How terrified 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.
The nature of the occurrence of affective respiratory attacks
As the name itself already understands, such a condition is associated with the highest nervous excitement, moreover, in a negative direction. An attack usually occurs when the baby is crying a lot .
The baby's sobs at the time of the strongest emotional experience are accompanied by a sharp spasm of the muscles of the larynx after a deep exhalation. Due to the delay in breathing, the flow of oxygen to the brain stops. ARP resembles laryngospasm in combination with fainting.
Actually, loss of consciousness is a protective reaction of the body itself to a lack of oxygen. After all, when a person is fainted, oxygen consumption is significantly reduced. And until the baby is able to breathe, he cannot get out of this unconscious state.
Usually spasms of the muscles of the larynx are removed without outside interference. Since oxygen does not enter the body due to respiratory retention, carbon dioxide accumulates in it. It is the state of hypercapnia that affects the brain, which gives a signal reflexively relieve spasm of the muscles of the larynx. The kid sighs, and consciousness returns to him.
Which child is more susceptible to ARP?
Doctors noticed that children with metabolic peculiarities 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 okay in this regard. After all, just a lack of calcium contributes to spasms of the larynx.
Most doctors agree that the occurrence of seizures of this kind is due to a genetic predisposition, that is, the so-called heredity.
Separately, it should be emphasized that nervous children, with increased excitability, overly sensitive, roll up in tears many times more often than calm, lethargic or phlegmatic babies. Particularly susceptible to ARP include children spoiled and hysterical.
However, among the balanced, well-brought up children there are those who, at least once, but rolled up while crying.
Is the baby's respiratory arrest during sobbing a disease?
According to statistics, affective respiratory attacks in children is not so rare. In a fourth of the number of all babies, including healthy ones, at least once this happened.
It is noticed that usually a situation when a child rolls up while crying while experiencing strong emotions, most often it takes place to be once. Only 5% of babies can repeat this. 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, if this is not an isolated case at all. Therefore, parents whose child rolls up regularly while crying should be alarmed. If this happened only once (or for the first time), then there is no particular reason to worry. But, undoubtedly, one should also sound the alarm in those cases when the holding of breath during strong sobs occurs often, more than once a week, or, even more alarming, several times a day.
It’s especially worth worrying if a crying boy or girl rolls over 6 years old. After all, usually by this time attacks of this kind do not occur.
Why can recurring attacks of ARP occur after 6 years?
This question is quite difficult to answer. Most likely, the child is seriously ill. And only a visit to a doctor will help to correctly diagnose.
Cardiogenic diseases, that is, associated with cardiac muscle rhythm disturbances, 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 likely that they will occur at the time of high nervous tension.
Many neurological diseases have similar symptoms. This is the Arnold-Chiari malformation, vasile disautonomy, Rett syndrome. This also includes seizures with loss of consciousness in children with a blood pathology (iron deficiency states, erythroblastopenia).
And it is worth recalling epilepsy. This disease is also accompanied by seizures. An experienced doctor is able to easily distinguish affective and respiratory attacks in children from epilepsy. But each parent must see the difference so as not to miss the symptoms of a serious illness.
Are there any respiratory attacks in newborns?
Usually a situation when suddenly a child rolls up while crying and stops breathing, is first observed at six months of age. Indeed, even the name of the state, as mentioned above, indicates that the baby at this moment is in a state of affect - the highest nervous excitement. Children of a younger 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 it is absolutely necessary to consult a doctor. Strong emotions such as anger, despair, resentment of a baby of this age are not available. Crying of a nursing infant indicates physical discomfort, hunger, or pain. And if the newborn cries non-stop, with loss of breath and for no apparent reason, most likely, he has something very painful. Perhaps the baby is seriously ill.
What is the harm from 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 consult doctors about this. Of course, apnea - episodic breath holding - does not bring the body any benefit, since the brain at that moment is deprived of oxygen. But the short-term loss of consciousness that accompanies this process somewhat reduces the harm from this. Indeed, in an unconscious state, the brain requires a minimum of oxygen.
However, you need to carefully consider 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 consult a doctor in the clinic. Also, the parents should be excited about the change in the behavior of the baby at this moment.
Two types of ARP attacks
There are two states of a child who rolls up while sobbing. If the baby experiences severe pain, from which he comes into tears, then usually during a short breath, he becomes very pale. A sharp slowdown of the pulse is noted during this period. Sometimes it can become threadlike or even 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 the child a pronounced cyanosis of the skin, loss of consciousness, breath holding. With a prolonged attack, the crying boy or girl seems to go limp, and sometimes, on the contrary, begins to bend in an arc.
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 “rolled up” during crying in childhood recall that they sometimes fainted artificially. This happened during a 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 the next attack, worried and worried, the baby decides to punish adults. He specifically during a sob exhales more air 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 reflex. It proceeds with the same symptoms.
Another simulation option is possible, when children, watching the behavior of their peers, try to play an attack. Such cases also take place. But attentive adults will feel that the baby is “playing,” because the color of the face and lips in this case remains normal, and breathing does not stop.
How should adults behave during an attack?
All the assurances of doctors that ARP is not some serious disease, and loss of consciousness by the baby during crying does not threaten him, is an empty phrase for loving parents. Naturally, they do not want to sit quietly and watch how their crumbs turn blue and flat on the floor. But few people know what to do when the child rolls up.
The most important thing at this moment is to help the baby regain breathing. To do this, you can gently pat him on the cheeks, massage the auricles, the neck and chest. Experts advise at the time of the onset of ARP to blow in the face of a child or wave a newspaper at him, to direct a stream of fan.
You can help restore breathing very quickly if you spray water on the baby. It is also good to wipe your face with a towel dampened with cold water. Some use tickling to bring the child back to life soon.
Ammonium chloride is usually not used in this case. The smell will not help speed up the process of restoring breathing, but at the moment the baby leaves the unconscious state, it can scare. This is especially undesirable if ARP has occurred in children under 3 years of age. After all, for the most part they do not understand what is happening to them. And often they don’t even remember what preceded the fainting, what were the reasons for the crying.
After the child has come to his senses, he feels very tired, he really wants to sleep. Do not bother him in this. After a deep restorative sleep, which can last up to 2-3 hours, children usually feel normal.
Psychological assistance for a child with ARP
If the attack happened once or is repeated, but less than once a month, 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 can become more frequent.
But if fainting conditions are frequent enough for the baby, you should consult a psychologist, a neurologist, a children's psychotherapist. Perhaps the local pediatrician will offer an examination by a cardiologist, endocrinologist. Indeed, increased nervousness is sometimes the result of malfunctioning of the thyroid gland.
But, as practice suggests, often adults themselves are the cause of childhood nervous breakdowns. This is especially true for families in which things are not going smoothly between parents. And it just seems that the baby is crying due to the fact that he did not buy this or that toy. A child who grows up without a father or in whom one of the parents suffers from alcoholism actually feels disadvantaged, destitute. With his tantrums, he simply attracts attention, trying to lighten 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 Vidik with your favorite cartoon, get an interesting book and start reading it out loud or try to play a fairy tale with your kid’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 the upbringing of a man. And if they have a hunch about this, perhaps you should talk heart to heart with a younger person, as reassuring a child when he cries in this situation is not a solution to the problem, but only a gain in time. The reason is not eliminated, which means that nervous breakdowns will be repeated.
Where the child grows up in an incomplete family, it is worth paying more attention to the stories about the absent father or mother. But do not compose the story of the heroically deceased dad or lie about the fact that in space flight he obeys the order of the Motherland. When a child decides to share this with his comrades, they can make him laugh. This could be another injury.
But openly dedicating a son or daughter to the story of the divorce of parents will also be unnecessary. 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 disclose 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 there is agreement between the spouses, then nervous breakdowns may occur due to pressure outside the family. Often children hide their troubles from relatives. They may even be abused, but keep quiet about it. But it is much easier for a stranger to open his soul. Therefore, here the help of a psychologist can play a decisive role.
But in any case, you need to show your child your love. Hugs, encouraging words, joint reading of the book will show the baby that he is needed, we love. Although it is not necessary after the first attack to start indulging him in everything. On the contrary, it is already possible to talk with a child of 4-6 years old that anger, fear, anxiety are normal feelings that all people experience. But not everyone weeps about a broken toy or a refusal to purchase a thing you like.
Perhaps such conversations will not be able to help instantly. But patience, care, attention and love for the child will gradually do their job. When adults set the goal to grow up happy, successful members of society and systematically achieve this, then they succeed.