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  • Breath-Holding Spells

Breath-Holding Spells

“My 18-month-old has breath-holding spells. Sometimes when he cries, he can’t catch his breath. He turns blue and passes out. Is this dangerous? What can I do to stop it?”

Breath-holding spells are common. They are not harmful, and kids will grow out of them eventually. They often start between 3 and 12 months of age. They can continue for several years.

The typical spell goes as follows – baby starts crying, continues exhaling as he cries, cannot stop the exhaling cry in order to take a breath, starts to turn blue on the lips and face, passes out, finally takes a deep breath and wakes up. He may be groggy for a minute or two afterwards.

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This is a normal spell, and does not cause any harm.

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You do not need to do anything to stop the spells, because there is nothing you CAN do. Simply hold your baby until the spell passes.

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Complicated breath-holding spells occur when a spell lasts so long that it triggers a seizure. These can rarely occur, or may occur with every spell. You should talk with your doctor if your child is having seizures with the spells.

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