21 Month Old Holds His Breath and Passed Out. Help, Scary!

My children have not done this, but a friend of mine has 2 out of 3 boys that did this. She would have to try and calm them before it happened, other than that if they passed out, she would hold them, not moving them until they wake up, after about a 30 seconds to a minute. Her dr. said it's just their body reacting to the stress of being angry or aggrivated, but not to worry.

I have not had experience with this directly but my sister in law told us she used to do this when she was little. Not sure when/why she stopped, but she is okay now!

I suggest trying to divert his attention when he starts holding his breath. Tickle him, ask him a question, blow on his face or lick his ear (anything to get him to stop!!). If the doctor is not concerned, I would not be as worried. He may even suggest ignoring it but I think if it were my child, I would not be able to ignore it!!

My son started doing this when he was about 8 months old. He has a really bad temper and he thought this would get my attention. I have always wanted to teach my kids that they are the ones that have to be prepared to deal with whatever they do. He held his breath and passed out and I stood there and watched him. After about a month he realized that it was not getting me upset so he quit. They can only pass out for so long then the body will force them to breath. Yes, it is scary!! I only had one child do this. He tries a lot of things now to get me to do what he wants since that did not work. I would say that he is getting the behavior out of you that he wants and so he keeps doing it. If you leave him with someone other then his dad just explain this behavior and the possibility it might happen. When my son just started doing this his father put him on a bed and his tongue covered his opening to his throat and the baby started having convulsions. That was scary! I would think that at 2 years old he would have better control of his muscles though.

Blow in his face! That will make him take a big breath and avoid getting to the point of passing out. I did that when I was kid and my mom was afraid I would have a breath-holder so she's told me what to do about 16,000 times since I had my son. :-)

My son once bumped his head and was crying really hard. He wasn't breathing and was turning blue. I was trying to remain calm, but was freaking out. We had friends over, he walked over, took him from me and blew in his face. He immediately inhaled and began to wail. My friend said, "works every time." Apparently their daughter also passed out when she got overly upset and their pedi recommended it. Later when we started toddler swimming they had us blow in our child's faces before we submerged them...apparently blowing makes kids automatically inhale. I don't know if it'll work when he is so worked up, but it may be worth a shot. I imagine those episodes are pretty frightening. GL!

My son hasn't passed out YET, but he's a breath holder. He often turns blue and gets dizzy and I expect that at some point he'll probably make himself pass out completely. I can't imagine how they do it, I don't think I could manage to hold my breath until I passed out. The only thing I worry about is him hitting his head or falling off of something. Consequently I try to only piss him off when he's standing on something soft and close to the ground. :)

My brother used to do this as a kid. He'd get upset, hold his breath, pass out. Once, when we were at a store, he passed out, hit his head, and had a seizure. Lots of testing followed, but it was determined that nothing was wrong with him. He just had a temper, and holding his breath was how he dealt with it. He quickly grew out of it. Now, he's 32, the most laid-back person you'll ever meet, and a DVM!

I hope you find that your sons quickly grows out of this as well.

Once they pass out they automatically start breathing again. Holding your breath is not the same as not being able to take a breath. Any parent of a child with asthma will tell you they are fighting to breathe but can't get the air in. Blowing in his face might help break the pattern. You are just getting into the terrible 2's and 3's. I expect child will be holding his breath a lot over the next few years, but he'll out grow it eventually.

My brother (now 37) used to do this. About age 6 mos to 4 yrs old. Only if badly hurt or extremely upset/scared. I do NOT believe he did it on purpose. We just waited them out...once he turned blue and passed out it wouldn't be that long. I remember it even though I was only 2 yrs older. Of course terrifying at first for my parents and not something you are ever totally ok with as a parent, but the dr reassured them he would be ok. He is now a perfectly functioning highly intelligent father of two. :)

Breath Holding Spells as you've described are actually quite common. I am a journalist and I recently interviewed medical experts on this condition for KidsHealth.org. Here is the article I wrote that explains what these spells are and what you -as a parent- should do about them. It's a bit long-winded for a msg board answer but it's convenient! Hope it helps!

Most people have probably heard stories about the “terrible-two’s” in which children hold their breath until they turn blue in the face. They may seem like amusing anecdotes of stubborn or willful toddlers, but for the parents of those toddlers it’s not so funny. Breath holding spells (BHS) are very frightening for parents. Just as the name implies, children affected by BHS literally hold their breath until they pass out. The good news, however, is that these episodes are almost always predictable, they can often be prevented and children typically grow out of them by the time they are 5 years old.

What are Breath Holding Spells?

Breath-holding spells (BHS) are a phenomenon that can occur in normal, well children. They affect roughly 2-5% of healthy children ranging in age from 6 months to 6 years, although they peak at about 2 years of age and rarely affect a child older than 5 years.

There are two forms of BHS: the cyanotic type in which the child turns a shade of blue and the pallid type in which the child becomes extremely pale. In either case, the children hold their breath until they pass out. Although disturbing to those who witness them, the episodes are not harmful. They last only a matter of seconds and the children wake up and resume breathing normally. In extreme cases, children can have real seizures during a BHS, although there is no greater risk of a seizure disorder as a result.

What Causes Breath Holding Spells?

Aside from their hallmark color changes, cyanotic and pallid BHS do have another key difference: their cause. Cyanotic spells are far more common than the pallid type. And unlike pallid episodes a cyanotic BHS is usually predictable. They are brought on or provoked by something that upsets the child, such as being disciplined. Parents who have witnessed prior cyanotic spells know exactly when another one is about to happen because the child’s face turns a shade of blue ¬- ranging from dusky to almost purple.

Pallid breath holding spells are less common, unpredictable and can be more frightening for parents. They are provoked by a sudden fright or startle and children turn very pale, stop breathing and pass out.

What should parents do?

The first time an episode occurs, parents should seek immediate medical attention.
Although classic BHS are not harmful, a trained medical professional must sort through the facts in order to determine whether or not there is an underlying medical condition. A physician must rule out a cardiac disorder, such as an arrhythmia or a neurological condition, such as a seizure disorder. This initial pediatric evaluation is especially important in cases of pallid spells because these episodes are characterized by a vasovagal response or very low heart rate.

Breath holding spells may also be an indication of iron deficiency anemia. Studies have shown that treating anemia is effective in reducing the frequency of these episodes.

Once a classic BHS has been confirmed by a pediatrician parents can take certain steps to ensure the safety of their children during future spells. When witnessing a BHS parents should respond by making sure there is nothing in the child’s mouth and rolling the child onto one side. The episode should be over in less than a minute.

Living with Breath Holding Spells

When caring for a child who is affected by BHS, parents face a challenge greater than witnessing the episodes themselves: finding a balance between normal discipline and avoiding the provocation of another BHS. Even parents of children who do not experience BHS are tempted to give in to tantrums and obstinate behavior. Fear of provoking an episode only complicates an already tough job. Parents should work with their pediatrician to achieve this delicate balance.

The fact remains toddlers and young children need limits and effective guidelines as they develop. With experience, courage and the help of their child’s pediatrician, parents dealing with breath holding spells can overcome their fear and provide a safe and structured environment for their children until they eventually outgrow the condition.

Sources:
Dr. Rosemary Casey, MD, Pediatrician & Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Jefferson Medical College
The American Academy of Pediatrics

He is doing it on purpose if he does it at the specific times you mention.
It absolutely can hurt him.
Don't allow him to hold his breath.
Treat it as if he's reaching for a hot stove.
When you see him start to hold his breath say, "no". If he doesn't stop, enforce a consequence. Safety is the most important thing. Nip this habit, it's already very ingrained. Don't give up.
You should actually nip it when you see him starting to make himself upset, before the breath holding starts. This is a tantrum if he's protesting being left with someone or crying way too long after a boo boo. Nip it.

Yep - my son does this every once in a while. He doesn't seem to do it on purpose, he just gets so upset he forgets to breathe. It doesn't hurt them, cause if they pass out, they breathe, but it freaks US out! LOL. I've noticed that if I pick him up and hold him like carrying like a baby, he breathes again. Hope that helps!

My boss's daughter used to do this. If it's truly not a medical thing--he'll start breathing as soon as he passes out. I'm sure it's really scary!

He's using it to get attention.
Ignore him when he does it , at least look like it doesn't bother you. and He will stop because he see's it's not working.

Updated

He's using it to get attention.
Ignore him when he does it , at least look like it doesn't bother you. and He will stop because he see's it's not working.

Both my brothers and I did that. I'm 18 and sometimes I forget how to breath (usually during a panic attack) but at least I get control before I pass out and instincts kick in. So you can say I out grew it. My oldest brother did it very often according to my mom but he stopped pretty young. My twin brother rarely did it, but I continued until preschool. My mom used to warn babysitters and caretakers that this happened and that they shouldn't panic if we turn blue and pass out because we'd be back to normal within seconds of fainting. From what I've been told it never really happened when we were people outside of our family. The only time it happened to me in preschool was when we were running and I slammed my head into another kid's. I guess the teachers were seconds away from calling 911 until one of them remembered what my mom told them.

Now that we are 18 and 21 it makes for some funny stories. People can't believe it. And he's still young enough that I highly doubt it is deliberate.