The child falls. Why does a child roll up when crying and turn blue? If the baby turns blue when it cries? Threaten to cause loss of consciousness

When a newborn cries, he shows his displeasure, fear or other emotions. Another thing is when a child rolls up while crying, thereby greatly frightening his parents. In medical terminology, this condition is called affective-respiratory paroxysm (ARP). The baby holds his breath when exiting, after which he cannot breathe normally for some time.

Types of ARP

Parents need to learn to distinguish between a normal tantrum and a tantrum. In the first case, the baby protests for a long time, cries loudly and screams. But during an attack of ARP, he becomes inactive, his skin turns blue, the baby even loses consciousness.

Currently, there are two main types of ARP:

1. Pale attacks. Usually this phenomenon appears as a result of severe pain or fear. For example, a pale attack may appear after an injection. At the same time, the pulse completely disappears for a while, the heartbeat is delayed. The child loses consciousness. In the future, these children often experience fainting.
2. Blue Seizures. They appear as a result of the anger or dissatisfaction of the baby. The child begins to scream, but on inhalation his breathing stops, after which he becomes silent, becomes blue.

As a rule, both attacks proceed quickly and pass in 30 seconds. But sometimes they are protracted. The baby may soften or, on the contrary, muscle spasms appear, due to which the child arches in the form of an arc.

Causes of seizures and pathological crying

Sooner or later, almost every mother has a question: “ Why does a baby roll over when crying?". This phenomenon usually appears in the first years of life, and completely disappears by about eight years. Some parents mistakenly believe that the baby is feigning an attack, thereby wanting to control adults. However, ARP has a reflex character, which is why the baby rolls up in a fit of crying, and in some cases even loses consciousness.

Breathing stops for half a minute or even a minute. From this, the color of the skin changes and the child turns blue. Most often, ARP appears in irritable, aggressive and overactive children.

In addition, the following causes provoke an attack:

• Frequent stressful situations, bouts of anger. Moreover, even ordinary discomfort - fatigue or lack of food - can stimulate ARP.
• Often the reason why the baby rolls up while crying is the parents. You can not overly protect the baby and give him everything he wants. After all, if then he is denied something, he will react violently, which will cause another attack.

In any case, it is necessary to consult a doctor after the first attack of ARP while crying. The neurologist will conduct a diagnosis, after which he will prescribe treatment. You can not postpone going to a specialist, because over time the seizures can become epileptic.

Symptoms

If the attacks of ARP are frequent and prolonged in time, this causes the child to roll up while crying and lose consciousness, convulsions begin, he becomes pale, his lips turn blue. As a result of convulsions, the child's muscles become very tense, because of which his small torso arches.

In more rare cases, convulsions are accompanied by involuntary urination. As a rule, breathing is restored immediately after the convulsions pass.

First aid for bouts of pathological crying

What to do when a child rolls up while crying? The main thing is not to panic. Urgently need to restore the baby's breathing. To do this, it is enough to pat him on the cheeks, sprinkle cold water, send a stream of fresh air to the face. Never shake a child or hit him in the face too hard.

At the age of 5 years, the bones of children are still very fragile, therefore, from intense impact on them, fractures and dislocations appear. If the attacks are not strong, then tickling helps to restore breathing.

Sometimes the symptoms of ARP resemble epilepsy. At the same time, the attacks last for a long time - more than one minute, convulsions appear. In this case, the baby must be placed on its side to avoid suffocation. Sometimes it is necessary to hold the legs and arms so that the baby does not injure himself.

First aid measures should be started immediately after the onset of symptoms of an attack. After the restoration of children's breathing, the crumbs need to be distracted by offering him a bright toy. To calm the baby, you need to attach it to the chest and hug.

ARP treatment

If the child rolls up while crying, it is urgent to start treatment.:

• Parents turn to a neurologist, who, before conducting diagnostic tests, asks parents a series of questions: why did the attack occur, how did it pass, what preceded it. In addition, the doctor specifies what symptoms accompanied the attack (blue, urination, chest pain, heart palpitations).
• After that, the doctor prescribes an examination. ECG, ultrasound and EEG of the brain are performed, urine and blood tests are taken. Only after that the neurologist prescribes treatment. As a rule, children with ARP attacks should be registered with a doctor until the age of 5-7 years.
• Treatment includes two directions - drug and non-drug. If the child is over 3 years old, the doctor recommends making an appointment with a psychologist. In addition, the psychologist will adjust the methods of raising the child so that the atmosphere in the family is calm and friendly. The specialist offers parents a series of games and exercises that help to suppress outbursts of anger.

During play activities, the child forgets about all his problems, he becomes calmer. Non-drug treatment is leading. And if you properly arrange the situation, the use of the baby medicines may not even be required.

• In more complex cases, the doctor prescribes medications to treat neuropathy and increased excitability of the child. All drugs are prescribed exclusively by a neuropathologist. You can not buy pills on the advice of friends or pharmacists.

Preventive measures

If the child rolled up while crying and turned blue once, this phenomenon may happen again.

To prevent this from happening, you must adhere to certain measures:

• Parents should teach their children to control their emotions. In addition, adults should avoid situations that can cause a violent response from the baby's body. It is not recommended to expose children to long trips or walks during which they become overtired.
• Some kids don't like to rush. They slowly dress up kindergarten. You should not push them, as this can provoke anger. It is better to wake up the baby 5 minutes earlier to get ready without haste. If an attack has already begun, you can not scream at the child, as this will frighten him even more. It is necessary to tactfully approach this issue, to calm the baby. If the child is an adult, after the attack, he needs to be explained that he must breathe correctly and remain calm in any situation.
• It is important that both parents participate in the upbringing process.
• If seizures appeared in a "home" child, it is recommended to enroll him in a kindergarten. Sometimes the opposite happens: the child rolls up due to unwillingness to go to preschool. In this case, it is better to leave him at home for a while, and you can take him back to the kindergarten only after preparation.

Are you familiar with the stories in stores when a child rolls up while crying and beats his arms and legs on the floor? A picture from the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe demons in my child. What to do in this case is not at all clear.

About tantrums

The reasons for crying can be different: illness, fear, resentment, or there may be a “button” (parents fulfill any desires as soon as the baby screams). You can read more about the reasons.
. There is one unifying condition, parents need to remain calm and love!

Sometimes the tantrums are so strong that the child is already turning blue. The fact is that in young children the nervous system is still imperfect. When a child is very upset, it becomes more and more difficult for him to calm down on his own.

If the baby cries strongly and for a long time, a long exhalation occurs. As a result, the muscles of the larynx spasm, breathing is held, and less oxygen is supplied to the brain. Visually - blue skin.

What kind of animal?

There are cases when a child, when crying, rolls up so that he loses consciousness. It certainly looks scary.

In fact, loss of consciousness is a defensive reaction of the body. During an attack, the child does not have enough oxygen, and when fainting, oxygen consumption is significantly reduced.

This condition is called an affective respiratory attack. That is, an attack that arose in a state of passion and related to respiratory functions.

The reason is that during a tantrum, the child exhales all the air, and due to overstrain, he cannot relax in order to breathe normally - there is not enough air. There may be a short-term loss of consciousness (30-60 seconds). As the baby relaxes, all spasms go away and he begins to breathe.

Outwardly, it looks like when crying, the child begins to hysteria, arches, turns blue or, on the contrary, turns pale, loses consciousness, and in complicated cases, convulsions can be observed.

Doctors say that such attacks are typical for children from 6 months to 2-3 years.

What to do when the baby rolled up?

The most important thing is to remain calm. At the beginning of the attack, you can splash water on the baby's face.
If he has lost consciousness, it is necessary:

• put it on its side
• hold your tongue to prevent choking and vomiting,
• call an ambulance.

It is said that these seizures do not require treatment and disappear with age.

I addressed this issue to the pediatrician. The answer was the following. Despite the fact that these conditions are short-term and disappear with age, it is still necessary to show the child to a neurologist. I agree with the doctor's opinion.

How to prevent?

Situations with an attack are best prevented. I bring to your attention a small note of the behavior of parents when a child is hysterical.

Keep calm
This is the first and most important. Children read the state of the mother. During the tantrum of his child, if the parent loses control, then there is no one to rely on.

let me talk
Hysteria is an expression of anger, protest. If a person is not allowed to release emotions, the effect of a bomb in a closed room will turn out - someday it will definitely explode.

Learn to express your emotions
In a state of anger, it is necessary to direct this energy in another direction - action. You can stomp your feet, pat on the pillow, do physical exercise.

Reflect the state of the child
While the baby does not know how to speak, it is necessary to pronounce what he feels (you are angry, you are now upset, you are annoyed, you are sad). Thus, you teach your child to be aware of their emotions. As they say, forewarned is forearmed. Understanding what is happening helps to solve problems.

Say you love him
A mother loves her child with unconditional love. That is ALWAYS. And therefore, when your child is not at all a cute dandelion, he needs to be told that you love him anyway. Wait, throw tomatoes at me. It is important to distinguish actions from personality. The action may be bad. But your baby will always be good, loved and smart. Move away from the idea of ​​a stupid act to immediately call the child a dunce.

If possible, it is better not to lead to tantrums. I'm not saying that you should indulge and give away all the candy in the world if a little person starts to hysteria. I'm talking about the fact that the child should be given love and support. And respond to negativity with calmness and love. If crying comes to seizures, it is better to consult a doctor.
I wish you harmony and health!

This article was prepared with the support of mother art consultant Evgenia Starkova. You can ask her a question on the topic of the article in the comments, or using the form feedback.

Of course, the main concern in the life of any parent is the health of their children. The period up to 1-1.6 years is most worrying, because the child still cannot even really show where it hurts and what worries him. The newly-made mother closely monitors any deviations in the state and behavior of the crumbs: she rose heat; there is excessive pulsation or retraction of the fontanel; the child rolls up and turns blue; moves little and sleeps almost all the time. Here is a far from complete list of those symptoms that should sow the seed of anxiety and encourage immediate action. If the manifestations of a cold are commonplace and familiar to many, then unforeseen breath holding in children can shock anyone.

In medicine, this phenomenon is clearly marked and is called affective-respiratory attacks. They are characteristic of children of the first year of life and have a very long character, up to 3 years. An attack occurs when from the lungs crying baby almost all the air comes out, it seems to freeze with open mouth and doesn't make a single sound. All sorts of emotions serve as a catalyst, which can be difficult for a child to cope with and all this results in early seizures and fainting.

Affective-respiratory attacks are divided into two groups: pale and blue. The first are identified as the consequences of the pain syndrome resulting from a fall, an injection. The impossibility of palpation of the pulse, a short-term delay in the heartbeat, fainting are the companions of pale affective-respiratory attacks.

More frequent in their manifestations are the so-called blue seizures. This is nothing more than a hysterical expression of dissatisfaction, a desire, by all means, to get what is required with the help of strong crying and screaming, in which the child rolls up and turns blue, losing all control over his condition. At best, this ends with the fact that after a while the child, taking a breath, continues to cry further. At worst, the attack is prolonged. As a result, two extremes emerge: muscle relaxation, or, conversely, due to excessive tension, the child arches like an arc. Such attacks are dangerous because they can eventually transform into epileptic seizures.

“It is easier to prevent than to cure” is an axiom known to all. But what to do when the attack happened, and the child rolls up and turns blue before your eyes? The most effective will be to direct the flow of air to the face of the child or sprinkle it with water, bringing breathing back to normal. Light slaps on the cheeks can also bring the baby to his senses. If the attack has passed into a more severe stage and has acquired epileptic features, lay the child on his side in case of tongue sinking or vomiting. Most importantly, when everything is over, do not forget to caress and hug him and, of course, consult a doctor for qualified advice.

Many parents are tormented by watching how violently their newborn baby shows strong positive or negative emotions. From a behavioral point of view, this is normal, because a newborn does not yet know how to adequately express their inner experiences, so they show emotions through crying. However, this behavior is often accompanied by unpleasant somatic manifestations. The child practically stops breathing during crying, rolls up and turns blue, falling into a semi-conscious state. Physicians have called this phenomenon an affective-respiratory paroxysm. This pathology is typical for children under the age of one year, and, as a rule, completely disappears by the age of three.

The cause of paroxysm in a child is nervous overexcitation, so any stressful factors can provoke it: anger, fear, excessive overwork or hunger.

During an attack, the baby loses control over his condition, so during the normalization of the respiratory process, the body of a newborn can be either excessively relaxed or overstrained.

Advice You can help the baby in restoring breathing by lightly patting him on the cheeks, blowing his face and fanning him with a newspaper, massaging his neck and ears.

If the baby turns blue when it cries? Threaten to cause loss of consciousness

H Some parents stubbornly insist that with such nervous crying, children are trying to manipulate them. However, attacks of affective-respiratory paroxysm cannot be caused artificially, because they are a reflex response of the newborn organism to stress. When a baby cries, oxygen is completely released from his lungs. All this is accompanied by the following signs:

• Spasm of the throat muscles
• The child can't make a sound
• The skin turns blue
• Tonic spasms occur or muscle tone weakens
• Loss of consciousness

Usually the supply of oxygen stops for 15-60 seconds. During this time, the baby may lose consciousness., which is a protective reaction of the body to the lack of oxygen in the lungs. A minute later, in order to save the body saturated with carbon dioxide, the brain center gives a signal to relax the muscles of the larynx. When the child begins to breathe, he finally comes to his senses.

Advice Doctors advise splashing water on the child, or wiping him with a damp and cool towel to bring him to his senses faster. You can divert the child's attention from a rolling attack by lightly tickling him or showing a bright toy.

It is the absence of oxygen that is main reason cyanosis - blue discoloration of the baby's skin. This happens because in an oxygen-free environment, the level of hemoglobin in the blood rises, and the blood turns from bright red to dark.

The child's cheeks turned blue, affective-respiratory attacks are possible

I The phenomenon in which a child's cheeks turn blue is quite common. The mechanism of such a reaction of the body is simple: the level of reduced hemoglobin in the blood rises, which makes it darker. Cyanosis is manifested against the background of a general oxygen deficiency. On the child's cheeks thin skin and the vessels are located very close to it, therefore, in the first place, it is they who turn blue. Those factors that adversely affect fragile vessels can provoke blue skin on the cheeks of a baby:

1. Hypothermia (Frostbite);
2. Cardiovascular disease (eg anemia);
3. Respiratory diseases.

However, most often blueness of the skin manifests itself in conjunction with affective-respiratory attacks.

Attention! If the child begins to turn blue not only the cheeks, but also the lips, the skin of the palms and feet, contact an ambulance immediately!

To return the baby's cheeks to a normal ruddy color, you need to eliminate the cause of this phenomenon. Help the newborn to catch his breath after the attack, blow on him and gently massage the chest and back between the shoulder blades.

What causes a baby to roll up when it cries? We solve the problem

ABOUT One of the signs of an affective-respiratory attack is muscle spasm, in which the child rolls up and becomes unable to move his limbs. A typical picture for a paroxysm: a newborn has an ajar mouth, an immobilized body, arched. When a child cries, his eyes may roll and his consciousness may turn off. If the child rolled up while crying, do not show your panic, behave calmly and confidently. The calmer the parent, the faster the baby will calm down. Adhere to the following rules:

• Don't delay. It is easiest to stop an attack at the beginning.
• Get the child's attention, and to provoke a reflex breath, try to make him laugh.
• If the baby has tonic convulsions, lay him on a flat surface, turning his head to the side. So when an attack of vomiting occurs, he will not choke.
• When the baby comes to his senses, cheer up and reassure him, because he most likely does not understand what happened to him.

Do not leave affective-respiratory attacks unattended, because there is a possibility that in the future they may develop into epileptic seizures. And prolonged and frequent hypoxia that occurs when the baby rolls up can cause the development of neurological complications.

Conclusion

W The health of the newborn in the future largely depends on the parents. You need to take affective-respiratory attacks seriously, because serious pathologies can also be hidden behind them. The treatment of this paroxysm should take place in two directions: Correction of the upbringing of the child and strengthening nervous system. In any case, a doctor's consultation is necessary.

This is one of the most common complaints in parents of patients aged approximately 1 to 3 years (earlier and later options are possible - from 6 months to 6 years).

The classic description by parents looks like this: against the background of ordinary family situations (they took away the toy, forbade doing something interesting), the child began to cry, “rolled up” - he stopped breathing, did not inhale for a long time, turned blue, went limp, lost consciousness, this lasted less than 1 minute (usually a few seconds), after that he came to his senses and behaved as usual. Sometimes loss of consciousness may be accompanied by tension or twitching of the arms and legs. After such episodes, there may be short-term lethargy. This is a typical "blue" affective-respiratory attack (hereinafter referred to as ARP). The second option - "pale", is less common. It is usually associated with some kind of sudden unpleasant (usually painful) stimulus. It looks like this: the child hit something, more often with his head or body, turned pale sharply, stopped breathing, lost consciousness, but came to himself after a few seconds. Quite often, this is followed by drowsiness. With "pale" ARP there are important point Often overlooked by parents and clinicians, there may be some time (up to 30 seconds) between the provoking stimulus and limpness, so the connection between minor trauma and a frightening fall of the child may not be noticeable.

Such attacks can frighten not only parents, but also emergency doctors, and then a child with a presumptive diagnosis of "epilepsy?" even going to the hospital. But in fact, everything is not as scary as it seems. Affective-respiratory seizures are not related to epilepsy and always go away without treatment. It is not necessary to save a child with ARP, there is no life threat during such attacks. There is no need to be afraid that breathing will not be restored, this does not happen. Artificial respiration, splashing with water are completely useless, the child will come to his senses without outside help.

Modern European and American guidelines do not recommend doing any research with a typical pattern of affective-respiratory attacks, because they are difficult to confuse with something else. The need for examination arises when the parents do not clearly describe the attack, or if the child has some concomitant disorders, when it is not possible to determine the situation only by describing the events. In such cases, the neurologist may face the question - was the observed condition an epileptic seizure, or a manifestation of a traumatic brain injury, or a stroke (they also happen in children, this is not only a disease of the elderly), or is it not a neurological problem at all - for example, disorders breathing can be caused by foreign bodies in the airways, and asthma, and limpness can be caused by overheating, heart rhythm disturbances, or medication. Nevertheless, in most cases, adequate questioning of eyewitnesses practically guarantees the establishment of the correct diagnosis in just a few minutes.

There is one point that is overlooked by parents, pediatricians, and neurologists who are faced with affective-respiratory attacks. Many, though not all, children with ARP will have low levels of hemoglobin and/or red blood cells (called anemia) and low iron levels on their blood tests. It has been shown that treatment with conventional iron preparations can either reduce the frequency of attacks or get rid of them completely. I repeat, without treatment, ARP will disappear anyway, the goal of treatment in this case is mainly to correct anemia, and the absence of seizures is rather a pleasant addition and relieving the family of stress.

Parents should know that in the event of conflicts and disagreements in the family, some children can “speculate” on affective-respiratory attacks and achieve what they want, frightening their parents with attacks. In such cases, it may be necessary family psychologist or a psychotherapist, but not in order to get rid of seizures, but to exclude situations provoking them.

The traditional closing phrase. Everything described in this article looks quite simple, but, nevertheless, there are various ambiguous situations and difficult cases in life, so any doubts should be resolved in the doctor's office.

Note for advanced parents looking for information on the net on their own: in English ARP - breath-holding spells.

The article was prepared based on materials from Child neurology (J.Menkes, 2005) and UpToDate http://www.uptodate.com