Short term shaking in a child

[eflehmann]

While at one of my children's basketball practice, my other two boys were running around and playing.  At some point my three year old was on the ground, lying on his side and his whole body shook for about 5 seconds.  His eyes were open and he had a scared look on his face.  After he shook, he then began to cry.  He quickly recovered and when asking him questions he said that the floor was going down.  He also did a gesture like spinning to describe.  He said it wasn't dark so I know he didn't black out.  When taken to the emergency room they checked him out and he had no fever.  I was just assured that it wasn't a seizure because it didn't fit the qualifications.  (The dr. said that he would have had to go unconscious, eyes roll back, lasts longer, usually will pee on themselves, etc.. which he did none of)  We have no history of any sort of neurological disorders in the family.  I am unsettled because being the mom of energetic boys, I have seen them spin around and play hard and never have I seen one of them shake.  Could there be some other underlying issue that can cause this behavior?

[ggreg]

I am so glad you are getting this thing checked out, and I also hope everything comes out okay.  You are a good mother.  GG

[eflehmann]

Thank you for your comment.  I did in fact just take him to his reg pedi today and she has referred me to a cardiologist for a ECG scan and rhythm strip and also gave me a referral to see a neurologist.  I have a long paternal heart disease history so I am glad we are covering both areas.  I want to just think that it was some freak nothing but I won't be at ease until I have exhausted every possibility.

[ggreg]

Oh, most definitely, take him to a pediatric neurologist, you can get a referral from his regular doc.  I don't care what the ER said or, if they took pictures, what the scan might have showed.  And if your regular doc won't give a referral, just go around the system and get him to a neuro on your own, most preferably a pediatric neurologist, they know more about this childhood seizure or fainting type behavior than a regular neuro.  

I realize that smaller children do have these things happen sometimes and there's nothing wrong, but there are also those that DO have something wrong, so better safe than sorry.  I wish I could tell you more definitively what may be the problem, my knowledge is limited to certain types of neurology issues, but I do know basic nursing stuff and SO many times an ER will let a sick person go, but ANYONE who goes to an ER and is discharged should ALWAYS follow up with their doc as soon as possible, AND, in your case, you should take your child to a pediatric neurologist for that follow up.