A NOTE FROM GREG WALTERS . . .

This week we are turning our page over to a good friend of ours who recently experienced what she thought was a life threatening event to her daughter.

Thankfully, it was not. But it is important for young parents to be aware and to watch for the symptoms covered in the following story.

We see more and more young families moving into the Raytown area. Hopefully they will become aware of the following story and share it with others. So if you are a grandparent or a friend of someone who has toddlers please share this information with them.

What You Need to Know About Breath Holding Spells

We are sharing the following on our page this week for parents who have a child who does this — and, I’m also looking to hear your experiences with it. That first time is SO scary, and it’s crazy to think that something that is actually pretty benign can be so traumatizing if you don’t know what it is. If your kiddo has done this, how often do they have spells? When did they grow out of it? Would love to hear how it has affected you and your family!

1.  They can look like seizures, but they’re not. Read more on them here and talk to your child’s doctor, but breath holding spells can look a lot like a seizure, but they’re actually an involuntary response to a sudden event that changes their breathing pattern, heart rate, and blood pressure levels, which makes them faint. 

2.  They are very scary in the moment, but they don’t hurt your child. Expect in extremely rare cases, when they faint their body takes over and they start breathing automatically.

They don’t mean to do it. Again, it’s an involuntary response to something that upsets them like having something taken away, being frustrated, being told they can’t do something, etc.

They’re not uncommon. They happen in healthy kids. Some kids have them only once a year; others more often (even multiple times a day).

Breath holding skills are most common in 2-year-olds. So, most common in toddlers, who are the most prone to getting upset over random things.

Identify your child’s signs and triggers. For us, we know that when our daughter starts to “silent cry,” that we need to remind her to breathe and watch her very closely. But, it’s also helpful to pay attention to situations when your kiddo is most likely to become upset — AKA, when they’re hungry, tired, or simply want to do something they can’t do (for us, ours wants to watch the Disney Short “Lava” a LOT — and when she can’t … be aware!).

Have strategies in place. Remind them to breathe — and give them prompts like blowing bubbles or blowing out birthday candles. If they don’t respond to that, blow in their face. Sometimes this can shake them out of it. If they do faint, make sure the area is clear, have your phone on hand, and lie them on their side to maximize blood flow. If a breath holding spell lasts more than a minute, call 911. If it lasts more than three minutes, start CPR. (And, if you don’t know how to do CPR on a little one, get CPR certified.)

8.   Inform your caregivers ASAP. Describe the incident in writing, along with any relevant details for care including what triggered the spell, how they acted, and what caregivers should do.

Rule everything else out. Your pediatrician should talk to you about other possible underlying conditions like a family history of seizures, cardiac issues, etc. Make sure to get everything checked out, just in case.

Kids outgrow them. This is the best news of all! By the ages of 6 or 7, most kids grow out of breath holding spells. Whew!

Please forward your comments to www.fitbottomedgirls.com

Read more about breath holding spells on WebMD here.

A JOB WELL DONE . . . NEW GATES INSTALLED AT COLMAN PARK MAINTENANCE AREA.