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Breath-Holding: Is it a Cause For Alarm and What You Can Do About it

January 10, 2007 by Paul Banas Leave a Comment

Although it is very common, watching toddlers holding their breath can be a frightful thing for a parent to experience. Some call it the ‘nuclear option’ in a child’s weaponry. About 20 percent of toddlers use this technique to express their discontent or to get what they want – and considering the effect, they often do.

These spells are usually part of a child’s temper tantrums. Here are a few common signs to look out for:


  • Breathing out forcefully followed by holding breath for a long time

  • Turning pale or blue
Soon after one of the above signs show up, chances are your toddlers will pass out and collapse to the ground. In some cases, your toddler’s legs and arms may twitch and the body may suffer mild convolutions. This situation usually lasts for under a minute and is not a medical condition over which you should be worried.

Even though this is a common tantrum it should be stringently discouraged. Here are a few tips on how to avoid a breath-holding tantrum in your toddler:


  • Do not pay overmuch attention to such tantrums.

  • Find out the possible cause behind such behavior and eliminate the cause.

  • Try to divert your toddler’s attention to a pleasant situation making the toddler forget the whole idea of breath holding.
If your toddler succumbs to this tantrum, remember:


  • Do not panic—toddlers may take advantage of the fact that you are scared and resort to tantrums more often to get what they want.

  • Make your toddler lie down to increase the flow of blood to the brain and within seconds it will be alright.

  • The first time this happens, you may consider taking your toddler to the doctor to ensure it is a breath-holding tantrum indeed.

Filed Under: 67 Week

About Paul Banas

Paul Banas is happy married dad of two great kids living in San Francisco. He writes now about kids, new technology and how the two interact for GreatDad.com and for Pregnancy Magazine (pregnancymagazine.com) where he is also the publisher.

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Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

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– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC  

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