My 14 Month Old Faints..!!! Please Help me.!!!

[paulandashia]

I don't know how to best explain this.  Recently, when my 1 year, 2 month old little girl falls down, or gets hurt, she gets so upset, that she stops breathing, and not because she wants to, but because she CAN'T seem to be able to catch a breath..!!!  She will stay in this Histerical state, unable to take a breath for anywhere from 10-15, to up to 25-30 seconds..!!!  She turns red, then purple, and then blue-ish, and then she goes completely limp in my arms, my husbands, on the floor, in her highchair, or wherever she is.  She just faints.  It's Frightening...!!!  Completely TERRIFYING.!!!!  I cry every time she does it because it scares me SO badly.  She started doing this when she was about 8 months old.  I never did anything like this when I was a child, neither did anyone in my family, or my husbands.  Our 4 year old son never even came close to anything like this.  Everyone tells me that it's normal, but she does it SO frequently that is can not POSSIBLY be normal..!!!   (nearly every day, sometimes twice a day or more) it's really scaring me.  She is not doing this when she cant get her way, just if she gets hurt, or scared.  And she looks so completely terrified when it happens.  Can anyone PLEASE tell me how to help her..???

[tazbuglady]

Hello paulandashia,
My child did this very same thing. He started at around 8 months and continued doing this till he was about 3. The pediatrician, told me to blow in his face. sprinkle water on him, etc.... to be honest, I think he just told me to do that to keep me busy. What I found that helps the most, is simply remain calm. The more tension they sense from you the harder it will be for them to calm down enough to breath. When ever he passed out, it always allowed him to take a breath. I read that it is an abnormal reflex. With my son, they called it "Holding Breath Syndrome" He was tested for seizures and everything. They never found anything wrong with him.
My son is now 13 years old and is healthy. So, the best advice I can give is to... remain calm....! I never found anything else to help. Don't let anyone ever convince you that it is a temper tantrum. Because it is not!  I feel your pain. Hang in there, it will be ok.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

It could well be within the normal spectrum, even when you see the change in color. Howver, it never hurts to obtain a second opinion (without having to switch pediatricians).

[paulandashia]

They have claimed that it's "Normal" when she faints.  I don't think it is either, that is why I am asking.  Is it time to maybe switch pediatricians.???

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

You did not mention having had her see her pediatrician about this. If you haven't, please do. It is not unusual for infants to cry in pain and then interrupt the cries with moments when they appear to have stopped breathing, then they cry again. This is a typical pattern of infants' crying in pain. However, the duration of your child's interruptions are not typical, and you should immediately see the pediatrician about this.