.

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16 Mth Old Cries Util Passing Out

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Feb 18, 2010

Normal but scary
by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi Kim,

While very scary, the type of breath holding episodes you describe are, if not common, at least common enough to usually be well known among doctors and health nurses. They are also common enough to have a name; Breath Holding Spells (BHS) or Expiratory Apnea. It does look awful, but it isn't dangerous. When they are a few years old - up to five or six years old, they grow out of it.

There are two different kinds of BHS, one very common , called Blue spells (cyanotic breath-holding) and one less common called Pale spells (pallid breath holding).

Babies can't help doing this, it not a matter of will power or a particular personality, which you can some times read in old sources.

As her parent, what you can do is to try to help her not become so upset. You know your child best, but try to find way to console her and calm her down as early as possible. Also, if this doesn't help and she starts holding her breath, you can try blowing air gently in her face. This usually makes babies up to a certain age take a deep breath.

If the breath holding spells occur often, you might want to talk to her doctor about it, to get more ideas on ways to help her.

But again, don't be scared, it is not dangerous.

Here is a link with some more information.

Warm wishes,

Paula

Mar 23, 2010

Breath Holding
by: Carrie Mom to 2 sets of twins

I have 4 year old twin boys and 1 year old Boy/girl twins my little girl is 15 months and also does this but she does it a couple times a day and passes out each time. We will ignore it per the doctor but after she wakes up usually only a minute later she don't ever remember anything from before the episode she wakes up happy so no worries.

Jul 09, 2010

Same...
by: Priscilla

Yes, my 16 month old had the same episode once, and it scared me to the point I nearly passed out!!! My husband used to do the same thing, and when I asked my mother in law what she would do, she said she would just leave him be, she's a nurse so she knew it was alright hahaha...I guess its true what they say, well in my case anyways, like father like son!!! But I wanna add a question....my 16 month old just had a temper tantrum and cried for an excessive amount of time, well he finally calmed down and I noticed his eye was bleeding, and now he just has two small red dots on the white of his eye, could this be from a busted vessel from all the pressure his crying created????

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