I just watched the original again and my heart aches that you said you were 'ashamed' that it got to thay point (doing chest compression) you were in a life saving mode! You did what you thought needed done and you're amazing!
Thank you so much for this video. You helped me through infertility and now on the other side with breath holding spells. You’re an amazing person. Thank you for being such an inspiration!!
Alex, I have a 16 year old daughter and I had issue like this with her. I didn't know till now what was happening. I wish I would have known back them what was going on. Thank you for all you do. May God continue to bless your family.
Thanks so much for this post. My little grandson does the exact same thing. His pediatrician hasn’t given a real explanation of it, so your post gave us answers! Bless you and your family.
My grandson will be 3 the end of November. He's had many breath holding spells. I'm so glad to hear Callie has outgrown hers and can't wait for my grandson Ashby to outgrown his. They are very scary.
My son use to pass out.. His first time was at 8 months old..I took him to the ER..they said he was just holding his breath.. I then took him to a specialist Doctor .. same thing.. they said just holding his breath..but he was just a baby.. it did help to blow in his face.. but every time he cried he held his breath... until he was 5 years old.. what a stress it was for me.. I asked him once he get older and he said he could not caught his breath when he cried.. now he is 42 years old.. his son had some issues with it but not as bad as my son... but he is a healthy adult now... but what a scary time in my life
I am an Early years teacher and never heard of this. I also had training supporting children with seizures but this is not included ( here in The UK) Thank you, I really appreciated it.
2 of my 5 kiddos have breath holding spells. My youngest might have it too, she's still a baby and my kids didn't start until 1 & a half. We just have to let it happen, and yes the first few times of my first one with it (3rd born) was so traumatic, now it's just normal. She is almost 5 and still has them occasionally. One correlating thing amoung my girls who have it is that their iron levels came back low at the start of the first spells. By supplementing with a natural iron, their spells dwindled down to maybe 3 times per year, a HUGE difference from multiple times per week!
Alex this video was amazing Thankyou so much for opening ur heart up about something that brings back bad memories for u and I’m so glad for u all these spells are over now
My youngest son stopped breathing after he came home from eye removal surgery . I did chest compressions and I’m so thankful he is growing out of this syndrome
I am a new first time single mama and my son (16 months) is currently experiencing this and we have a neurologist appointment today just to be safe and ease my anxiety. i am so glad I stumbled on your video. My heart has been so heavy… glad to hear your little one has out grown these terrifying spells. The seizure and passing out is so hard to watch 💔.! Send my son to daycare was scary. I had never seen or heard of this or seen it. Thank you for the update tricks n advice ❤️
Hi, my son is around 2yrs and we are planning to send him to playgroups for just 2hrs Everyday. Have you managed to put your kid in daycare? Any advice you have for us? I am so scared to send him alone.
Fantastic news Alex, so pleased for you all 💖 Thanks for sharing such scary experiences so the rest of us can learn. I'm not yet blessed with kids of my own but have plenty of nieces and nephews and friends with toddlers so these tips make me feel more confident if the worst should ever happen. Knowledge is power 💗
Thanks for sharing the tips. I work in my church nursery and though we don’t have any kids that have breath holding spells that I’m aware of with these tips I know what to watch for and how to help the child while someone is going to get the parent. I understand how scary is it. I did work once with a little girl who would hold her breath and it would freak me out.
You are such an inspiration! You forge through life with such tenacity and courage and strength! Love watching all your videos! I am hoping one day I will get to meet your amazing family!
My friend’s son had these frequently and it was very scary. He would stub his toe and fall out into one of these and his lips would turn blue 😢. She took him to a progressive doctor that diagnosed him with Vitamin D and B12 deficiency. He became a completely different kid after they started supplementing those vitamins. Anyone reading this please don’t try to self diagnose but might be worth asking your doc to check your levels (or your child).
I've had 7 kids and now have 17 grands and 5 greats, I had a daycare for 34 years and I've never heard of this. I'm so glad she's outgrown it. Thanks for sharing.
Oh my gosh, I didn’t know this was a thing but my daughter used to do this. She only did it if she got really hurt thankfully but it was terrifying!! So glad that chapter is over. Thanks so much for the tips, I’ll know what to do if I have another child with it.
My little sister used to have them when she was little. I remember seeing her turn blue and pass out whenever she had a tantrum, but she outgrew them when she was around two, just like our pediatrician told my parents. With time we learned to not give it too much importance in front of her but it was sooooo scary the first times it happened. There was no name for it back then and we never knew anyone with the same problem.
My mother-in-law told me when my husband was a little boy (about 3yrs old or so) he used to hold his breath. As far as anyone could tell, it was because he would get angry and hold his breath for revenge. It used to really frighten my mother-in-law, until one day little boy husband had a fit and held his breath in front of his dad. My father-in-law simply got up from his chair, picked up my husband, walked to the kitchen sink, flipped on the cold water and stuck my husband's head under the flowing stream of cold water. Hubby took a big breath then, and also never did the "I'm gonna hold my breath" trick ever again! I laugh everytime I think of my silly husband as a child doing such a thing. Ps: I'm not sanctioning such a thing. Just the difference in the generations I suppose. My husband and I are in our late 60's. Our parents were the WWII generation. They had a very different outlook on discipline.
I shared this video on my Facebook page because I know a lot of people with little ones......This was great and something I had never heard about. This is great for grandmothers too.
I am glad you are talking about this as it is super scary when you see one you never forget it this happened to a child you I looked after in childcare. I will never forget it calling the ambulance and then talking to the parents. Making people aware of this is important.
When I was a baby I used to cry so hard I would pass out. Way back then the Dr's just told my mom to ignore me and I'd grow out of it and that I was just being stubborn. Ya like a baby under a year old is being stubborn! I'm so glad you talked about this and have given us all some insight and tips on dealing with this. Thank you!!
Omg I Tysm. I’m a first time father dealing with this as of new. I’m 40 year old and this is by far the most terrifying incident to date. Thank you for sharing and relating. I rlly can’t wait for the spells to become nonexistent. Literally cried watching ur other video explaining it. It’s just so awful. I feel like I should be able to do something but I can’t. To stop it. Thank you again.
I had those when I was her age and remember my mom calling my name and and neighbors being there putting cold water in my face, but we are taking about 50 years ago and it was back home Portugal they my parents did not know any better how to help me and then it went away so 8m so glad you are in a wonderful country and at a different time in life to her the right way! My poor parents back then were scared and no educatikn to help me, and we lived in a small poor village!
I used to do this 😬 made myself pass out, hit my head on the fireplace, and had to rush to the emergency room 😳 luckily I was alright and grew out of it but I can only imagine how terrifying it was for my parents. I’m so happy she’s grown out of it ❤️
So, my mom told me that my brother (2 yrs older than me) and I had seizures when we were toddlers. She said the doctors didn’t have answers and said many kids just grow out of them (this would have been around 1985). She told me a story of when I completely stopped breathing for a good amount of time. She cried out “God no!” and I started breathing again. But I also think I remember her saying my dad use to get mad, saying he thought we were throwing fits or something… it makes me wonder if it happened when we got worked up, maybe we were actually having breath holding spells and not seizures at all… And I feel like I may have commented this on your first video haha. *Side note I was also told my aunt’s church prayed for/over us (I’m not sure which) and we never had another one after they prayed! I am in no way saying to just pray them away, just a cool part of my life story I guess 💕
My friends daughter used to hold her breath when she was upset till she passed out. I witnessed it a few times and it really frightened me. She out grew hers but it wasn't till she started school. xx
Hi Alex, my dad had these spells as a baby, then my eldest brother, then my son and now his 11 month old daughter. I was once told it is not hereditary, but, in my family it certainly looks like it. My mother ran 1/2 km at top speed to our doctors office one day with my brother, as blowing in his face which normally worked didn’t, nor did the bumpy run across fields jolt him out of it. A few minutes had gone past when she arrived at the doctors. The doctor had to force his mouth open to try to give him oxygen and when he did my brother finished the cry he’d started. That was the worst incident and following that they were quite mild. My son always came out of it if I blew in his face, but from 8 months to 4 years he had them frequently. Like Callie, it needed something to trigger it. One day Callie might need information about it in case she also has a child with it. Thank you for this really helpful vlog! Xxxx
To anybody reading this comment all I would say is when you watch this video by this gorgeous mum Alex tell a friend, doctor, nurse etc. to watch it or pass it on to someone who has children with this problem. E.G. doctors will know more people with this problem and can put details of the video in their surgery. This problem is a lot easier to understand by watching this video. Thank You Alex. Phil & your children must be very proud of you.
The very first baby that I took care of, I was only 12 years old and this baby was my moms best friends daughter. She was 7-8 months old and had a breath holding episode. I am 50 years old now and still to this day can vividly remember how traumatic this is.
Oh, yes! My brother did that as a baby, severely. So did the little sister of a friend I grew up with. I’ve know kids more recently too over the years since I’m a mom myself. It’s not really as uncommon as someone whose never heard of it might think.
I am an RN and a nanny. I had this happen to a 3 month old baby on my first day on the job as a nanny. The parents had not told me that this was happening to their child. It took me a moment to figure out what was happening, but it was exactly like you described. The arched back, cyanosis, eyes rolled back, and passed out completely. There was no seizure activity. But, I was finally able to get the baby to take a breath. It was terrifying even though I was a pediatric nurse. I am glad Callie is now doing well.
Alex, I totally understand what you went through. I have a 12 year old that went through exact same thing when she was 13 months old. I called 911 with the first one because I had no clue what was going on, I was taking her out of the bathtub and she just wasn't ready when I looked at her face her mouth was opened and no sound was coming out. I tried holding her up to see if she would respond and her back arched back, rolled her eyes, and turned completely purple all over, her entire body was stiff. Me being in shock from seeing her like this caused me to not know what to do or react, so for what ever reason I cradled her in my arms and just stared at her, all of a sudden she took a deep breath and went completely limp 😨😰. That is when I came to my senses and ran to the phone to call 911, while I desperately speaking to the operator she began to wake up. It was the biggest relief to see her waking up and breathing again. It is very scary, I thought I had lost her 😢. The ER doctor explained all of it to me and told us she would be fine. Splashing water in their face could work for kids that have them that bad if you catch it on time. It may seem silly but I used to carry around a small spay bottle, and had it on mist to spray her face with encase she was going into one,the shock of getting started causes them to take a breath. She had one more big one and after that we were able to catch them on time and keep it from getting g scary with the SPRAY BOTTLE. 🤷♀️🤣 I am great full we got through it and happy that you guys did to. I hope this helps anyone else going though it. Good luck everyone and just know we there are more kiddos out there that go through this and it is very scary for the parents.
Thank you thank you !! For your tips video I also did CPR the first two times my baby had one until the second dr finally said it wasn’t necessary but as you know because it’s such a scary scary situation I did what I felt I had to do in the moment
I agree when its your own child its different. I am not in the medical field but my cousin is a Chicago Paramedic. When her son was choking, she panicked and her husband had to handle the situation. Its like when its your child, all medical knowledge goes out the window. So don't ever feel bad about it.
Oh my daughter had these. Her first she was only 8 months old, she was about to cry and passed out in my arms. I had never been so frightened in my life!!! She's would be out for a minute or so and then be very grogy and weird for an hr or so. She did it a lot as a baby and toddler. I learned if I blow in her face sharply when she first went to cry she would suck in a sharp breath. From then on every time she got hurt the first thing I did was blow in her face to make her catch her breath. This helped so much but im not sure that's typical. She kept reflexes that typically children loose in infancy, including gasping or catching her breath from wind, right up till she was 10. She only passed out then if I didn't get to her in time. Her last one was at 4 yrs old. Being hurt was the only trigger for my daughter usually. She would make a.small noise, and I was waiting for the big cry. We all know, they take that big breath and scream like murder, but she passed out before taking that breath. Im so glad it's no longer a problem. I forgot all about it, when she was 6 I had her brother and she started blowing short sharp breath into his face when he cryed. Took me a while to realise why, she remembered and thought that's what you to do someone who cry, bless her!!! I dont know owning it has any bearing but she was diagnosed at 8 yrs old with lol 2 Autism, inatentive ADHD and Elhers danlos syndrome, significant muscle weaknesses etc. Probably doesn't but who knows. Lol It's got to a pint where I didn't worry when it happened as I knew she would be ok and just helped her calmly.
My son did this when he was little and when he did it I just held him and told him it ok and it calmed him down and came out of it he is now 33 years old xx
my son had a chairi Malformation surgery.I was told to put them on the floor.And I would ask him a question just out of me knowing what was going on.And I would also make sure everyone knew what was going on at all times.glad she outgrew them.
My daughter used to pass out all the time whenever she got past that point of no return Being tired or some kind of surprise or bad hurt or fall. She was never out for much longer then1 minute or so. She started at about 8 months. My old doctor always said nature will take over and start the body working. Scared and startle for sure.
My Goddaughter (now 6 yo), had them when she was a baby. I remember there was one really bad my friends had to call an ambulance but thank God when they arrived she was coming back and starting getting more color in her face. She was really tiny. She usually had them when she was exhausted and having trouble getting asleep she would start crying and suddenly pass out. I remember that moment from upset crying to silence was terrifying. But for her (again she was a BABY) splash her face with a bit of water usually would get her back quickly and as you said we intuitively would put her horizontal. It was really scary! I remember the first time I stayed alone with her after that first episode I was terrified that she started crying! Can't imagine getting to the point of CPR.
Wow you explaining the details of callies episode was exactly how my 21 yr old episode was like It was scary & her trigger was DCYF taking her from me 💔
I don’t think she seems behind with everything she has been through. She is only about 14 months old. Alex did a development video about a month ago on her.
I was a pediatric home health care nurse and some of the thing I had happened where not as bad as that I I did notice my patient was have TD and told the mom we have to get him to the doctors (neurologist)
What has helped us is teaching her to take a deep breath to help calm down... this has been life changing. She's 18 months old. Hers are mostly related to behavioral issues (she wants something and can't have it, she can't properly communicate her needs, etc.) But she does have them when/if she gets injured too.
Thank you for this I have non epileptic Disorder and have 5 plus episode a day and people always what to call an ambulance service but there no point it looks like I passed out and hold my breath but I still breathing unlucky for me I probably won't grow out of them at all so I can not work at all and also have a continuous headache as well but my faith is strong with it
My daughter had breath holding that we are treating as seizures. Her last one was very bad like Callie's minutes long. She was blue and not breathing and I did have to give cpr myself. It was incredibly traumatic and I really thought I was losing her too. She has a very complex medical history. She has had none since starting seizure meds thankfully. I am so thankful I had cpr training both from teaching prek and from her 4.5 month nicu stay.
My son has had breath holding spells since he was 6 months old. It is very scary for sure! After seeing a neurologist we found out he was severely anemic after blood panels and he is now on medicine and supplements. He still has spells a few times a week and he is now a little over a year. we are praying that his anemia is the cause and not something more serious!
My daughter is currently 17 months and is having severe breath holding spells. Has been having them since she was 9 months old. Most of her spells are similar to your CPR story spell. We’ve also given rescue breath and called 911. My daughter passes out and doesn’t start breathing again right away. She had seizure like behavior afters and her last episode, last Sunday lasted almost 3 minutes. We’ve been to a neurologist & cardiologist and have gotten no answers. We are absolutely exhausted 😭.
You had to do CPR. That’s serious. Good job your trained. I think everyone should learn how too do CPR. And a learn how to use a defibrillator. And learn how to help people that are choking. Even if it’s a basic first aide course. I did a three day course. I enjoyed it. And learned great skills. so people get on a course, because you never know when you might need to use these skills. Anybody can learn. It’s not rocket science.. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💖
I am 70 years old and my Mom told me that I used to hold my breath but usually after I got upset. This was in the early 1950’s. My father got scared one night and he thought the best way to stop this he actually held me under the sink faucet thinking that I would gasp and start breathing. By a miracle it stopped me or being age 2 I would have grown out of it
Alex- my niece had breath holding episodes as a baby/toddler. As a teen she developed POTS that has been very debilitating. One of the diagnostic questions was ‘did she have breathing holding episodes?’. She like Callie is blonde, blue-eyed and pale which is typical of those with POTS(I believe more than 90% of those who have POTS are-another diagnostic). Please check into this and keep the symptoms on your radar. My niece is 32, unfortunately she has not gone into full remission the way most POTS patients do in their mid-20’s. Please take this seriously as early detection is key! I’m not trying to scare you or diagnose her just being informative! Please take this seriously!!!! POTS is an autonomic nervous system disorder that causes issues with a wide variety of autonomic symptoms throughout the body. The breath holding episodes are a response of the autonomic nervous system.
that interesting. My daughter had them and she's blond haired, blue eyed, and fair skinned. She's 12 now and having spells where she feels shaky and/or dizzy. The rest can't figure it out. Now I'm wondering if it may be connected to her breathe holding spells
@@mandych715 check out POTS also referred to as disautonomia. I’ve seen some good videos of young people with POTS on RUclips. My niece is followed by Dr. Blair Grubbs at the University of Toledo. There is an extensive website that that will be of value to help you investigate the issues. I would not ignore it. I hope it’s not anything serious! Good luck to you and your daughter!
@@mollie4094 thanks for speaking up! I hope you are doing ok in the midst of a chronic debilitating situation. I hope you progress into a remission of sorts in the next couple of years! Good luck, Marie. Oh I’m curious did you have breath holding episodes as an infant/toddler?
@@bconsilio3764 thank you so much ☺️ I did! I would make myself pass out often and even hit my head on a brick fireplace once and had to be rushed to the ER 😬 luckily I was okay and thankfully I grew out of the breath holding spells eventually ☺️
They are scary until you get used to them. The first was definitely panic inducing. My oldest did it frequently starting about 10 months but grew out by the time he was 2.5. My middle only did it a few times as an infant. My youngest did it the longest; her last was at about 4. They just didn't have the reflex to take a breathe when they were upset or hurt.
Mom 1st RN 2nd, also pt 1st RN 2nd I found that I don't do a great job being an educated patient until later. The nurse brain 🧠🩺 kicks in after the fact an then all the questions come flooding when the md has come and gone. 1. Write ✍ it down. Write the answers too. So it helps when you are having to tell all the family members. I have to say I have been blessed that I have been a patient many more times than my son. So that is how I come to these conclusions..I pray for all babies and children, that they would be healthy and strong nourished and they all have love 💛. God bless all the little children ❤🙏🏽✝️📖🩺⚕
Interesting discussion, Alex. I remember my mother talking about me having breath holding spells, which I always thought was tantrum-related. I don't know how many times or how long I had them. My mother did talk to our doctor about them because it scared her so bad but he was apparently not the least bit concerned. He did suggest splashing water in my face but also said they could just let me pass out because I would start breathing again as soon as I did. Now this was a long time ago (I am 71 years old) so I guess I didn't suffer any long-term affects from perhaps not the best medical advice to my mother.
Thank you for the video I had not heard of this before I have a 12 year old l cannot remember if she did that but thank you for the tips l will pass it on to friends with young family’s 🥰
My daughter has these until she was 10 yrs old. She only ever did this when she was hurt (pain), first time I freaked, after that it was nurse mode, after it was over, I was shaking like crazy. We would always tell her you need to take a breath or you will pee your pants, do you want to do that....she would breath an yell no,!! She always would, roll her eyes, fall to the floor an do the seizure posturing an urinate. Looks like, seems like a seizure, but Dr’s tells you there aren’t...frustrated difficult. But all is good
I raised a son and a daughter and thank goodness they never had breath holding spells, although my nieces and nephews did on occasion. Their parents did do the blowing in their faces and they would take a breath but it didn't work like in an instant. Even though my kids didn't have breath holding spells my daughter had seizures from the time she was 13 months old until she was 11 years old. That was a very stressful few years there. If someone was watching her ( which was always family) when I had to go some place I was always worrying that she would have one while I was gone. She did have some in school.
This is so interesting, because I have never heard of it either. My Momma told me when I was young I would hold my breath and she would rush me to the ER. One time my uncle was in the house and my Momma was about to rush to the ER and my uncle instead took me to the bathroom to put me in water. It would also cause my temp to rise.
I had a first cousin who would do this when she got upset. She also outgrew it, but it scared her parents every time she would get upset when she was little because they were afraid it would happen again. I only remember seeing her do it once. I was 6 years older than her.
My mom told me I did that as a child. I am now 60 years old. My mom said she was told to throw water in my face- don’t think it worked. My mom just allowed it - and if I passed out- I would breath. Either way- it didn’t last forever.
I'm 67 years old and I had breath holding spells as a baby. Of course, this has been told to me by my parents. After a few scares, my dad said an older doctor said to just throw some water in my face the next time I had a spell! I was about a year old and a toy rolled out of my reach, I cried, held my breath, passed out and they tossed a glass of water in my face. I gasped and that was my last spell. Of course, in this day and time, that would probably be considered to be child cruelty! 😆 But, it worked and I stopped. I still catch myself unconsciously holding my breath when I'm stressed. It's something I am not even aware of doing until I find myself needing to take a deep breath! My own daughter never had a breath holding spell.
My daughter did that. I laid her on her bedroom floor, closed the door and started vacuuming. It always pulled her out of it. The autonomic nervous system kicks in after they pass out. It's scary but you have to understand what it is. Giving her too much attention exacerbated the problem.
My eldest had breath holding spells from 8 month to about 2 1/2 years. They were often associated to separation anxiety, not being able to see me. By the time she was on the floor she would be coming round. We were lucky in that blowing on her face would sometimes stop her passing out. It's so scary in the moment and I remember having to reassure everyone that she would be OK. She is a very healthy 13 year old now. Something I did learn is that they are more common in neuro atypical kids and she is dysprexic
Hi, my son is 2yrs and he too has separation anxiety. Sometimes he will start holding his breath if I leave the room. We are planning to put him in playgroup next year. Any advice on this? How did you handle the situation with your kid? And around what age she outgrew? Thank you.
It took a lot of time. At first I stayed with her. Then I spent weeks leaving the room for a few minutes and sitting just out of sight, slowly increasing how long I stayed out of the room. We took a favourite toy with us.
I just watched the original again and my heart aches that you said you were 'ashamed' that it got to thay point (doing chest compression) you were in a life saving mode! You did what you thought needed done and you're amazing!
Thank you Mallory!
I was wondering how Callie was doing with this but didn’t want to ask. I’m so happy she’s gotten past it!
My daughter is 27 and when she was 2 she done that. Thank you for your channel you and your family are such an inspiration. Love you guys so much.
Thank you so much for this video. You helped me through infertility and now on the other side with breath holding spells. You’re an amazing person. Thank you for being such an inspiration!!
Alex, I have a 16 year old daughter and I had issue like this with her. I didn't know till now what was happening. I wish I would have known back them what was going on. Thank you for all you do. May God continue to bless your family.
Thanks so much for this post. My little grandson does the exact same thing. His pediatrician hasn’t given a real explanation of it, so your post gave us answers! Bless you and your family.
My grandson will be 3 the end of November. He's had many breath holding spells. I'm so glad to hear Callie has outgrown hers and can't wait for my grandson Ashby to outgrown his. They are very scary.
My son use to pass out.. His first time was at 8 months old..I took him to the ER..they said he was just holding his breath.. I then took him to a specialist Doctor .. same thing.. they said just holding his breath..but he was just a baby.. it did help to blow in his face.. but every time he cried he held his breath... until he was 5 years old.. what a stress it was for me.. I asked him once he get older and he said he could not caught his breath when he cried.. now he is 42 years old.. his son had some issues with it but not as bad as my son... but he is a healthy adult now... but what a scary time in my life
I am an Early years teacher and never heard of this. I also had training supporting children with seizures but this is not included ( here in The UK) Thank you, I really appreciated it.
You likely won’t come in contact with it as most children out grow it before 2.
Thats crazy I knew that kids held their breath but I didn't know it was an actual thing so thank you for educating me
2 of my 5 kiddos have breath holding spells. My youngest might have it too, she's still a baby and my kids didn't start until 1 & a half. We just have to let it happen, and yes the first few times of my first one with it (3rd born) was so traumatic, now it's just normal. She is almost 5 and still has them occasionally. One correlating thing amoung my girls who have it is that their iron levels came back low at the start of the first spells. By supplementing with a natural iron, their spells dwindled down to maybe 3 times per year, a HUGE difference from multiple times per week!
Alex this video was amazing Thankyou so much for opening ur heart up about something that brings back bad memories for u and I’m so glad for u all these spells are over now
Best part of this video - "our middle daughter Callie" So thankful that she is no longer the youngest!
My 21 yr old had 1 at the age of 5yrs & that's been the most scariest thing I've through & I've had brain surgery. I feel for you mama
My youngest son stopped breathing after he came home from eye removal surgery . I did chest compressions and I’m so thankful he is growing out of this syndrome
I cannot imagine what you went through... thank you for sharing! I know this will help other mommas/daddys out there.
I am a new first time single mama and my son (16 months) is currently experiencing this and we have a neurologist appointment today just to be safe and ease my anxiety. i am so glad I stumbled on your video. My heart has been so heavy… glad to hear your little one has out grown these terrifying spells. The seizure and passing out is so hard to watch 💔.! Send my son to daycare was scary.
I had never seen or heard of this or seen it.
Thank you for the update tricks n advice ❤️
Hi, my son is around 2yrs and we are planning to send him to playgroups for just 2hrs Everyday. Have you managed to put your kid in daycare? Any advice you have for us? I am so scared to send him alone.
I'm so happy for you and for Callie! Thank you for sharing and helping other families!
Hello 👋🏻,God Bless you and Callie!
Fantastic news Alex, so pleased for you all 💖 Thanks for sharing such scary experiences so the rest of us can learn. I'm not yet blessed with kids of my own but have plenty of nieces and nephews and friends with toddlers so these tips make me feel more confident if the worst should ever happen. Knowledge is power 💗
Thanks for sharing the tips. I work in my church nursery and though we don’t have any kids that have breath holding spells that I’m aware of with these tips I know what to watch for and how to help the child while someone is going to get the parent. I understand how scary is it. I did work once with a little girl who would hold her breath and it would freak me out.
You are such an inspiration! You forge through life with such tenacity and courage and strength! Love watching all your videos! I am hoping one day I will get to meet your amazing family!
Jessie I would love to meet you one day!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ that reply just made my day!! Love to your family!!
My friend’s son had these frequently and it was very scary. He would stub his toe and fall out into one of these and his lips would turn blue 😢. She took him to a progressive doctor that diagnosed him with Vitamin D and B12 deficiency. He became a completely different kid after they started supplementing those vitamins. Anyone reading this please don’t try to self diagnose but might be worth asking your doc to check your levels (or your child).
you are doing such a sacred job, calming and educating people about it😇
I never knew this could happen. Thanks for telling us about it.
I've had 7 kids and now have 17 grands and 5 greats, I had a daycare for 34 years and I've never heard of this. I'm so glad she's outgrown it. Thanks for sharing.
Im curious to know if this is cultural.
Thanks for sharing. Really glad you can put your worries aside.
Oh my gosh, I didn’t know this was a thing but my daughter used to do this. She only did it if she got really hurt thankfully but it was terrifying!! So glad that chapter is over. Thanks so much for the tips, I’ll know what to do if I have another child with it.
My little sister used to have them when she was little. I remember seeing her turn blue and pass out whenever she had a tantrum, but she outgrew them when she was around two, just like our pediatrician told my parents. With time we learned to not give it too much importance in front of her but it was sooooo scary the first times it happened.
There was no name for it back then and we never knew anyone with the same problem.
My mother-in-law told me when my husband was a little boy (about 3yrs old or so) he used to hold his breath. As far as anyone could tell, it was because he would get angry and hold his breath for revenge. It used to really frighten my mother-in-law, until one day little boy husband had a fit and held his breath in front of his dad. My father-in-law simply got up from his chair, picked up my husband, walked to the kitchen sink, flipped on the cold water and stuck my husband's head under the flowing stream of cold water. Hubby took a big breath then, and also never did the "I'm gonna hold my breath" trick ever again! I laugh everytime I think of my silly husband as a child doing such a thing.
Ps: I'm not sanctioning such a thing. Just the difference in the generations I suppose. My husband and I are in our late 60's. Our parents were the WWII generation. They had a very different outlook on discipline.
I shared this video on my Facebook page because I know a lot of people with little ones......This was great and something I had never heard about. This is great for grandmothers too.
I am glad you are talking about this as it is super scary when you see one you never forget it this happened to a child you I looked after in childcare. I will never forget it calling the ambulance and then talking to the parents. Making people aware of this is important.
When I was a baby I used to cry so hard I would pass out. Way back then the Dr's just told my mom to ignore me and I'd grow out of it and that I was just being stubborn. Ya like a baby under a year old is being stubborn! I'm so glad you talked about this and have given us all some insight and tips on dealing with this. Thank you!!
Omg I Tysm. I’m a first time father dealing with this as of new. I’m 40 year old and this is by far the most terrifying incident to date. Thank you for sharing and relating. I rlly can’t wait for the spells to become nonexistent. Literally cried watching ur other video explaining it. It’s just so awful. I feel like I should be able to do something but I can’t. To stop it. Thank you again.
How long your baby holds the breath
I had those when I was her age and remember my mom calling my name and and neighbors being there putting cold water in my face, but we are taking about 50 years ago and it was back home Portugal they my parents did not know any better how to help me and then it went away so 8m so glad you are in a wonderful country and at a different time in life to her the right way! My poor parents back then were scared and no educatikn to help me, and we lived in a small poor village!
I used to do this 😬 made myself pass out, hit my head on the fireplace, and had to rush to the emergency room 😳 luckily I was alright and grew out of it but I can only imagine how terrifying it was for my parents. I’m so happy she’s grown out of it ❤️
Bless you for doing this video. Thank you!
So, my mom told me that my brother (2 yrs older than me) and I had seizures when we were toddlers. She said the doctors didn’t have answers and said many kids just grow out of them (this would have been around 1985). She told me a story of when I completely stopped breathing for a good amount of time. She cried out “God no!” and I started breathing again. But I also think I remember her saying my dad use to get mad, saying he thought we were throwing fits or something… it makes me wonder if it happened when we got worked up, maybe we were actually having breath holding spells and not seizures at all… And I feel like I may have commented this on your first video haha. *Side note I was also told my aunt’s church prayed for/over us (I’m not sure which) and we never had another one after they prayed! I am in no way saying to just pray them away, just a cool part of my life story I guess 💕
Thank you so much for explaining this. I’ve heard about this but didn’t understand it.
My friends daughter used to hold her breath when she was upset till she passed out. I witnessed it a few times and it really frightened me. She out grew hers but it wasn't till she started school. xx
My friend's son when he was a baby had breath holding spells. 2 of which happened while I was watching him for her. So scary!!!
I pray that your family hasn’t had any trouble with floods where you are. Praying for y’all.
I didn’t even know this was a thing. Thanks for sharing! You guys are amazing❤️
Hi Alex, my dad had these spells as a baby, then my eldest brother, then my son and now his 11 month old daughter. I was once told it is not hereditary, but, in my family it certainly looks like it. My mother ran 1/2 km at top speed to our doctors office one day with my brother, as blowing in his face which normally worked didn’t, nor did the bumpy run across fields jolt him out of it. A few minutes had gone past when she arrived at the doctors. The doctor had to force his mouth open to try to give him oxygen and when he did my brother finished the cry he’d started. That was the worst incident and following that they were quite mild. My son always came out of it if I blew in his face, but from 8 months to 4 years he had them frequently. Like Callie, it needed something to trigger it. One day Callie might need information about it in case she also has a child with it. Thank you for this really helpful vlog! Xxxx
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Is there any correlation between these spells and SIDS
To anybody reading this comment all I would say is when you watch this video by this gorgeous mum Alex tell a friend, doctor, nurse etc. to watch it or pass it
on to someone who has children with this problem. E.G. doctors will know more people with this problem and can put details of the video in their surgery. This
problem is a lot easier to understand by watching this video. Thank You Alex. Phil & your children must be very proud of you.
I am a nurse too. Most often than not nurse mode does not kick in for me for my son. For every one else absolutely kicks in. 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Love and respect you Alex you are an awesome mum. 🥰🇬🇧
The very first baby that I took care of, I was only 12 years old and this baby was my moms best friends daughter. She was 7-8 months old and had a breath holding episode. I am 50 years old now and still to this day can vividly remember how traumatic this is.
Oh, yes! My brother did that as a baby, severely. So did the little sister of a friend I grew up with. I’ve know kids more recently too over the years since I’m a mom myself. It’s not really as uncommon as someone whose never heard of it might think.
I am an RN and a nanny. I had this happen to a 3 month old baby on my first day on the job as a nanny. The parents had not told me that this was happening to their child. It took me a moment to figure out what was happening, but it was exactly like you described. The arched back, cyanosis, eyes rolled back, and passed out completely. There was no seizure activity. But, I was finally able to get the baby to take a breath. It was terrifying even though I was a pediatric nurse. I am glad Callie is now doing well.
How long baby holds the breath please reply
My granddaughter did that to me and scared me so much! She is an adult now and so thankful she never had another episode.
Alex, I totally understand what you went through. I have a 12 year old that went through exact same thing when she was 13 months old. I called 911 with the first one because I had no clue what was going on, I was taking her out of the bathtub and she just wasn't ready when I looked at her face her mouth was opened and no sound was coming out. I tried holding her up to see if she would respond and her back arched back, rolled her eyes, and turned completely purple all over, her entire body was stiff. Me being in shock from seeing her like this caused me to not know what to do or react, so for what ever reason I cradled her in my arms and just stared at her, all of a sudden she took a deep breath and went completely limp 😨😰. That is when I came to my senses and ran to the phone to call 911, while I desperately speaking to the operator she began to wake up. It was the biggest relief to see her waking up and breathing again. It is very scary, I thought I had lost her 😢. The ER doctor explained all of it to me and told us she would be fine. Splashing water in their face could work for kids that have them that bad if you catch it on time. It may seem silly but I used to carry around a small spay bottle, and had it on mist to spray her face with encase she was going into one,the shock of getting started causes them to take a breath. She had one more big one and after that we were able to catch them on time and keep it from getting g scary with the SPRAY BOTTLE. 🤷♀️🤣 I am great full we got through it and happy that you guys did to. I hope this helps anyone else going though it. Good luck everyone and just know we there are more kiddos out there that go through this and it is very scary for the parents.
Thank you thank you !! For your tips video I also did CPR the first two times my baby had one until the second dr finally said it wasn’t necessary but as you know because it’s such a scary scary situation I did what I felt I had to do in the moment
Great info! Another Callie question: how are her knees, or was it her hips that were displaced?
It was her hips
@@kristinrahm4760 , do you know her progress with this? Or what they are doing for her?
That, I'm not sure.
I agree when its your own child its different. I am not in the medical field but my cousin is a Chicago Paramedic. When her son was choking, she panicked and her husband had to handle the situation. Its like when its your child, all medical knowledge goes out the window. So don't ever feel bad about it.
Oh my daughter had these. Her first she was only 8 months old, she was about to cry and passed out in my arms. I had never been so frightened in my life!!! She's would be out for a minute or so and then be very grogy and weird for an hr or so. She did it a lot as a baby and toddler. I learned if I blow in her face sharply when she first went to cry she would suck in a sharp breath. From then on every time she got hurt the first thing I did was blow in her face to make her catch her breath. This helped so much but im not sure that's typical. She kept reflexes that typically children loose in infancy, including gasping or catching her breath from wind, right up till she was 10. She only passed out then if I didn't get to her in time. Her last one was at 4 yrs old. Being hurt was the only trigger for my daughter usually. She would make a.small noise, and I was waiting for the big cry. We all know, they take that big breath and scream like murder, but she passed out before taking that breath. Im so glad it's no longer a problem.
I forgot all about it, when she was 6 I had her brother and she started blowing short sharp breath into his face when he cryed. Took me a while to realise why, she remembered and thought that's what you to do someone who cry, bless her!!!
I dont know owning it has any bearing but she was diagnosed at 8 yrs old with lol 2 Autism, inatentive ADHD and Elhers danlos syndrome, significant muscle weaknesses etc. Probably doesn't but who knows. Lol
It's got to a pint where I didn't worry when it happened as I knew she would be ok and just helped her calmly.
My son did this when he was little and when he did it I just held him and told him it ok and it calmed him down and came out of it he is now 33 years old xx
Some yes and some no.... Me a 46 yr old mom of 4 who was a preemie myself. I still catch myself holding my breath...
my son had a chairi Malformation surgery.I was told to put them on the floor.And I would ask him a question just out of me knowing what was going on.And I would also make sure everyone knew what was going on at all times.glad she outgrew them.
My daughter used to pass out all the time whenever she got past that point of no return Being tired or some kind of surprise or bad hurt or fall. She was never out for much longer then1 minute or so. She started at about 8 months. My old doctor always said nature will take over and start the body working. Scared and startle for sure.
Oh my gosh!!! I cannot even imagine!!!
My Goddaughter (now 6 yo), had them when she was a baby. I remember there was one really bad my friends had to call an ambulance but thank God when they arrived she was coming back and starting getting more color in her face. She was really tiny.
She usually had them when she was exhausted and having trouble getting asleep she would start crying and suddenly pass out. I remember that moment from upset crying to silence was terrifying. But for her (again she was a BABY) splash her face with a bit of water usually would get her back quickly and as you said we intuitively would put her horizontal. It was really scary! I remember the first time I stayed alone with her after that first episode I was terrified that she started crying! Can't imagine getting to the point of CPR.
Wow you explaining the details of callies episode was exactly how my 21 yr old episode was like It was scary & her trigger was DCYF taking her from me 💔
You're amazing family
Can you do a Cassidy development update next she seems really behind and what are you doing to help her along
I don’t think she seems behind with everything she has been through. She is only about 14 months old. Alex did a development video about a month ago on her.
Love your family! Has something changed with your camera? The videos are very quiet for me lately and have to turn to max volume to hear well.
I was a pediatric home health care nurse and some of the thing I had happened where not as bad as that I I did notice my patient was have TD and told the mom we have to get him to the doctors (neurologist)
Sorry phone call interrupted my story. The doctor was surprised I not the signs and change his one med.
My daughter has breath holding spells as well. She has them VERY rarely now but when they do happen, it's terrifying.
What has helped us is teaching her to take a deep breath to help calm down... this has been life changing. She's 18 months old. Hers are mostly related to behavioral issues (she wants something and can't have it, she can't properly communicate her needs, etc.) But she does have them when/if she gets injured too.
Thank you for this I have non epileptic Disorder and have 5 plus episode a day and people always what to call an ambulance service but there no point it looks like I passed out and hold my breath but I still breathing unlucky for me I probably won't grow out of them at all so I can not work at all and also have a continuous headache as well but my faith is strong with it
Oh my... That's got to be hard!!
So glad these tricks works. Amen
My daughter had breath holding that we are treating as seizures. Her last one was very bad like Callie's minutes long. She was blue and not breathing and I did have to give cpr myself. It was incredibly traumatic and I really thought I was losing her too. She has a very complex medical history. She has had none since starting seizure meds thankfully. I am so thankful I had cpr training both from teaching prek and from her 4.5 month nicu stay.
Oh Emily I’m soo sorry you’ve gone through that! It’s so terrifying. It sounds like you have a wonderful medical team supporting your family.
I hope her b day is going to be as awesome as her older and younger sisters were
Im sure it will be 💕
There’s no reason why it won’t be.
My son has had breath holding spells since he was 6 months old. It is very scary for sure! After seeing a neurologist we found out he was severely anemic after blood panels and he is now on medicine and supplements. He still has spells a few times a week and he is now a little over a year. we are praying that his anemia is the cause and not something more serious!
My daughter is currently 17 months and is having severe breath holding spells. Has been having them since she was 9 months old. Most of her spells are similar to your CPR story spell. We’ve also given rescue breath and called 911. My daughter passes out and doesn’t start breathing again right away.
She had seizure like behavior afters and her last episode, last Sunday lasted almost 3 minutes.
We’ve been to a neurologist & cardiologist and have gotten no answers.
We are absolutely exhausted 😭.
My daughter just had a seizure on August 25 because she held her breath. She was 13 months. Prayers.
You had to do CPR. That’s serious. Good job your trained. I think everyone should learn how too do CPR.
And a learn how to use a defibrillator. And learn how to help people that are choking.
Even if it’s a basic first aide course. I did a three day course. I enjoyed it. And learned great skills.
so people get on a course, because you never know when you might need to use these skills. Anybody can learn. It’s not rocket science..
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💖
I am 70 years old and my Mom told me that I used to hold my breath but usually after I got upset. This was in the early 1950’s. My father got scared one night and he thought the best way to stop this he actually held me under the sink faucet thinking that I would gasp and start breathing. By a miracle it stopped me or being age 2 I would have grown out of it
So glad Calie has grown out of this. Hav a good nite guys 🌛
Alex- my niece had breath holding episodes as a baby/toddler. As a teen she developed POTS that has been very debilitating. One of the diagnostic questions was ‘did she have breathing holding episodes?’. She like Callie is blonde, blue-eyed and pale which is typical of those with POTS(I believe more than 90% of those who have POTS are-another diagnostic). Please check into this and keep the symptoms on your radar. My niece is 32, unfortunately she has not gone into full remission the way most POTS patients do in their mid-20’s. Please take this seriously as early detection is key! I’m not trying to scare you or diagnose her just being informative! Please take this seriously!!!!
POTS is an autonomic nervous system disorder that causes issues with a wide variety of autonomic symptoms throughout the body. The breath holding episodes are a response of the autonomic nervous system.
that interesting. My daughter had them and she's blond haired, blue eyed, and fair skinned. She's 12 now and having spells where she feels shaky and/or dizzy. The rest can't figure it out. Now I'm wondering if it may be connected to her breathe holding spells
I’m 20 and have POTS! If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask ☺️ (especially on early detection or related conditions)
@@mandych715 check out POTS also referred to as disautonomia. I’ve seen some good videos of young people with POTS on RUclips. My niece is followed by Dr. Blair Grubbs at the University of Toledo. There is an extensive website that that will be of value to help you investigate the issues. I would not ignore it. I hope it’s not anything serious! Good luck to you and your daughter!
@@mollie4094 thanks for speaking up! I hope you are doing ok in the midst of a chronic debilitating situation. I hope you progress into a remission of sorts in the next couple of years! Good luck, Marie.
Oh I’m curious did you have breath holding episodes as an infant/toddler?
@@bconsilio3764 thank you so much ☺️ I did! I would make myself pass out often and even hit my head on a brick fireplace once and had to be rushed to the ER 😬 luckily I was okay and thankfully I grew out of the breath holding spells eventually ☺️
They are scary until you get used to them. The first was definitely panic inducing. My oldest did it frequently starting about 10 months but grew out by the time he was 2.5. My middle only did it a few times as an infant. My youngest did it the longest; her last was at about 4. They just didn't have the reflex to take a breathe when they were upset or hurt.
Mom 1st RN 2nd, also pt 1st RN 2nd
I found that I don't do a great job being an educated patient until later. The nurse brain 🧠🩺 kicks in after the fact an then all the questions come flooding when the md has come and gone. 1. Write ✍ it down. Write the answers too. So it helps when you are having to tell all the family members. I have to say I have been blessed that I have been a patient many more times than my son. So that is how I come to these conclusions..I pray for all babies and children, that they would be healthy and strong nourished and they all have love 💛. God bless all the little children ❤🙏🏽✝️📖🩺⚕
Did you ever catch it on camera? I wish you did, I’m so scared I think my friends daughter is doing this. What’s the video called!?? Please help
Interesting discussion, Alex. I remember my mother talking about me having breath holding spells, which I always thought was tantrum-related. I don't know how many times or how long I had them. My mother did talk to our doctor about them because it scared her so bad but he was apparently not the least bit concerned. He did suggest splashing water in my face but also said they could just let me pass out because I would start breathing again as soon as I did. Now this was a long time ago (I am 71 years old) so I guess I didn't suffer any long-term affects from perhaps not the best medical advice to my mother.
Thank you for the video I had not heard of this before I have a 12 year old l cannot remember if she did that but thank you for the tips l will pass it on to friends with young family’s 🥰
My daughter has these until she was 10 yrs old. She only ever did this when she was hurt (pain), first time I freaked, after that it was nurse mode, after it was over, I was shaking like crazy. We would always tell her you need to take a breath or you will pee your pants, do you want to do that....she would breath an yell no,!! She always would, roll her eyes, fall to the floor an do the seizure posturing an urinate.
Looks like, seems like a seizure, but Dr’s tells you there aren’t...frustrated difficult. But all is good
I raised a son and a daughter and thank goodness they never had breath holding spells, although my nieces and nephews did on occasion. Their parents did do the blowing in their faces and they would take a breath but it didn't work like in an instant. Even though my kids didn't have breath holding spells my daughter had seizures from the time she was 13 months old until she was 11 years old. That was a very stressful few years there. If someone was watching her ( which was always family) when I had to go some place I was always worrying that she would have one while I was gone. She did have some in school.
This is so interesting, because I have never heard of it either.
My Momma told me when I was young I would hold my breath and she would rush me to the ER.
One time my uncle was in the house and my Momma was about to rush to the ER and my uncle instead took me to the bathroom to put me in water.
It would also cause my temp to rise.
I had a first cousin who would do this when she got upset. She also outgrew it, but it scared her parents every time she would get upset when she was little because they were afraid it would happen again. I only remember seeing her do it once. I was 6 years older than her.
My mom told me I did that as a child. I am now 60 years old. My mom said she was told to throw water in my face- don’t think it worked. My mom just allowed it - and if I passed out- I would breath. Either way- it didn’t last forever.
Bless you!
My son had those. All the doctor said was be sure he didn't hit his head as he passed out. It only last a year.
I'm 67 years old and I had breath holding spells as a baby. Of course, this has been told to me by my parents. After a few scares, my dad said an older doctor said to just throw some water in my face the next time I had a spell! I was about a year old and a toy rolled out of my reach, I cried, held my breath, passed out and they tossed a glass of water in my face. I gasped and that was my last spell. Of course, in this day and time, that would probably be considered to be child cruelty! 😆
But, it worked and I stopped. I still catch myself unconsciously holding my breath when I'm stressed. It's something I am not even aware of doing until I find myself needing to take a deep breath! My own daughter never had a breath holding spell.
My daughter did that. I laid her on her bedroom floor, closed the door and started vacuuming. It always pulled her out of it. The autonomic nervous system kicks in after they pass out. It's scary but you have to understand what it is. Giving her too much attention exacerbated the problem.
My eldest had breath holding spells from 8 month to about 2 1/2 years. They were often associated to separation anxiety, not being able to see me. By the time she was on the floor she would be coming round. We were lucky in that blowing on her face would sometimes stop her passing out. It's so scary in the moment and I remember having to reassure everyone that she would be OK. She is a very healthy 13 year old now. Something I did learn is that they are more common in neuro atypical kids and she is dysprexic
Hi, my son is 2yrs and he too has separation anxiety. Sometimes he will start holding his breath if I leave the room. We are planning to put him in playgroup next year. Any advice on this? How did you handle the situation with your kid? And around what age she outgrew? Thank you.
It took a lot of time. At first I stayed with her. Then I spent weeks leaving the room for a few minutes and sitting just out of sight, slowly increasing how long I stayed out of the room. We took a favourite toy with us.
I love this family honestly ❤ so real 💓
I had to do cpr on my son 5 years ago he had a near drowning experience when he was 3. It still gives me nightmares and anxiety.
My son had a few when he was a year old, it lead us to his chd diagnosis
This has been happening to children for years.
My miracle son will be 3 1st November.
I can’t believe callie be 5 soon omg she get big.