Patient's question:
I want to ask a few questions about a 3-year-old girl who feels out of breath whenever she cries. Why is that? About her past treatment and effectiveness: None. What kind of assistance is needed: What disease is it; is it serious?Doctor's answer:
Mom, the symptoms you described for your baby are likely recurrent breath-holding spells. This condition often occurs in infants aged 6 to 18 months. Breath-holding spells frequently recur during sudden emotional changes, such as anger, fear, severe pain, or intense crying. This is often accompanied by hyperventilation, which suppresses the respiratory center. During crying spells, there may be vasodilation of blood vessels, brain hypoxia, which can lead to fainting, loss of consciousness, bluish lips, and even convulsions. The spell typically lasts about a minute before breathing fully recovers, and the symptoms subside. I recommend having your baby undergo an echocardiogram.