Breath-holding spells in babies and children

A child bumps himself or gets angry about something, draws in air to cry, and then suddenly falls silent.

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5.0(15)

Sergey Ilyasov

PsychiatryNeurology7 years of experience

Dr Sergey Ilyasov is an experienced neurologist and qualified psychiatrist who provides online consultations for adults and adolescents. Combining deep neurological expertise with a modern psychiatric approach, he ensures comprehensive diagnostics and effective treatment for a wide range of conditions affecting both physical and mental health.

Dr. Ilyasov helps patients in the following cases:

  • Chronic headaches (migraine, tension-type headache), back pain, neuropathic pain, dizziness, numbness in limbs, coordination disorders.
  • Anxiety disorders (panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder), depression (including atypical and treatment-resistant forms), sleep disturbances (insomnia, hypersomnia, nightmares), stress, burnout.
  • Chronic pain syndromes and psychosomatic symptoms (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome related to stress, vegetative-vascular dystonia).
  • Behavioral disorders and concentration difficulties in adolescents (including ADHD, autism spectrum disorders), nervous tics.
  • Memory impairments, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), emotional swings, and support for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Thanks to his dual specialization in neurology and psychiatry, Dr Sergey Ilyasov offers integrated and evidence-based care for complex conditions requiring a multidisciplinary approach. His consultations focus on accurate diagnosis, development of an individualized treatment plan (including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapeutic methods), and long-term support adapted to each patient's unique needs.

Book an online consultation with Dr. Sergey Ilyasov to receive qualified assistance and improve your well-being today.

Book a video appointment
€106
This page provides general information and does not replace a doctor’s consultation. If symptoms are severe, persistent or worsening, seek medical advice promptly.

A child bumps himself or gets angry about something, draws in air to cry, and then suddenly falls silent. The mouth is open, no sound comes out, the lips turn blue, the body goes limp and sometimes a twitch runs through it. A few seconds later breathing returns, the child comes round, and within a couple of minutes is playing again. This is a breath-holding spell. The everyday name is misleading: the child is not holding anything on purpose and cannot stop the episode by choice. It happens to roughly one child in twenty, most often between six months and two years, and it almost always goes away on its own by the age of five or six. For parents the first episode looks like life stopping, so it is worth understanding in advance what is happening and what to do with your hands.

What the episode looks like second by second

There is nearly always a trigger: pain from a fall, a fright, frustration, anger, a sudden noise. After that a short sequence unfolds.

  • the child starts to cry, or simply opens the mouth as if about to cry, but no sound comes;
  • breathing stops on the out-breath and the chest goes still;
  • the lips and then the face turn blue or, on the contrary, go sharply pale to a greyish tone, which on darker skin shows better on the palms, the soles and the inside of the lips;
  • the body goes floppy and the child sinks in your arms or drops, or instead arches and stiffens;
  • a few jerks of the arms and legs may pass through, which are not epilepsy but the brain's response to a brief shortage of oxygen;
  • breathing restarts by itself, the skin colour evens out and consciousness returns.

The episode itself takes a matter of seconds and rarely reaches a minute. Afterwards the child is usually subdued, sleepy or bewildered for a few minutes and sometimes falls asleep. Spells like these leave no consequences for the brain or for development.

Why it happens: two different mechanisms

Behind a scene that looks identical lie two different routes, and it matters to the doctor which one your child had.

The blue type. This is the more common one. It begins with hard crying out of anger or upset. On a long out-breath the breathing falters and stops, oxygen in the blood falls, the skin turns blue and the child loses consciousness. The body does exactly what is needed: losing consciousness releases the emotional tension and breathing starts again.

The pale type. It is set off by sudden pain or fright: a bang on the head, an unexpected fall, alarm at an injection. There may be almost no crying. Here the vagus nerve takes over: the heart abruptly slows or pauses for a few seconds, the brain is left without blood flow, and the child goes white instantly and drops. From outside it looks like an adult fainting at the sight of blood, and the mechanism really is the same.

In both cases the child is not in charge of what happens. This is not naughtiness, not manipulation and not the result of parenting mistakes.

What to do in those seconds

The main job is to do no harm and wait for the episode to end. Help comes down to a few simple actions.

  • lay the child on his side on the floor or another flat surface, which is safer and sensible in case of vomiting;
  • clear anything hard from under the head and around it, and support the head so it is not knocked;
  • stay beside him and look at the clock: the real duration almost always turns out to be two or three times shorter than it felt;
  • loosen tight clothing at the neck;
  • when it is over, hold and comfort him calmly, let him rest, and behave as usual.

What not to do

  • do not shake the child, slap the cheeks, splash water or blow into the face: none of it speeds anything up;
  • do not lift him upright or carry him during the episode, because upright less blood reaches the brain, and in the pale type this directly prolongs the faint;
  • do not put a spoon, a dummy or your fingers into the mouth: the tongue cannot be swallowed, and what suffers is the child's teeth and your fingers;
  • do not scold or punish afterwards, because he did not choose to do it;
  • do not start giving in to every demand just to prevent crying. The spells do not stop because of that, and the boundaries simply blur.

Resuscitation needs one qualification. In a typical spell it is not required, since breathing restarts on its own. But if the child has not taken a breath for about a minute, stays pale or blue and does not respond, this is no longer an ordinary episode: call the emergency services and begin resuscitation as taught on first aid courses.

When emergency help is needed

Call for an ambulance without hesitating if:

  • this is the first episode ever and no diagnosis has been made before;
  • the child has not come round within one or two minutes, or breathing has not resumed;
  • the jerking lasts more than a minute, repeats one after another, or the child stays confused for a long time;
  • the episode followed a head injury, or the child hit himself hard in the fall;
  • the blue or grey colour persists after breathing has returned;
  • the episode happened while running, swimming, in a state of excitement, or with no trigger at all.

The last point is the most important of them all. An ordinary breath-holding spell always has a trigger: pain, fright, anger. Loss of consciousness with no cause, on exertion, in water or in response to a loud noise may turn out to be a disturbance of heart rhythm rather than a harmless reaction.

What the doctor checks and why an ECG is not optional

The diagnosis rests on the account of whoever saw it: the circumstances, the order of events, the duration, the skin colour, the behaviour afterwards. A video helps enormously if anyone managed to film it, since thirty recorded seconds are worth half an hour of explaining. Two tests are usually arranged, each for its own reason.

  • A blood test for haemoglobin and iron stores. Iron deficiency turns up noticeably more often in children with frequent spells. When the stores are replenished, in some children the episodes become rarer or stop. Iron preparations are prescribed by a doctor on the basis of the result: giving them blindly is pointless and not harmless.
  • An electrocardiogram. It is not ordered as a formality but to rule out rare inherited rhythm disorders, above all long QT syndrome. They are uncommon, but they show themselves in a similar way: sudden loss of consciousness in a child, sometimes with jerking. Tell the doctor separately whether the family has had sudden deaths at a young age, an unexplained drowning of someone who swam well, or fainting in relatives, because that is a reason to look more closely.

If the picture is atypical, an electroencephalogram is added to separate the spell from an epileptic seizure. With a classic description it is usually not needed.

Living with it and when it ends

There is no specific treatment and, as a rule, none is needed: medicines are hardly ever used for breath-holding spells. Other things work instead.

  • Reduce the background against which spells are triggered more easily: lack of sleep, hunger, overexcitement towards the evening, a day that runs too long without a break.
  • Catch the build-up before the child gets as far as crying: attention is easier to divert in the first second of a grievance than in the fifth.
  • Keep the usual rules. Children quickly notice that after an episode they get what they wanted and, although they do not bring the spell on deliberately, the number of flashpoints grows.
  • Tell everyone who is left with the child: grandparents, the childminder, nursery staff. The worst of it falls on whoever sees this for the first time and has no idea what to do.
  • Write down how often it happens and in what circumstances. From memory these details come out badly, and they are exactly what the doctor needs.

With age the spells become rarer and disappear: in most children by four or five, in some a little later. It is worth going back to the doctor if the episodes have become more frequent, longer or heavier, if they start happening with no clear trigger, or if they are shaping family life.

Online consultation

In an online consultation the doctor will go through what the episode looked like, what came before and after, will watch the video if there is one, and will help separate a typical breath-holding spell from something that needs investigation. It is also the place to work out which tests are worth doing, whether an ECG is needed soon and what to make of results already obtained, and to sort out the household rules: how to behave during a spell and how not to build the whole family's life around it. A first-ever episode is assessed in person and without delay, and that is the case where a remote consultation is not the right tool.

This material is for information only and does not replace medical advice.

Consult with a doctor about Breath-holding spells in babies and children

Consult with a doctor about Breath-holding spells in babies and children

Discuss your symptoms and possible next steps with a doctor online.

Online doctors for Breath-holding spells in babies and children

Discuss your symptoms and possible next steps for Breath-holding spells in babies and children with a doctor online.

Doctor
5.0(15)

Sergey Ilyasov

PsychiatryNeurology7 years of experience

Dr Sergey Ilyasov is an experienced neurologist and qualified psychiatrist who provides online consultations for adults and adolescents. Combining deep neurological expertise with a modern psychiatric approach, he ensures comprehensive diagnostics and effective treatment for a wide range of conditions affecting both physical and mental health.

Dr. Ilyasov helps patients in the following cases:

  • Chronic headaches (migraine, tension-type headache), back pain, neuropathic pain, dizziness, numbness in limbs, coordination disorders.
  • Anxiety disorders (panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder), depression (including atypical and treatment-resistant forms), sleep disturbances (insomnia, hypersomnia, nightmares), stress, burnout.
  • Chronic pain syndromes and psychosomatic symptoms (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome related to stress, vegetative-vascular dystonia).
  • Behavioral disorders and concentration difficulties in adolescents (including ADHD, autism spectrum disorders), nervous tics.
  • Memory impairments, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), emotional swings, and support for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Thanks to his dual specialization in neurology and psychiatry, Dr Sergey Ilyasov offers integrated and evidence-based care for complex conditions requiring a multidisciplinary approach. His consultations focus on accurate diagnosis, development of an individualized treatment plan (including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapeutic methods), and long-term support adapted to each patient's unique needs.

Book an online consultation with Dr. Sergey Ilyasov to receive qualified assistance and improve your well-being today.

Book a video appointment
€106
Doctor
5.0(12)

Yevgen Yakovenko

Family medicine12 years of experience

Dr. Yevgen Yakovenko is a licensed surgeon and general practitioner in Spain and Germany. He specialises in general, paediatric, and oncological surgery, internal medicine, and pain management. He offers online consultations for adults and children, combining surgical precision with therapeutic support. Dr Yakovenko works with patients across different countries and provides care in Ukrainian, Russian, English, and Spanish.

Areas of medical expertise:

  • Acute and chronic pain: headaches, muscle and joint pain, back pain, abdominal pain, postoperative pain. Identifying the cause, selecting treatment, and creating a care plan.
  • Internal medicine: heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, urinary system. Management of chronic conditions, symptom control, second opinions.
  • Pre- and postoperative care: risk assessment, decision-making support, follow-up after surgery, rehabilitation strategies.
  • General and paediatric surgery: hernias, appendicitis, congenital conditions, both planned and urgent surgeries.
  • Injuries and trauma: bruises, fractures, sprains, soft tissue damage, wound care, dressing, referral when in-person care is required.
  • Oncological surgery: diagnosis review, treatment planning, and long-term follow-up.
  • Obesity treatment and weight management: a medical approach to weight loss, including assessment of underlying causes, evaluation of comorbidities, development of a personalised plan (nutrition, physical activity, pharmacotherapy if needed), and ongoing progress monitoring.
  • Imaging interpretation: analysis of ultrasound, CT, MRI, and X-ray results, surgical planning based on imaging data.
  • Second opinions and medical navigation: clarifying diagnoses, reviewing current treatment plans, helping patients choose the best course of action.

Experience and qualifications:

  • 12+ years of clinical experience in university hospitals in Germany and Spain.
  • International education: Ukraine – Germany – Spain.
  • Member of the German Society of Surgeons (BDC).
  • Certified in radiological diagnostics and robotic surgery.
  • Active participant in international medical conferences and research.

Dr Yakovenko explains complex topics in a clear, accessible way. He works collaboratively with patients to analyse health issues and make evidence-based decisions. His approach is grounded in clinical excellence, scientific accuracy, and respect for each individual.

If you are unsure about a diagnosis, preparing for surgery, or want to discuss your test results – Dr Yakovenko will help you evaluate your options and move forward with confidence.

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€72
Doctor
5.0(3)

Lina Travkina

Family medicine13 years of experience

Dr. Lina Travkina is a licensed family and preventive medicine doctor based in Italy. She provides online consultations for adults and children, supporting patients across all stages of care – from acute symptom management to long-term health monitoring and prevention.

Areas of medical care include:

  • Respiratory conditions: colds, flu, acute and chronic bronchitis, mild to moderate pneumonia, bronchial asthma.
  • ENT and eye conditions: sinusitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, otitis, infectious and allergic conjunctivitis.
  • Digestive issues: gastritis, acid reflux (GERD), IBS, dyspepsia, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, functional bowel symptoms, intestinal infections.
  • Urological and infectious diseases: acute and recurrent cystitis, bladder and kidney infections, prevention of recurrent UTIs, asymptomatic bacteriuria.
  • Chronic conditions: hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, metabolic syndrome, thyroid disorders, excess weight.
  • Neurological and general symptoms: headache, migraine, dizziness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, reduced concentration, anxiety, asthenia.
  • Chronic pain support: back, neck, joint, and muscle pain, tension syndromes, pain associated with osteochondrosis and chronic conditions.

Additional care areas:

  • Preventive consultations and check-up planning.
  • Medical advice and follow-up consultations.
  • Test interpretation and diagnostic guidance.
  • Structured support for undiagnosed complaints.
  • Second opinion on diagnoses and treatment plans.
  • Nutritional and lifestyle support for vitamin deficiencies, anaemia, metabolic issues.
  • Post-operative recovery support and pain management.
  • Preconception counselling and postpartum support.
  • Immunity support and strategies to reduce frequency of infections.

Dr. Travkina combines evidence-based medicine with an attentive, personalised approach. Her consultations focus not only on treatment, but also on prevention, recovery, and long-term wellbeing.

If during the consultation it becomes clear that your case requires in-person assessment or specialised care outside of her scope, the session will be terminated and the payment fully refunded.

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€75
Doctor
5.0(19)

Nuno Tavares Lopes

Family medicineGeneral medicine18 years of experience

Dr. Nuno Tavares Lopes is a licensed physician in Portugal with 17 years of experience in emergency medicine, family and general practice, and public health. He is the Director of Medical and Public Health Services at an international healthcare network and serves as an external consultant for the WHO and ECDC.

  • Emergency care: infections, fever, chest/abdominal pain, minor injuries, paediatric emergencies
  • Family medicine: hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, chronic disease management
  • Travel medicine: pre-travel advice, vaccinations, fit-to-fly certificates, travel-related illnesses
  • Sexual and reproductive health: PrEP, STD prevention, counselling, treatment
  • Weight management and wellness: personalised weight loss programmes, lifestyle guidance
  • Skin and ENT issues: acne, eczema, allergies, rashes, sore throat, sinusitis
  • Pain management: acute and chronic pain, post-surgical care
  • Public health: prevention, health screenings, long-term monitoring
  • Sick leave (Baixa médica) connected to Segurança Social in Portugal
  • IMT medical certificates for driving licence exchange
Dr. Nuno Tavares Lopes provides medical support for patients using GLP-1 medications (Mounjaro, Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsus) as part of a weight loss strategy. He offers individualised treatment planning, regular follow-up, dose adjustment, and advice on combining medication with sustainable lifestyle changes. Consultations follow the medical standards accepted in Europe.

Dr. Lopes also provides interpretation of medical tests, follow-up care for complex patients, and multilingual support. Whether for urgent concerns or long-term care, he helps patients act with clarity and confidence.

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€70
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0.0(0)

Andreea Mateescu

Paediatrics8 years of experience

Dr Andreea Mateescu is a board-certified paediatrician with 7 years of clinical experience. She graduated from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, Romania, and completed her paediatric residency at INSMC Alessandrescu-Rusescu. She also holds additional training in general ultrasound diagnostics.

Dr Mateescu focuses on providing high-quality, evidence-based medical care for children, with a strong emphasis on prevention, healthy development, and long-term wellbeing. She believes that clear, empathetic communication with both children and parents is essential for building trust and ensuring effective care.

Online consultations with Dr Mateescu are suitable for:

  • preventive check-ups and monitoring of growth and development;
  • vaccination planning, including personalised and catch-up schedules;
  • assessment of psychomotor, emotional, and physical development;
  • diagnosis and management of acute and chronic paediatric conditions;
  • nutritional guidance for infants and children, including formula selection when medically indicated;
  • care for children with complex or rare conditions;
  • practical guidance and ongoing support for parents.
Dr Mateescu works with patience, empathy, and professionalism, ensuring that each child receives attentive, individualised care. Her goal is to support healthy, balanced development while helping parents feel confident and well-informed at every stage of their child’s care.
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€60
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4.7(10)

Anastasiia Shalko

Family medicinePaediatrics13 years of experience

Dr. Anastasiia Shalko is a general practitioner with a background in both paediatrics and general medicine. She graduated from Bogomolets National Medical University in Kyiv and completed her paediatric internship at the P.L. Shupyk National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education. After working as a paediatrician in Kyiv, she relocated to Spain, where she has been practising general medicine since 2015, providing care for both adults and children.Her work focuses on urgent, short-term medical concerns – situations where patients need quick guidance, symptom assessment and clear next steps. She helps people understand whether their symptoms require in-person evaluation, home management or a change in treatment. Common reasons for booking an online consultation include:

  • acute respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose, fever)
  • viral illnesses such as colds and seasonal infections
  • gastrointestinal complaints (nausea, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, gastroenteritis)
  • sudden changes in how a child or adult feels
  • questions about existing treatment and whether adjustments are needed
  • renewal of prescriptions when clinically appropriate

Dr. Shalko works specifically with urgent and short-term problems, providing practical recommendations and helping patients determine the safest next step. She explains symptoms clearly, guides patients through decision-making and offers straightforward medical advice for everyday acute issues.She does not provide long-term management of chronic conditions, ongoing follow-up or comprehensive care plans for complex long-term illnesses. Her consultations are designed for acute symptoms, sudden concerns and situations where timely medical input is important.With clinical experience in both paediatrics and general medicine, Dr. Shalko confidently supports adults and children. Her communication style is clear, simple and reassuring, helping patients feel informed and supported throughout the consultation.

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€56
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0.0(0)

Daniel Cichi

Family medicinePaediatricsGeneral medicine24 years of experience

Dr Daniel Cichi is a family medicine doctor with over 20 years of clinical experience. He provides online consultations for adults, supporting patients with acute symptoms, chronic conditions, and everyday health concerns that require timely medical guidance. His background includes work in emergency care, ambulance services, and family medicine, which allows him to assess symptoms quickly, identify warning signs, and help patients choose the safest next steps – whether that means home care, treatment adjustment, or in-person evaluation. Patients commonly consult Dr Daniel Cichi for: 

  • acute symptoms: fever, infections, flu-like illness, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath;
  • chest discomfort, palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, and blood pressure concerns;
  • digestive problems: abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, reflux;
  • sexually transmitted infections, erectile dysfunction;
  • muscle, joint, and back pain, minor injuries, post-traumatic symptoms;
  • chronic conditions: hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid disorders, weight loss, hair loss;
  • review and interpretation of lab tests, imaging reports, and medical documents;
  • medication review and treatment adjustment;
  • medical advice while travelling or living abroad;
  • second opinions and guidance on whether in-person care is needed.

Dr Cichi’s consultations are structured and practical. He focuses on clear explanations, risk assessment, and actionable recommendations, helping patients understand their symptoms and make informed decisions about their health.

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€69

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