Why do children hold their breath?

If you have become someone's father or mother, you must have experienced such a scene. Your child may hold his breath. In fact, due to improper care by parents, healthy newborns may sometimes suddenly turn blue, become unable to cry, or even suffocate due to breathing difficulties. This phenomenon often leaves parents at a loss, and can cause serious consequences if rescue is not timely. So what is going on?

When a child cries and suddenly holds his breath, it is medically called "breath-holding syndrome" or "apnea", commonly known as "big breath holding". It is a common paroxysmal neurosis in infancy and childhood, mostly occurring within 2 years of age, and the frequency varies.

Due to improper care by parents, healthy newborns may sometimes suddenly turn blue, become unable to cry, or even suffocate due to breathing obstruction. This phenomenon often leaves parents at a loss, and can cause serious consequences if rescue is not timely.

So how can we prevent it?

Because the baby's brain is highly excitable, you should comfort the baby in time when he cries and don't let him cry excessively. In serious cases, patting the back moderately will help.

When a child suddenly holds his breath while crying, it is medically called "breath-holding syndrome" or "apnea", commonly known as "big breath holding". It is a common paroxysmal neurosis in infancy and childhood, mostly occurring within 2 years of age, and the frequency varies.

Breath-holding spells in children are a phenomenon that occurs when the baby is stimulated by emotional stimulation, unmet demands, or physical factors such as pain. At first the baby will cry, and then hold his breath and pause breathing due to hyperventilation. Because there is no oxygen inhalation, carbon dioxide accumulates in the body, and the baby's lips turn from red to blue and finally to purple. At the same time, the limbs become rigid and some babies even experience twitching of their limbs. The whole process can last from a dozen seconds to 2-3 minutes. Then breathing begins again, muscles throughout the body relax, and the body's composure gradually recovers. Children's brain nerve tissue is not fully developed, and the central nervous function is unstable. Therefore, when a child cries, throws a tantrum or is frightened, the cerebral cortex is temporarily highly excited, and the central control of the cortex will temporarily fail, causing the central nervous function to become disordered, thus producing the above symptoms. However, this condition is not like epilepsy, which is an organic disease of the brain, so its symptoms often only last for about 1 minute before resolving on their own.

Parents don't need to panic when a breath-holding spell occurs:

It is best to lay the child flat on the bed, unbutton the collar, and keep the airway open; blow gently on the baby's face to reduce brain hypoxia; pat the soles of the feet or back; pinch and press the child's Ren Zhong (the center between the nostrils and the upper lip), Yin Tang (the center between the eyebrows), He Gu (the base of the palms) and other acupoints with your fingers to help him recover as soon as possible; you can also press the chest to quickly improve hypoxia and help restore breathing. Avoid hugging your child tightly or forcing him or her into a ball, especially around the neck, to avoid the serious consequence of suffocation.

If your child is holding his breath, don't worry. Stay calm and observe your child carefully to see if it is due to your incorrect care. Once you are sure that it is not the case, be sure to send the child to the hospital for treatment immediately without wasting time.