ok so im not sure that my ? went though im baby sitting for my sister her little boy now that she is back to work. i noticed he stops breathing when he is asleep and sometimes when hes awake. i talked with my sister and she talked to her doc he said nothing is wrong if its not more than 20sec. what do u all think should she call another doctor or what . in an 8 hr time that i had him he stop at least 4 times. then gasps and starts to breath again i just dont feel this is normal thanks for your help.
thank you everyone. i read my sister your post and she called the doc again. also she started to count how many times he was stoping and how long. now that it was brought to her she relized it happens alot. so the doctoer is going to do some test not really sure what yet but its supposed to be soon. thank you all so much for your help. it helps alot to have other thinking what i did my sis kinda just thought its a doctor and he says nothing wrong then nothing wrong. dotors arent always right we will see.
That is most likely sleep apnea. It can be extremely serious, and sometimes not. Get a second opinion asap.
The 20 sec thing, even if that isn't long enough to suffocate the baby, it still impacts his day to day activities and there are other health issues it can affect as well, such as weight.
I'm scared for you! I would definitely be calling another doctor. I wouldn't take that lightly at all.... doesn't sound normal. Good luck and hope baby is ok.
Document your observations and tell you sister. Let her take your documentation (keep a copy) to the doctor. Tell her to tell the doctor that she is very concerned and ask if there is a test of something that you can have done to be sure he is ok and doesn't have a more serious problem. If he doesn't take action, have your sister contact another doctor.
Infants can have sleep apnea too, and if it were one of my children, I would definetly get a second opinion just to make sure. Thats got to be a scary situation for the caregivers and probably the infant also! I personally haven't experienced anything like this with my children, but I would make sure the baby is okay!
If my pediatrician told me that it was normal to stop breathing I'd be looking for a new pediatrician ASAP!!!! Please tell your sister she should consult a new pediatrician.
wow i would go to a different dr for advice that is scary especially when hes so young id call a different dr right away you dont want nothing to happen to that precious child!
You sound very observant, M.. It's fairly common for babies to experience "periodic breathing" and stop breathing for 5-20 seconds at a time. If it runs longer than 20 seconds, it's a stronger concern. Have you actually timed these episodes with a watch? When something anxiety-producing is happening, time can seem much longer that it actually is.
More importantly, does the baby turn blue or go limp while he's doing this? You'd be most likely to notice limpness while he's awake. Pink or even a little purple in the face is considered "normal" during these episodes. If he spontaneously starts breathing again before he turns blue, pediatricians do usually say that's "normal." There's not too much they can check besides taking an X-ray, and usually won't do more invasive testing unless there is clearly a problem with very long episodes or the child turning blue and pulse slowing down.
As a person who is sometimes plagued by central apnea (a failure of the body to breathe itself normally), I've done a great deal of research on this topic over the years. Unless the baby is overweight, or has some structural problem (friends of mine had a baby whose tongue was too big for her mouth for her first two years, and struggled with obstructive apnea), he probably has mild, normal central apnea or periodic breathing.
You might want to make an effort to be sure the air this little guy breathes is free of any perfumes or other chemicals. In my own case, my central apnea is triggered by common chemicals that I inhale. Perfume, air fresheners, fabric softeners, scented candles, and many common household cleaners have toxic ingredients, and I have to stay away from them. If I get exposed, my blood chemistry changes and my body doesn't know when it needs oxygen. I can have these episodes even while awake – I just start feeling woozy and realize I'm not breathing. I can deliberately breathe while awake, but it's impossible to sleep when I get this.
I would get a second opinion!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok some of the posts say its normal and perhaps it is. None of my three experienced this...To avoid the risk of SIDS I would rule out any breathing abnormalities/illness etc...A baby should not have to gasp for breath that to me is not a good sign....
does he also struggle to breathe, have mucous in the lungs, or any other concerns? I watched a child once that was having severe respiratory issues, but not when the parents were around so they thought i was nuts, finally it happened to them and they found out he was allergic to a bunch of stuff. now i assume this 7 week old isnt eating any solid food but it could be something mama is eating of in the formula....i dont know, but i would go with my instinct on this one....
I think your observations are valid, and another doctor should be talked to. There is a baby monitor that can help when he's in the crib, it alarms if all movement (breathing, etc) stops. http://www.angelcare-monitor.com/United-States/en/home
we got one after my cousin lost her baby to SIDS. It's available at Target and BabysRUs I think.
I think it is better to be safe than sorry! Have her get another opinion. I would be willing to ask my pediatrician. Better yet, have her call Childrens Memorial Hospital and see if she can get an appointment there.
I don't take risks with things like that. Maybe I am paranoid. I have had 4 children...a singleton and one set of triplets, not one of them had that problem!
That would scare me, your sis really needs a second opinion, my friends baby passed from infant death syndrome. You can't watch 24 hrs a day, get a monitor. Its better to be too cautious then to spend the rest of your life grieving. Please take care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My oldest daughter as an infant, who is 17 now, was sent home from the hospital with an apnea pad that went underneath her when she slept...an alarm went off whenever she stopped breathing for so many seconds. Extended apnea is not normal...i would definitely get a second opinion!
Definitely a second opinion and check out purchasing a baby breathing monitor.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=baby+breath...
It might be **less** than 20 seconds now while you are checking on him during naps and through the day, but what if the time span is longer at night when he's not being watched??
Since you are baby sitting, are you CPR certified? Do you know first aid in a worst case scenario? Many hospitals offer courses in infant CPR.
Doesn't sound normal to me. I'd get a second opinion.
That sounds exactly like what my daughter used to do. Like many other people have said, as long as it doesn't go past 20 seconds, and the baby doesn't turn blue he should be all right. My daughter grew out of it, I think by 8 or 10 weeks. Keep an eye and an ear out. You will hear the gasps of him starting breathing again. Don't panic, but keep it in the back of your mind.
My dd also used to stop breathing for absolutely no reason. I was also told it was normal every time i would take her or call the dr when it happened. Luckily, it did not last long as she grew out of it before she was 3 months old. Only one time did she actually turn blue, but i found that a moderate blowing in her face always seemed to snap her out of it. Too bad i didnt have such an easy remedy for me panicking every time it happened or becoming absolutley crazed & checking constantly if she was breathing! I agree with the drs that it probably is nothing they can explain & it just happens, and he should grow out of it soon. But I dont think that you should rest on your heels, just in case. A few days of checking on him wont hurt. Im sure you are already sleep deprived, so what will it hurt to do a few extra checks! ha ha I do agree w the other moms that you should write it down...how often and the duration, and still call the dr after every episode. Hopefully it will stop soon! Just keep a level head! It will soon pass!
