Parents often reflect that when children cry and make a fuss, they may experience breath-holding, causing distress and helplessness. In fact, this should not be ignored because the sudden apnea that occurs when a child cries is medically known as “apnea syndrome” or “breath-holding spell,” commonly referred to as “breath-holding.” This condition is more common in infants under the age of 2 and the frequency of occurrences is irregular. Preventive measures are particularly important.
Newborns may sometimes encounter sudden blueness of the face, inability to cry, or even breathing difficulties, which can lead to a chaotic situation for parents. If not dealt with promptly, the consequences could be severe. Therefore, when a baby cries due to emotional excitement, it is important to provide timely comfort and avoid excessive crying. Sometimes patting the back can effectively alleviate this condition.
Breath-holding spells in babies are related to emotional or physical stimuli, manifested by crying first and then pausing breathing due to excessive inhalation, accompanied by changes in lip color, and may eventually lead to limb stiffness or twitching. The entire process can last from a few seconds to two to three minutes, followed by spontaneous recovery of breathing and returning to a normal state. The child’s brain is not fully developed, making them susceptible to transient central nervous system dysregulation due to intense emotional fluctuations, resulting in the above symptoms. However, unlike epilepsy, it is not an organic disease and usually self-resolves after about a minute.
When faced with a breath-holding episode, parents should remain calm, lay the child flat, loosen clothing to ensure unobstructed breathing, gently fan the face to promote oxygen absorption, pat the soles of the feet or the back, stimulate acupoints like Ren Zhong, Yintang, and He Gu to awaken, assist in resuming breathing by patting the chest, but avoid tightly holding or pressing the neck to prevent suffocation.
Knowing this information, in the future when encountering similar situations, it is crucial to pay attention, handle them promptly and appropriately. Ignoring this behavior may affect the child’s nervous system, so timely intervention is of paramount importance to prevent any potential risks.
