- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Babies: 9 - 12 Months
CA2006
member
So scary! Anyone's LO hold their breath??
CA2006
member
I think we may have a breath holder on our hands. Last night, after his bath, DH was crabby and crying while I was trying to diaper him and put his PJs on. This is typical. So, he was on his back and I was putting his foot in his PJ's and he started turning purple. He does this from time to time when he cries really hard (he's always been a bit of a drama queen). But he isn't making any sound. His eyes are kind of wide and his mouth is in "pissed off crying position" and he is just turning more and morepurple. I picked him up and he didn't fight me at all...he was somewhat stiff...not flailing around at all. I called for DH and when he came in the room, I had DS up with his head resting on my shoulder and DH said DS just looked around a couple times and looked really stunned/confused. He continued to cry after that. I gave him a bottle and he proceeded to fall asleep while drinking it and was out for the night. I was so shaken up that I started crying while feeding him. All I can think of is that he was holding his breath b/c he definitely wasn't choking on anything. Has anyone experienced this?
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: So scary! Anyone's LO hold their breath??
Yes! Okay, I still don't know exactly what happened, but I ended up calling 911
DS ate some soap (bit a piece from a bar). After a minute or so, I thought he spit it all out, but he started gagging, and then I guess he started holding his breath. I thought he was either having an allergic reaction or he was choking - but he was not breathing. There was no breath going in or out. I got DH to take care of DS while I called 911 because the kid was turning colors. He eventually started throwing up - lots of saliva and foam. It took a while before he just started crying and breathing normally.
The paramedic thought he was holding his breath. I don't know - it scared me to death though.
Oh thank goodness I am not alone! Not that I wish this on any parent, but it's nice to know there are others dealing with it. I will try the blowing in his face tactic if it happens again. DOes what I described sound liek a breath holding spell to you?
Yes, sounds like breath holding. They can do it until they are older too. It becomes behavioral at that point though.
How scary! I woudl have freaked, too. I was freaked last night and no soap or object to choke on was involved.
My brother used to hold his breath when he was really angry. He was a toddler at that point, and it scared the sh!t out of my mom. The pedi just told her to clear the area around him so that he didn't crack his head if he passed out and fell.
Scary as breath-holding is, a healthy baby can't hurt himself by holding his breath. When his oxygen levels drop to a certain point, his body will take over and reflexively make him take a breath.
My DS is a breath-holder, too. He turns all kinds of shades of red and purple and then starts gulping in air again. I just do my best to ignore it so that it doesn't become an attention-getting thing when he's older. I kinda like the blowing in his face thing, too, though.