Need advise from other moms out there .... my son is 2 now and he has been doing this since he was born?

Question

ok when he gets upset of something don't go his way he throws a fit like every other 2 year old . but when he gets really up set he blacks out is almost like he forgets how to take a breath his lips turn purple and its like he is screaming and nothing coming out then he falls over as if he passes out ok and i hold him to calm him down then he breathes again and this all happens within a few seconds . after he is calm he just sits there like it took everything out of him ... he did this when he was a baby a few times and he has not done it in almost a year now he is doing it again . i have taken him to the doctor when he first done it they said its normal but how is that normal .... any advise

Answer 1

My brother did this.  According to my mom, if they black out, they will begin breathing again and regain consciousness.  It is normal, your doctor is right.  Eventually he will outgrow the behavior, when he learns to control his tantrums.  

There are ways to discipline a child to get him to stop throwing tantrums in the first place.  My toddler throws tantrums most often when something changes in his day that he wasn't ready for, so advance warnings of what's coming really helps to avoid those tantrums.  Like if he has to stop watching a movie he likes in order to eat lunch.  I always warn him in advance and make lunch sound more exciting than the movie.  Usually I'm able to avoid a tantrum by doing that, but I've found that the times I don't give the warning, he has the tantrum.  Try to find ways to avoid the tantrums (NOT by giving in, though--that will just make him spoiled) and teach him to control his anger.  But he will outgrow it.  2 is very young still...

My 3-year-old cries so hard when he's upset that he usually throws up.  Now I make him sit in the bathtub when he does that so if he throws up, it will be in the tub and much easier to clean up.  I simply tell him that he is too upset and he needs to sit in the bathtub until he can calm down.   There are methods to train them not to manipulate you.

Answer 2

He is manipulating you...  doing it on purpose.

The best thing to do is NOT give in to this behavior.  His body will make him pass out before he harms himself that way.  When he passes out, his body will automatically start breathing since he can no longer consciously not breathe.

Answer 3

Ah the ol' hold the breath until you pass out thing.  My sister was notorious for that!  She would do it when she wanted her way and my parents told her No.  They didn't give into it, but she did go to the doctor to make sure everything was ok, and it was.  

It's done to manipulate.  It's not normally a medical problem, but it would be a good idea to mention it to his pediatrician since you say he's done it from birth.  If the doctor says he's ok, then I wouldn't worry about it.  When he does this, make sure he's in a place where he will not hit his head or fall if he does black out.  It's a stage that he will eventually outgrow.  When he passes out, his body will naturally start breathing again on it's own because he is no longer willfully holding his breath.  The brain begins to suffer from oxygen deprivation after about 5 minutes and believe me he will begin to breathe again on his own before that time is reached if he's simply passing out from holding his own breath.

Tell him when he starts to get upset to use his big boy words to tell you how he's feeling.  It will help him to learn how to communicate in other ways than screaming and passing out.  When my two year old starts to throw a tantrum or starts whining, I tell him to use his words and he stops and says what it is what is upsetting him (most of the time, lol).  He's still learning as your son is still learning.  :)

Answer 4

My niece use to do the same thing. It can be so scary but my sisters doctor reassured her she was fine and she was. She stopped doing it at close to 3. I would mention it to your doctor and see what they say. It is similar behavior to the kids who make themselves puke when they are having a fit. Both fairly common, though passing out is more frightening than the puking. I remember the first time I was holding her and she did it, it scared the c**p out of me, but she was fine.

Edit:  I would talk to your doctor, but I just wanted to add her lips would turn purple as well and she is now 18 and has no brain damage from this behavior.

Answer 5

Mention this to your pediatrician.  It is not safe and could signify a larger issue.  When he is holding his breath he is depriving himself of oxygen, this can cause him to go unconscious (passing out), it can also cause brain damage from lack of oxygen or even death if he is without oxygen too long.  Seek guidance from a trained professional.

Answer 6

OMG! I have never heard of a kid doing that! I would have called 911

Answer 7

My grandma said that my uncle would hold his breath until he passed out if he got upset about something. She asked the dr about it - he said, don't worry. Try to make sure he doesn't fall anywhere he could get hurt. Other than that ignore the behavoir. He'll learn that he's not getting a reponse from his actions, and eventually he'll quit.

Answer 8

this is by far normal.... my 2 year old also has tantrumsms and throws stops and the usual hissy fit thing... but never has he blacked out..I'mim concerned that his lips change color  too.. id go to your g.p for a second opinion and demand to be referred to a specialist .I'm no g.p but I'm sure this is not normal... hope you get help for him soon x

Answer 9

I'd mention it to the doctor just in case something is wrong. My daughter used to do this sort of, I'd look like she got stalled or something when she'd get too happy or excited about something. She kept doing it until she was about 3 and a half years old.