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The spasm of sobbing under the magnifying glass
Now your child starts screaming until suddenly their breathing stops. In extreme cases, this can lead to short-term unconsciousness. Rest assured, it’s spectacular but not serious!
What is the spasm of sobbing?
The sobbing spasm may be the reaction to a strong emotion. In this case, the child manifests his anger, pain or fear through uncontrolled crying. His sobs get faster and faster and faster, his eyes roll back, he finds it hard to catch his breath. At the height of the crisis, his face turns blue and he stops breathing.
It can also be the syncope : your child loses consciousness. This loss of consciousness lasts a few moments, from thirty seconds to a maximum of one minute. Then the child regains consciousness, as if nothing had happened. It is not an illness. And although the signs are similar to those of “stiffness, convulsions, unconsciousness” epilepsy, it has nothing to do with it.
How to react to the spasm of the sob?
In the moment, try to keep your cool, do not panic. No need to call a doctor urgently. You can pat your child’s cheeks, refresh his face, talk to him softly. It is the way you will react (as calmly as possible) that will help your child to calm down.
Occasionally, do not hesitate to discuss this episode with your usual doctor. He will reassure you and advise you on what to do in the event of any recurrence.
How to avoid recurrence?
These attacks, which occur between 5 months and 6 years, are usually concentrated during opposition period (around 18 months). To prevent the child from discovering, with these crises, his “power” over you: do not overprotect him. This is of course the natural tendency of all moms. For fear of seeing the “drama” recur, they brood their babies. However, he may feel suffocated and will have no other choice to escape this pressure than to overreact. Do not give in to all his demands. The hardest part, of course, is also not to give up setting limits, to hold on to what seems essential. At the risk of displeasing Mr. Baby. He is in omnipotence, he needs to be secured with precise rules. Listen to him, reassure him. No question, of course, of ignoring this surge of emotion. It’s hard to calm down anyway and pretend nothing has happened. Talk to your child, explain to him the causes of this crisis (“you fell”, “you were afraid”, “you did not want to go to bed”). Show him that you understand him, and that you too, perhaps, have become panicked, carried away so as not to give in to his will.
The “blue” and “pale” forms of the sob spasm
The blue form occurs in 60% of cases. It’s about a asphyxia which may be accompanied by loss of consciousness. The pale form is characterized by the absence of a cry. The child becomes pale and loses consciousness.