Today my 4 month old daughter woke up from her nap with a weird high pitched cry. I went in and picked her up and after a few seconds I realized that she wasn't moving and had her head on my chest. I held her up to look at her and her head fell back. She was making sounds and crying, but couldn't move her arms and legs and had her eyes open, but clearly could not see me. I took her to the hospital thinking it was a febrile seizure, because my older son use to have them all the time and that's what it reminded me of. They said it wasn't a febrile seizure because she had no fever. She was completely back to herself by the time we got to the hospital. They said she looked fine and gave me the option to take her into my regular doctor and so that is what I'm doing. She has been fine the rest of the day. Has anyone experienced this? And, she is getting over a cold, but not a bad one at all and she has had no shots or any medications. I'm so lost!
So, I went to the doc today, and he was pretty sure that she had a breath holding spell. At first I thought it was not accurate, but then when he described it, I felt like that was what happened. I'm thankful it is nothing serious. Thanks everyone!
My daughter gets pallid breath holding spells. She gets upset, screams out then passes out. Pretty much how you described.
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/tc/breath-holding-spells-t...
If it happens again, definitely video tape the behavior.
To me it sounds like a REM sleep cycle was disrupted. The brain stem paralyzes the body during REM sleep, but the the brain is firing away like crazy, so sounds can be emitted, limbs would be sluggish or lifeless. And once she fully awakes, she's totally fine.
What I would be watchful of is if she develops a sleep problem or disorder. Or if this was just an overtired, getting over a cold, one time incident.
Keep a watchful eye for a few days and make sure she returns to normal sleep patterns.
There are other kinds of seizures. If it happens again, try to get a bit on video. I prayed for both of you.
Was your daughter still in a dream state?
My friend's daughter did something similar at about 18 months. It turned out she had a stroke. The local hospital was able to determine it was a stroke but by the time they transferred her to Children's Hospital she had fully recovered an her paralysis was gone. The doctors said because of her young age another part of her brain that was not damaged picked up the lost skills.
Please please if you see her make any strange movements get her to doctor quickly. Try to video tape.
Y friends grandson started doing similar things at 5 mos. thank Hod it was caught. Horrifying year, heavy meds and brain surgery. He is now cured, beautiful, healthy 21 month old wild guy lol. He was having seizures. Not saying this is the case for you, just don't assume breath holding if it happens again. I really can't imagine a 4 month old holding breath. Personally, I would not take that answer. I would get to pediatric neurologist. Better to be safe.
My daughter did something similar around a few months old. Turned out to be reflux and she was aspirating. TERRIBLY SCARY! It happened a handful of times, always early morning, always about an hour after nursing and going back to bed. Medication fixed it and she outgrew the need for meds before a year old. For her, she would stop breathing for just a few seconds (which felt like a lifetime) followed by high pitched intense screaming, panicked eyes, and flailing uncontrollable arms. My pediatrician told me that had I taken her to an ER with my description of what happened they would have admitted her.
I wish I had a perfectly good answer for you, but I don't. I will however pray and hope that everything turns out okay. Please emphasis with your Doctor, how you son has suffered from febrile seizures and be sure not to leave without a definitive diagnosis. My prayers are with you. God Bless.
oh my goodness, so sorry. if it happens again maybe you should request a sleep study or EEG just to make sure she isn't having another type of seizure. Best of luck!
Maybe like a crazy dream? I have heard of people having dreams and not being able to move and weird stuff like that, so maybe that can happen to a little one? I know my husband shouts out in his sleep sometimes, like clear words etc, he has talked to me before, he never remembers any of it. So hopefully it was just some random thing. Wish you the best, glad she is doing good now!
