Breath-Holding Spells (BHS) and Your Child

The most terrifying event in a parent's life is any time their child stops breathing. This might be because the child chokes or is holding his or her breath voluntarily, but it can also be because your child suffers from breath-holding spells, or BHS. Breath-holding-spells are periods of two seconds to one minute wherein your child cannot breathe.

Very little is known about BHS, but it is thought that breath-holding spells are instigated by distress. When your child is crying or throws a tantrum, he might experience BHS, and the most common triggers are pain and discipline. In most cases, the child experiences no lasting effects of BHS, but more severe cases might result in unconsciousness or seizures.

A breath-holding spell can be terrifying for a parent, but authorities encourage parents to remain calm during these episodes. The goal here is to help your child to start breathing normally again. Doctors recommend that parents lie their children flat on their back to help them regain their breath, and to remove any obstructions in the airway that might prevent it from occurring.

Most children develop BHS between three months and eighteen months of age. Very few children have breath-holding spells after the age of eight or before two months of age. Obviously, since little is known about the condition, there aren't many stringent guidelines, but doctors agree that it shouldn't be overly worrisome to parents. Many parents will become overprotective or stop disciplining their children to avoid episodes, but doctors caution against this, as well.

What you also need to know is that breath-holding spells are reflexive rather than voluntary. Your child isn't holding his or her breath to elicit a reaction from you or to punish you. In most cases, the child is just as surprised as the parent, though many don't notice because they are too busy crying. If you panic, you could make things worse for your child as he begins to realize that something is seriously wrong.