The child rolls up and loses consciousness Komarovsky. “Rolling up” a child: what to do if he starts crying and stops breathing? What is the harm of stopping breathing while crying
How often does the average infant or older child cry? There are no exact statistics, but experienced parents know that children can start crying up to 20 or even 30 per day. Normal crying is a child's normal reaction to any irritation: hunger, fear, boredom, or the inability to immediately get what they want. But what if the baby rolls up while crying? Loss of consciousness, pallor or cyanosis of the skin can greatly frighten others, but, according to pediatricians, this condition is not always a pathology and does not need treatment.
Children often cry for a variety of reasons, usually the child calms down on his own or with the help of others after a few minutes, but sometimes children begin to cry, they roll into hysterics, cannot calm down on their own and may lose consciousness against the background of such an attack.
Such paroxysms are called affective-respiratory attacks. They occur holding their breath against the background of crying. On inhalation, breathing stops, air stops flowing into the respiratory organs, due to a lack of oxygen, the child may lose consciousness, his skin turns pale or turns blue. Sometimes hypoxia provokes the development of convulsions, weakness and apathy after attacks.
Are you familiar with the stories in stores when a child rolls up while crying and beats his arms and legs on the floor? A picture from the area of \u200b\u200bthe demons in my child. What to do in this case is not at all clear.
About tantrums
The reasons for crying can be different: illness, fear, resentment, or there may be a “button” (parents fulfill any desires as soon as the baby screams). You can read more about the reasons.
. There is one unifying condition, parents need to remain calm and love!
Sometimes the tantrums are so strong that the child is already turning blue. The fact is that in young children the nervous system is still imperfect. When a child is very upset, it becomes more and more difficult for him to calm down on his own.
If the baby cries strongly and for a long time, a long exhalation occurs. As a result, the muscles of the larynx spasm, breathing is held, and less oxygen is supplied to the brain. Visually - blue skin.
What kind of animal?
There are cases when a child, when crying, rolls up so that he loses consciousness. It certainly looks scary.
In fact, loss of consciousness is a defensive reaction of the body. During an attack, the child does not have enough oxygen, and when fainting, oxygen consumption is significantly reduced.
This condition is called an affective respiratory attack. That is, an attack that arose in a state of passion and related to respiratory functions.
The reason is that during a tantrum, the child exhales all the air, and due to overstrain, he cannot relax in order to breathe normally - there is not enough air. There may be a short-term loss of consciousness (30-60 seconds). As the baby relaxes, all spasms go away and he begins to breathe.
Outwardly, it looks like when crying, the child begins to hysteria, arches, turns blue or, on the contrary, turns pale, loses consciousness, and in complicated cases, convulsions can be observed.
Doctors say that such attacks are typical for children from 6 months to 2-3 years.
What to do when the baby rolled up?
The most important thing is to remain calm. At the beginning of the attack, you can splash water on the baby's face.
If he has lost consciousness, it is necessary:
- put it on its side
- hold your tongue to prevent choking and vomiting,
- call an ambulance.
It is said that these seizures do not require treatment and disappear with age.
I addressed this issue to the pediatrician. The answer was the following. Despite the fact that these conditions are short-term and disappear with age, it is still necessary to show the child to a neurologist. I agree with the doctor's opinion.
How to prevent?
Situations with an attack are best prevented. I bring to your attention a small note of the behavior of parents when a child is hysterical.
Keep calm
This is the first and most important. Children read the state of the mother. During the tantrum of his child, if the parent loses control, then there is no one to rely on.
let me talk
Hysteria is an expression of anger, protest. If a person is not allowed to release emotions, the effect of a bomb in a closed room will turn out - someday it will definitely explode.
Learn to express your emotions
In a state of anger, it is necessary to direct this energy in another direction - action. You can stomp your feet, pat on the pillow, do physical exercise.
Reflect the state of the child
While the baby does not know how to speak, it is necessary to pronounce what he feels (you are angry, you are now upset, you are annoyed, you are sad). Thus, you teach your child to be aware of their emotions. As they say, forewarned is forearmed. Understanding what is happening helps to solve problems.
Say you love him
A mother loves her child with unconditional love. That is ALWAYS. And therefore, when your child is not at all a cute dandelion, he needs to be told that you love him anyway. Wait, throw tomatoes at me. It is important to distinguish actions from personality. The action may be bad. But your baby will always be good, loved and smart. Move away from the idea of a stupid act to immediately call the child a dunce.
If possible, it is better not to lead to tantrums. I'm not saying that you should indulge and give away all the candy in the world if a little person starts to hysteria. I'm talking about the fact that the child should be given love and support. And respond to negativity with calmness and love. If crying comes to seizures, it is better to consult a doctor.
I wish you harmony and health!
This article was prepared with the support of mother art consultant Evgenia Starkova. You can ask her a question on the topic of the article in the comments, or using the form feedback.
How scared parents are when their child rolls up while crying! Yes, and no wonder. The kid suddenly stops breathing and faints ... It's simply impossible not to panic here.
The nature of the occurrence of affective-respiratory attacks
As is already clear from the name itself, such a state is associated with the highest nervous excitation, and in a negative direction. An attack usually occurs when crying.
The sobs of the baby at the moment of the strongest emotional experience are accompanied by a sharp spasm of the muscles of the larynx after a deep exhalation. This cuts off oxygen supply to the brain. ARP resembles laryngospasm in combination with syncope.
Actually, loss of consciousness is a protective reaction of the body itself to a lack of oxygen. After all, when a person is in a faint, oxygen consumption is significantly reduced. And until the baby is able to breathe, he will not get out of this unconscious state.
Usually spasms of the muscles of the larynx are removed without outside intervention. Since oxygen is not supplied to the body due to holding the breath, carbon dioxide accumulates in it. It is the state of hypercapnia that affects the brain, which gives a signal to reflexively remove the spasm of the muscles of the larynx. The kid sighs, and consciousness returns to him.
Which child is more susceptible to ARP?
Doctors have noticed that children with metabolic characteristics are more prone to the occurrence of such attacks. For example, a child who has a calcium deficiency rolls up more often than one who is normal in this regard. After all, just a lack of calcium contributes to
Most doctors agree that the occurrence of attacks of this kind is due to a genetic predisposition, that is, the so-called heredity.
Separately, it should be emphasized that children are nervous, with increased excitability, overly impressionable crying many times more often than calm, apathetic or phlegmatic babies. Hysterical ones should also be included in the category of especially susceptible ARP.
However, even among balanced, educated children there are those who, at least once, rolled up while crying.
Stopping breathing in a baby during sobs - is it a disease?
As statistics show, affective-respiratory attacks in children are not at all so rare. A fourth of all babies, including healthy ones, have had this happen at least once.
It has been noticed that usually the situation when a child rolls up when crying during the experience of strong emotions most often takes place once. Only in 5% of babies this can be repeated. Therefore, it is impossible to say with absolute certainty that if a child rolls up while crying, then he is susceptible to some kind of disease, it is impossible.
Another thing is if this is not an isolated case at all. Therefore, parents whose child rolls up while crying regularly should sound the alarm. If this happened only once (or for the first time), then there is no reason to worry especially. But, of course, the alarm should also be sounded in cases where the holding of the breath during strong sobs occurs frequently, more than once a week or, even more alarmingly, several times a day.
It is especially worth worrying if a crying boy or girl rolls over the age of 6 years. After all, usually by this time attacks of this kind do not occur.
Why can there be repeated attacks of ARP after 6 years?
This question is rather difficult to answer. Most likely, the child is seriously ill. And only an appeal to a doctor will help to make a correct diagnosis.
Cardiogenic diseases, that is, those associated with disturbances in the rhythm of the heart muscle, can cause fainting with blue lips. And although such loss of consciousness is not directly related to crying and can occur without sobbing, it is quite likely that they occur at a time of high nervous tension.
Many neurological diseases have similar symptoms. This is an Arnold-Chiari malformation, vamil dysautonomy. This also includes seizures with loss of consciousness in children with blood pathology (iron deficiency states, erythroblastopenia).
And it is worth remembering epilepsy. This disease is also accompanied by seizures. An experienced doctor is able to easily distinguish affective-respiratory attacks in children from epilepsy. But every parent must see the difference so as not to miss the symptoms of a serious illness.
Are there affective-respiratory attacks in newborns?
Usually, the situation when suddenly the child rolled up while crying and stopped breathing is first observed at the age of six months. After all, even the name of the state, as mentioned above, indicates that the baby at this moment is in a state of passion - the highest nervous excitement. Children of an earlier age are not yet ready to experience strong emotions, since their consciousness is not yet sufficiently developed.
If the newborn cries so much that it rolls up, then you definitely need to see a doctor. Strong emotions such as anger, despair, resentment are not available to a baby of this age. The crying of an infant signals physical inconvenience, hunger or pain. And if a newborn cries non-stop, with loss of breath and for no apparent reason, most likely, something is very painful for him. Perhaps the baby is seriously ill.
What is the harm of stopping breathing while crying?
It is clear that if a child (2 years old) rolls up while crying, but this does not happen often, it makes no sense for parents to contact doctors about this. Of course, apnea - episodic breath holding - does not benefit the body, since the brain is deprived of oxygen at this moment. But the short-term loss of consciousness that accompanies this process somewhat reduces the harm from this. After all, in an unconscious state, the brain requires a minimum of oxygen.
However, you need to be careful about the condition of the baby at this time. If the attack does not end after a minute or occurs too often, several times a week, you should contact your doctor. Parents should also be excited about the change in the behavior of the baby at this moment.
Two types of ARP attack
There are two states of a child who rolls up while sobbing. If the baby experiences severe pain, from which he starts crying, then usually during a short breath holding, he turns very pale. There is a sharp slowdown in the pulse during this period. Sometimes it can become thready or completely disappear for a short time.
If the child turns blue when crying, then such an attack usually occurs due to emotional affect. During it, you can notice in a child a pronounced cyanosis of the skin, loss of consciousness, holding the breath. With a prolonged attack, a crying boy or girl seems to go limp, and sometimes, on the contrary, begins to arch.
Can a child voluntarily provoke ARP?
Most doctors say no. They are sure that respiratory arrest occurs reflexively, regardless of the desire of the child himself.
However, despite such statements by reputable doctors, those people who in childhood “rolled up” while crying remember that they sometimes artificially caused fainting. This happened during a period of strong emotional arousal, when a sobbing child suddenly noticed that adults did not react at all to his actions.
Remembering how everyone fussed around him after another attack, worried and worried, the kid decides to punish the adults. He deliberately exhales more air during sobbing and briefly holds his breath. In 9 cases out of 10, this works - the child, by his own efforts, deprives his brain of oxygen and loses consciousness. This provoked attack is no different from the reflex ones. It comes with the same symptoms.
Another simulation option is possible, when children, observing the behavior of their peers, try to act out an attack. Such cases also take place. But attentive adults will feel that the baby is “playing”, because the complexion and lips in this case remain normal, and breathing does not stop.
How should adults behave during an attack?
All the assurances of doctors that ARP is not some kind of serious disease, and the loss of consciousness by the baby while crying does not threaten him, is an empty phrase for loving parents. Naturally, they do not want to sit quietly and watch their baby turn blue and fall flat on the floor. But few people know what to do when a child rolls up.
The most important thing at this moment is to help the baby restore breathing. To do this, you can lightly pat him on the cheeks, massage the ears, neck and chest. Experts advise at the time of the onset of ARP to blow in the child's face or wave a newspaper at him, direct the fan jet.
You can help restore breathing very quickly if you sprinkle some water on the baby. It is also good to wipe your face with a towel moistened with cold water. Some use tickling to bring the child to his senses as soon as possible.
Ammonia is usually not used in this case. The smell will not help to speed up the process of restoring breathing, but at the moment the baby comes out of an unconscious state, it can scare. This is especially undesirable if ARP occurred in children under 3 years of age. After all, most of them do not understand what is happening to them. And often they don’t even remember what preceded the faint, what were
After the child came to his senses, he feels very tired, he really wants to sleep. Don't interfere with this. After a deep restorative sleep, which can last up to 2-3 hours, children usually feel normal.
Psychological assistance to a child who has ARP
If the attack happened once or is repeated, but less than once a month, then it is best not to focus on this. The child should not feel that adults are concerned about his behavior. Otherwise, he himself begins to get nervous, and attacks may become more frequent.
But if fainting is a fairly common occurrence for a baby, you should consult a psychologist, neurologist, child psychotherapist. Perhaps the district pediatrician will offer an examination by a cardiologist, an endocrinologist. After all, increased nervousness is sometimes the result of improper functioning of the thyroid gland.
But, as practice suggests, adults themselves are often the cause of children's. This especially applies to families in which relations between parents are not going smoothly. And it only seems that the baby is crying because he was not bought this or that toy. A child who grows up without a father or one of whose parents suffers from alcoholism actually feels flawed, destitute. With his tantrums, he simply attracts attention to himself, trying to ease his soul with tears.
In any case, you need to think about how to calm the baby when he cries. If the child is still small, it is best to distract him: turn on the TV or "video" with your favorite cartoon, get an interesting book and start reading it aloud, or try to play a fairy tale with the baby's toys.
If the child is already old enough, 4-6 years old, then these methods may be useless. Frequent tearfulness should alert adults involved in raising a little man. And if they have a hunch about this, perhaps they should have a heart-to-heart talk with the growing person, since calming the child when he cries, in this situation, is not a solution to the problem, but only a gain in time. The reason has not been eliminated, which means that nervous breakdowns will be repeated.
But it would also be superfluous to openly dedicate a son or daughter to the history of their parents' divorce. How to find the line that should not be crossed in a conversation with a child? It is best to listen to the advice of a qualified psychologist. The most important thing is to emphasize as much as possible the fact that the absent parent loves or loved the child, this is very important for the formation of a strong psyche, for self-confidence. And it is also very useful to reveal the positive qualities of the father and mother, it is on them to focus the attention of the baby.
If the child grows up in a complete family, where consent reigns between the spouses, then nervous breakdowns can occur due to pressure outside the family. Often children hide their troubles from relatives. They may even be abused, but remain silent about it. But to a stranger to open the soul is much easier. Therefore, the help of a psychologist can play a decisive role here.
But in any case, you need to show your child your love. Hugs, encouraging words, reading a book together will show the baby that he is needed, loved. Although it is not necessary after the first attack to start indulging him in everything. On the contrary, with a child of 4-6 years old, you can already talk about the fact that anger, fear, anxiety are normal feelings that all people experience. But after all, not everyone is crying about a broken toy or a refusal to buy a little thing they like.
Perhaps such conversations will not be able to help immediately. But patience, care, attention and love for the child will gradually do their job. When adults set the goal of raising happy, successful members of society and systematically achieve this, then they succeed.
Yesterday I almost turned gray. It was terrible. Yarushka found the remote control from the TV and pulled it into his mouth, I seized this remote control, which apparently upset the child insanely ... he immediately started crying, my husband and I did not even have time to do anything (usually the baby does not behave this way, he can, of course, be capricious, but not so) and literally in a couple of seconds the crying disappeared, the mouth was open, the child began to turn blue in front of his eyes. God, it was just a nightmare. I started shaking it, my husband snatched it from my hands, turned it face down, started pounding on the back (as they do when the child choked). I ran to the phone to dial 03. By the way, miraculously it turned out to be “busy” ... and heard one short coughing ... I run into the room, there is silence, my husband is standing with his back to me, a completely limp child is in my arms, I see how the arms and legs hang completely limply, the head is INK-colored ... silence. I start howling. God, I don't wish this on anyone! The husband rushes to the window, throws it wide open and, with Yarushka in his arms, leans out to the waist. I shout “Alive??!!!”, the husband does not answer, he is in a crazy shock ... I see that the face is turning pale, the blue is receding.
So we first encountered a Respiratory-affective attack ..
On Tuesday we will go to the neurologist. I found a good article by Komarovsky. Maybe someone will come in handy.
Affective-respiratory attacks (attacks of breath holding) are the earliest manifestation of fainting or hysterical attacks. The word "affect" means a strong, poorly controlled emotion. "Respiratory" is what has to do with the respiratory system. Seizures usually appear at the end of the first year of life and may last up to 2-3 years of age. While holding your breath may seem intentional, children usually don't do it on purpose. It's just a reflex that occurs when a crying baby forcefully exhales almost all of the air from its lungs. At that moment, he falls silent, his mouth is open, but not a single sound comes out of it. Most often, these breath-holding episodes do not last more than 30-60 seconds and disappear after the child takes a breath and starts screaming again.
Sometimes affective-respiratory attacks can be divided into 2 types - "blue" and "pale".
"Pale" affective-respiratory attacks are most often a reaction to pain during a fall, injection. When you try to feel and count the pulse during such an attack, it disappears for a few seconds. "Pale" affective-respiratory attacks by the mechanism of development are approaching fainting. In the future, some children with such seizures (paroxysms) develop fainting.
However, most often affective-respiratory attacks develop according to the "blue" type. They are an expression of discontent, unfulfilled desire, anger. If you refuse to fulfill his requirements, to achieve what you want, to attract attention, the child begins to cry, scream. Intermittent deep breathing stops on inspiration, a slight cyanosis appears. In mild cases, breathing is restored after a few seconds and the child's condition returns to normal. Such attacks are outwardly similar to laryngospasm - a spasm of the muscles of the larynx. Sometimes the attack is somewhat delayed, while either a sharp decrease in muscle tone develops - the child “goes limp” in the mother’s arms, or tonic muscle tension occurs and the child arches.
Affective-respiratory attacks are observed in excitable, irritable, capricious children. They are a type of hysterical seizures. For a more "usual" hysteria in young children, a primitive motor reaction of protest is characteristic: if desires are not fulfilled, the child falls to the floor in order to achieve his own: he randomly beats his arms and legs on the floor, screams, cries and demonstrates his indignation and rage in every possible way. In this "motor storm" of protest, some features of the hysterical attacks of older children are revealed.
After 3-4 years, a child with breath holding attacks or hysterical reactions may continue to have hysterical attacks or other character problems. However, there are ways you can help prevent your "terrible 2-year-olds" from turning into "terrible 12-year-olds."
Principles of proper education of a small child with respiratory-affective and hysterical attacks. Seizure Prevention
Annoyance attacks are quite normal for other children, and indeed for people of all ages. We all have bouts of anger and rage. We never get rid of them completely. However, as adults, we try to be more restrained in expressing our dissatisfaction. Two-year-olds are more outspoken and direct. They just give vent to their rage.
Your role as parents of children with hysterical and respiratory attacks is to teach children to control their rage, to help them master the ability to control.
In the formation and maintenance of paroxysms, sometimes the wrong attitude of parents towards the child and his reactions is of some importance. If a child is protected in every possible way from the slightest disorder - everyone allows him and fulfills all his requirements - if only the child is not upset - then the consequences of such upbringing for the character of the child can ruin his whole future life. In addition, with such improper education, children with breath-holding attacks may develop hysterical attacks.
Proper upbringing in all cases provides for a unified attitude of all family members towards the child - so that he does not use family disagreements to satisfy all his desires. It is undesirable to overprotect the child. It is advisable to place the child in preschool institutions (nursery, kindergarten), where attacks usually do not recur. If the appearance of affective-respiratory attacks was a reaction to being placed in a nursery, a kindergarten, on the contrary, it is necessary to temporarily take the child from the children's team and re-identify him there only after appropriate preparation with the help of an experienced pediatric neurologist.
The unwillingness to follow the lead of the child does not preclude the use of some "flexible" psychological techniques to prevent seizures:
1. Anticipate and avoid outbursts.
Children are more likely to burst into tears and screams when they are tired, hungry, or feel rushed. If you can anticipate such moments in advance, you will be able to bypass them. You can, for example, avoid the tedious waiting in line at the cashier at the store by simply not going shopping when your child is hungry. A child who is seized by a fit of irritation during the rush before going to nursery during the morning rush hours, when the parents also go to work and the older brother or sister is going to school, should get up half an hour earlier or, conversely, later - when the house becomes quieter . Recognize difficult moments in your child's life and you will be able to prevent bouts of irritation.
2. Switch from the "stop" command to the "forward" command.
Young children are more likely to respond to a parent's request to do something, so-called "go" commands, than to heed a request to stop doing something. Therefore, if your child is screaming and crying, ask him to come to you instead of demanding that you stop crying. In this case, he will more willingly fulfill the request.
3. Name the child his emotional state.
A two-year-old child may not be able to verbalize (or simply understand) their feelings of rage. So that he can control his emotions, you should give them a specific name. Without jumping to conclusions about his emotions, try to reflect the child's feelings, such as, "Maybe you're angry because you didn't get the brownie." Then make it clear to him that despite his feelings, there are certain limits to his behavior. Tell him, "Even though you are angry, you must not yell and shout in the shop." This will help the child understand that there are certain situations in which such behavior is not allowed.
4. Tell the child the truth about the consequences.
When talking to young children, it is often helpful to explain the consequences of their behavior. Explain everything very simply: “You have no control over your behavior and we will not allow it. If you continue, you will have to go to your room."
Convulsions in respiratory-affective attacks
When a child's consciousness is disturbed during the most severe and prolonged affective-respiratory attacks, the attack may be accompanied by convulsions. Convulsions are tonic - muscle tension is noted - the body seems to stiffen, sometimes it arches. Less often, with respiratory-affective attacks, clonic convulsions are noted - in the form of twitches. Clonic convulsions are less common and then usually occur against the background of tonic (tonic-clonic convulsions). Seizures may be accompanied by involuntary urination. After convulsions, breathing resumes.
In the presence of convulsions, difficulties may arise in the differential diagnosis of respiratory-affective paroxysms with epileptic seizures. In addition, in a certain percentage of cases, children with affective-respiratory convulsions may develop further epileptic paroxysms (attacks). Some neurological diseases can also be the cause of such respiratory affective seizures. In connection with all these reasons, in order to clarify the nature of the paroxysms and prescribe the correct treatment, each child with respiratory-affective seizures should be examined by an experienced pediatric neurologist.
What to do during a breath holding attack
If you are one of those parents whose child holds their breath in a fit of rage, be sure to take a deep breath yourself and then remember this: holding your breath almost never causes harm.
During an affective-respiratory seizure, it is possible to promote reflex recovery of breathing by any means (blow on the child, pat on the cheeks, tickle, etc.).
Intervene early. It is much easier to stop a rage attack when it is just starting than when it is in full swing. Small children can often be distracted. Get them interested in something, say a toy or other form of entertainment. Even such an ingenuous attempt as the same tickling sometimes brings results.
If the attack drags on and is accompanied by prolonged general relaxation or convulsions - put the child on a flat surface and turn his head to the side so that he does not suffocate in case of vomiting. Read in detail my recommendations "HOW TO HELP DURING A SEIZURES OR CHANGE OF CONSCIOUSNESS"
After the attack, encourage and reassure the child if he does not understand what happened. Reemphasize the need for good behavior. Don't back off just because you want to avoid repeating breath-holding episodes
