Nephew in Hospital-UPDATE

I spent last night in the emergency room with my brother and SIL and parents. My 10 and a half month old nephew was upset because SIL took his little toothbrush away, started crying and stopped breathing. He did that silent cry for a bit, but never breathed in, turned blue and passed out. We spent most of last night in the ER, it was the scariest phone call to get. But my SIL, who is a 1st time mom, said she never heard of this happening before.

I figured I would ask on her behalf. Has this happened to any of your DC before, where they just get so upset they pass out?

He's in Good Sam right now for observation, but he seemed ok after he came to.

UPDATE: Thank you everyone for your information and well wishes. I'll pass all the info onto my SIL, hopefully that will give her some peace of mind on the situation. Since he did not have any seizure activity and his heart was fine, they discharged him at 2 p.m. today with a follow up in a few weeks at the cardiologist. But he was his happy self today, so it looks like it was just a scare for everyone. Thanks SO much for your help and prayers!

Message edited 3/16/2008 6:39:42 PM.

Re: Nephew in Hospital

Oh my gosh. I hope he's okay and it was just a fluke.

Re: Nephew in Hospital

OMG! I hope he's ok. My son does this when he gets upset. He does that silent cry and holding his breath for a few seconds before he starts wailing it out. Reading this post worries me now. He has never *knock on wood* passed out thank God. But what a scary thought. Whenever he does this I pick him up right away and try to calm him down as quick as I can.

Message edited 3/16/2008 12:32:53 PM.

Re: Nephew in Hospital

My BFF's son does this. It has happened a couple of times. The doctors can't explain it.

Re: Nephew in Hospital

Don't have experience with this but for your nephew

Re: Nephew in Hospital

Re: Nephew in Hospital

Wish I had an explanation for you.

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I have never heard of them passing out. Hope your nephew is doing better soon.

Re: Nephew in Hospital

My niece used to do it all the time. Her mom is a nurse and it freaked her right out. She outgrew it by a year old.

Re: Nephew in Hospital

It sounds like breath holding spells:
This is from Web MD
Breath-Holding Spells - Topic Overview
What are breath-holding spells?
Breath-holding spells are brief periods when young children stop breathing for up to 1 minute. These spells often cause a child to pass out (lose consciousness). Breath-holding spells usually occur when a young child is angry, frustrated, in pain, or afraid. However, the spell is a reflex, not a deliberate behavior on the child's part.

Breath-holding spells are categorized as either cyanotic or pallid.

Cyanotic breath-holding spells, the most common type, usually occur in response to anger or frustration. A child's skin typically turns red or blue-purple.
Pallid breath-holding spells produce a pale appearance to a child's skin. These spells usually occur in response to fear, pain, or injury, especially after an unexpected blow to the head.
Some children have both cyanotic and pallid spells at one time or another in their lives.

Breath-holding spells are most common in children between 6 months and 4 years of age. Their frequency varies; some children have a spell once a year, while others have spells several times a day.

Breath-holding spells are usually not serious, do not cause permanent damage or affect a child's future health, and gradually go away on their own.

What causes breath-holding spells?
Breath-holding spells are usually caused by either a change in the usual breathing pattern or a slowing of the heart rate. These reactions may be brought on by pain or by strong emotions, such as fear or frustration.

In some children, breath-holding spells may be related to iron deficiency anemia, a condition in which the body does not produce a normal number of red blood cells.

What are the symptoms?
In general, breath-holding spells cause a child to faint and may sometimes cause the muscles to twitch or the body to stiffen.

Specific symptoms of cyanotic spells include:

A short burst of rigorous crying lasting less than 30 seconds.
Hyperventilating (overbreathing).
A pause in breathing after exhaling.
Red or blue-purple skin color, especially around the lips.
Specific symptoms of pallid spells include:

A single cry or no cry at all.
Slowing of the heart.
Pale skin color.
Sweating.
Sleepiness or fatigue after the episode.
Some children also have seizures during breath-holding spells, which does not mean they have a seizure disorder. Seizures are different from mild twitching. They are more likely to occur in children who have long periods of breath-holding.

How are breath-holding spells diagnosed?
Breath-holding spells usually are diagnosed by a report of the symptoms observed during a spell. The health professional will examine your child and ask you to describe the spells. Recording the symptoms will help you describe them more accurately.

If your doctor thinks your child has a seizure disorder or another condition, such as iron deficiency anemia, certain tests may be done.

How are they treated?
There is no medical treatment for breath-holding spells, unless a health professional determines that a health problem, such as a heart irregularity, is the cause.

Help protect your child from injury during a spell by laying him or her on the floor and keeping the arms, legs, and head from hitting anything hard or sharp.

You can help decrease the chance of breath-holding spells by making sure your child gets plenty of rest, helping him or her feel secure, and helping minimize and manage his or her frustration.

Re: Nephew in Hospital

And yes, I have heard it happening before. Not to my kids, but I have heard about it before.

Re: Nephew in Hospital

I was just going to post that it sounds like involuntary breath holding. My nephew did this. It started at about 9 months and continued until he was almost 5. The ped neurologist had told her he'd outgrow it by 5, and he decided to keep everyone on their toes until then.

It happened when he banged his head (from playing), laughed or cried too hard or over-exerted himself. My poor sister had to see too many episodes.

I hope this doesn't happen again and that your nephew is ok.