Answered by Loraine Stern M.D.
"I adore children and being a pediatrician because of all the hugging and laughing that we do," say Loraine Stern, M.D.
Loraine Stern, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at U.C.L.A., has been in private pediatric practice for 35 years. Dr. Stern wrote for Woman's Day magazine from 1986 to 2005. She is a former editor of and contributor to Healthy Kids magazine. She has published two books on child care and has edited a book about pediatric nutrition for the American Academy of Pediatrics. A spokesperson for children and families, Dr. Stern has appeared on national networks and programs such as CNN, The Today Show, and Good Morning America.
Dr. Stern has two stepchildren but no animals or even green plants.
Question
What should I do when my 4-month-old stops breathing for a few seconds during a tantrum?
Answer
What you are describing is called a breath-holding spell. The name implies that children do this on purpose, but they do not. Breath-holding spells occur in 4 to 5 percent of children, can begin as early as 2 months, and rarely continue past age 5 or 6. They are probably a result of an overactive nerve that controls the diaphragm or a peculiarity of breathing that causes prolonged expiration in otherwise normal children.
Children can either turn blue or become pale, may pass out briefly, and even twitch a little before their breathing resumes. And it always does resume. The spells do not cause any harm except to parents' peace of mind. Although I constantly reassure parents about the benign nature of these spells, I have to admit I wait anxiously for breathing to begin when I watch one of these spells in the office.
Once the spell begins, there's little you can do to stop it. Sometimes blowing hard in the child's face or splashing a little cold water on her face can make her inhale and abort the attack. The biggest mistake is to live in fear of these episodes and give in to a child's demands in order to avoid them.
