Cyanotic breath-holding spells

notshanarishona

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 5:28 am

My daughter (almost 2) since she was a few months old has these spells where when she gets very upset and starts crying and faints and holds her breath for about 10-30 seconds .
Every pediatrician tells us that that it is not a health problem and she will grow out of it.
Every metapelet/ gannet/ parent/nurse/etc. who has seen it says she does it more frequently and for longer and to look into other issues.
I guess my questions are if there is anyone who had something similar and turned out to be nothing or something? Also, any ideas what type dr. to go to.

yOungM0mmy

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 6:31 am

2 of my kids had it, one only once or twice, and one on a semi regular basis for a few weeks. Both would flat out faint, fall to the floor, eyes glazed, one time my daughter started crying on the second or third step, and actually fell down the steps. The older one is now 6, and although sometimes his lips have a slight purple tinge if he is really hurt, he hasn't fainted in years. The younger one is now 4, and I almost thought she was going to faint again two weeks ago, but she breathed just before she got to that point, so although I'm always watching for it, she seems to have mostly outgrown it as well.

maidale

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 6:34 am

I have several kids that faint. They all outgrew it. My 2 yr old still does it occasionally but it's starting to become less frequent.

etky

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 7:40 am

My youngest would do that when she got hurt or fell. The doctor said not to worry - that it was a totally benign issue with no implications and that she would outgrow it and she did. She had her last fainting spell on the 4th b-day, when she slipped in gan. That was 10 years ago and that was the last of it. Apparently it's an immaturity of some part of the brain that eventually matures at around that age.
Some kids actively hold their breath as a manipulative strategy to get what they want or for attention. DD would just pass out b/c she couldn't catch her breath when she was crying - usually after some small injury or shock.
Under what circumstances does this happens with your DD when she is in gan? What seems to trigger the crying?

notshanarishona

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 7:41 am

Do her babysitters handle it?
Have your kids ever banged their head? I.e. she does it in the crib when you put her to bed?
Any way to lessen the frequency?
Did they do any tests?

etky

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 8:07 am

notshanarishona wrote:

Do her babysitters handle it?
Have your kids ever banged their head? I.e. she does it in the crib when you put her to bed?
Any way to lessen the frequency?
Did they do any tests?

No head banging and no tests since the doctor didn't order any.
We would blow on her face when she passed out to make her come to and that usually worked. The main concern was she would hit her head when she passed out but we usually got to her before it actually happened. We could tell by the type of cry that it was imminent.
Her metapelet and gannanot were informed about it and handled it when it happened though I remember one in particular was spooked by the whole thing and not so happy about it.
Luckily it didn't happen often...

notshanarishona

Sat, Aug 29 2015, 10:26 am

It happens frequently whenever she is over tired, has a cold, stressed (I.e. a substitute teacher) etc.. it can happen a few times a day. Her babysitter last year wanted to kick her out because of it.. Wish there was a solution.

etky

Sat, Aug 29 2015, 10:20 pm

I really feel for you. It must be very hard to deal with this so frequently.
I don't have any practical advice unfortunately.
Just reassurance that it will eventually pass and b"h w/o physical consequences or implications for your child's future health.

notshanarishona

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 10:27 am

etky wrote:

She just got kicked out of pre-school/ Maon b/c they don't want to deal with it..
Banging head

Now I am really stuck (I work full time).

etky

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 10:31 am

notshanarishona wrote:

She just got kicked out of pre-school/ Maon b/c they don't want to deal with it..
Banging head

Now I am really stuck (I work full time).

Oh no! I wonder it that is even legal?

notshanarishona

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 10:41 am

etky wrote:

Oh no! I wonder it that is even legal?

I am in the middle of making a seperate post about that if anyone who has a mishpachton would know. We are trying to get an answer but going in circles. I am going to try again to call the Tamat tomorrow.

It's a big mess.
I work full time. We are only paying 800 nis approx for maon for full day. Private gan is double and doesn't have the hours we need.

etky

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 10:47 am

notshanarishona wrote:

Wow. I wish you luck!

sped

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 10:57 am

I really, really doubt they are allowed to kick a child out for this. Get a doctor's note that it is not dangerous, and with instructions how to handle this.

notshanarishona

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 10:58 am

sped wrote:

I really, really doubt they are allowed to kick a child out for this. Get a doctor's note that it is not dangerous, and with instructions how to handle this.

We have brought them a dr.'s note from 2 different pediatricans.
Question is how to fight.. I guess I should go over the menahelet's head to the supervisor?

etky

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 10:58 am

What is their policy regarding kids with allergies? Do they deal with that, which is far more complicated and dangerous?

notshanarishona

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 11:02 am

etky wrote:

What is their policy regarding kids with allergies? Do they deal with that, which is far more complicated and dangerous?

That is what I don't understand.. They have a child in her age group, with a severe allergy to dairy, which means they need a seperate teacher to take him out of the room while the kids eat breakfast and also wash the kids hands, bibs, etc.. and they accomodate that and don't allow the kids to walk around with bottles of milk b/c of that.

asp40

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 11:25 am

Is she holding her breath and fainting or just fainting? I have twins and each one did one of those. One held her breath until she fainted. This started around a year old and last maybe another year or two. The other fainted for the first time in elementary school. The doctor said it is likely noting, it sometimes happens to very thin girls, especially teens (she was not a teen) but if it happens again we need to see a cardiologist. Thankfully it was just once and then she almost fainted a few other times but did not.

notshanarishona

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 11:31 am

sped wrote:

Maybe suggest they get her her own assistant for now?

It's not really in our budget.
I offered to do it for short term till she is used to it but there is no way we can pay a full assistant's salary.
She is really advanced for her age and does not need full time one on one help.
[they even moved her up to the class 6 months older than her b/c developmentally she is way ahead ].

notshanarishona

Tue, Sep 01 2015, 11:32 am

asp40 wrote:

she holds her breath until she faints.
The dr.'s have all said it is nothing.