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My 2.5 Year old son holds his breath while breathing??
My son is 2 1/2 and he holds his breath while he breathes, with I would say 90% of the breaths he takes, why?? He inhales, holds his breath, lets it out, takes a deep breath (because he held it for so long previously) then lets that one out, inhales and holds his breath again... it annoys me so much! He does it during normal moods, not while he is upset or in any kind of 'mood'.... sitting on the sofa watching TV he does it, in bed while Im laying with him to go to sleep at night he does it. not really while he is playing (too busy) more when he is sitting, watching TV.... has anyone ever heard of such a thing? He has been doing it for a long time, I would say since I can remember... is it a habit??
Thank you so much for your post! I've been going crazy for years looking for an explanation; my 5 yo son has been having breathing problems ever since I can remember - holding his breath, breathing through his mouth, puffing; I feel bad, it looks so unhealthy - and it's annoying; He also has a little underbite and speech/articulation problems - and I think it's all related;
He was evaluated by ENT 2 years ago - who stated my son would grow out of it; orthodontist said the same thing - recommending that we follow up when he has permanent teeth and explain his jaws still form and can change;
I think it's time to get a second opinion and see another ENT and have them take a closer look at his tonsils;
He was evaluated by ENT 2 years ago - who stated my son would grow out of it; orthodontist said the same thing - recommending that we follow up when he has permanent teeth and explain his jaws still form and can change;
I think it's time to get a second opinion and see another ENT and have them take a closer look at his tonsils;
Hi, my 3rd old daughter does the exact same thing. She was diagnosed with autism. I asked several doctor's why and many believe it's a neurological stimulating effect for them. Many autisic kids are highly sensitive to touch, sounds etc...the breath holding and releasing is oddly soothing to them.
I drives me crazy!! I worry about her heart rate, blood pressure but she does it at her most relaxed stage. one dr said it's like getting high, not the best example but I see the relationship to the feeling she gets. I hope this helps alittle.
I drives me crazy!! I worry about her heart rate, blood pressure but she does it at her most relaxed stage. one dr said it's like getting high, not the best example but I see the relationship to the feeling she gets. I hope this helps alittle.
I have a 3yr old son who has been doing this for over 2 weeks now. He has been doing this when he is watching TV, right before sleeping, or when he sits in the car seat. Sometimes he even does this while eating too. We recorded the sounds that he was making (like grunting while exhaling) and took it to our pediatrician. Hearing that, the doctor mentioned that it might be related to allergies and recommended using one spray of Flonase in each nostril for a month and see the pattern. He mentioned it might be due to either allergies or adenoids and monitor him for a few days. If in a month there is no change, he said we would need to get an x-ray done to see if the adenoids have been affected.
It is definitely hard to see our kids go through breathing difficulties but I would advice you to record this when you kid does it as it would be easy for your doctor to see the pattern. I will keep you posted on how things go.
It is definitely hard to see our kids go through breathing difficulties but I would advice you to record this when you kid does it as it would be easy for your doctor to see the pattern. I will keep you posted on how things go.
I may have found an answer. My son is a little over three and has this too. Seems like the best answer I can find in not trusting in a primary care Dr. and requesting a referral to an ENT (please read below someone got an this diagnosed). I am also in the medical field and there is nothing more dangerous then airway complication. For Everyone looking for an answer this is the best that I have found. My question is how is you child's sleep patterns. My son wakes frequently during the night and yells for Mom or Dad. This may be linked to him waking himself while having a little trouble breathing or sleep apnea. Hope it helps.
Question
My 3 yo holds his breath throughout the day. He'll breathe in (short), hold it for 3-7 seconds, then breathe out (short) and repeat that frequently. He does this when he's awake, but probably not conscious of what he's doing, like when he's watching TV. At night, when he's asleep, he doesn't hold his breath at all, he breathes normally, though his breathing seems a little short. Could this be related to asthma? We're scheduled to take him in to a breathing specialist to get it checked out in the next few weeks, but I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this before.
Answer
I'm the original poster. Nobody gave an answer that covers what turned out to be the actual cause, so I'm posting this answer to bring closure to this question. Hopefully this will be useful to anybody who is experiencing the same issue with their child.
It turns out that the cause of the breath holding was due to swollen tonsils and adenoids. The enlarged tissues around the airway was causing our son to not be able to get enough air, which caused him to constantly take short breaths and hold them as a way to compensate. It was also causing him to have sleep apnea. (Note: In the original question, I said there were no breathing issues at night when he was asleep. I was wrong. We just weren't observing long enough and at the right times.)
We took him to an ENT specialist / surgeon who said that the best option was just to remove them, because they were so swollen. After having his tonsils and adenoids removed, his breath-holding and sleep apnea went away, almost immediately.
Question
My 3 yo holds his breath throughout the day. He'll breathe in (short), hold it for 3-7 seconds, then breathe out (short) and repeat that frequently. He does this when he's awake, but probably not conscious of what he's doing, like when he's watching TV. At night, when he's asleep, he doesn't hold his breath at all, he breathes normally, though his breathing seems a little short. Could this be related to asthma? We're scheduled to take him in to a breathing specialist to get it checked out in the next few weeks, but I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this before.
Answer
I'm the original poster. Nobody gave an answer that covers what turned out to be the actual cause, so I'm posting this answer to bring closure to this question. Hopefully this will be useful to anybody who is experiencing the same issue with their child.
It turns out that the cause of the breath holding was due to swollen tonsils and adenoids. The enlarged tissues around the airway was causing our son to not be able to get enough air, which caused him to constantly take short breaths and hold them as a way to compensate. It was also causing him to have sleep apnea. (Note: In the original question, I said there were no breathing issues at night when he was asleep. I was wrong. We just weren't observing long enough and at the right times.)
We took him to an ENT specialist / surgeon who said that the best option was just to remove them, because they were so swollen. After having his tonsils and adenoids removed, his breath-holding and sleep apnea went away, almost immediately.
I may have found an answer. My son is a little over three and has this too. Seems like the best answer I can find in not trusting in a primary care Dr. and requesting a referral to an ENT (please read below someone got an this diagnosed). I am also in the medical field and there is nothing more dangerous then airway complication. For Everyone looking for an answer this is the best that I have found. My question is how is you child's sleep patterns. My son wakes frequently during the night and yells for Mom or Dad. This may be linked to him waking himself while having a little trouble breathing or sleep apnea. Hope it helps.
Question
My 3 yo holds his breath throughout the day. He'll breathe in (short), hold it for 3-7 seconds, then breathe out (short) and repeat that frequently. He does this when he's awake, but probably not conscious of what he's doing, like when he's watching TV. At night, when he's asleep, he doesn't hold his breath at all, he breathes normally, though his breathing seems a little short. Could this be related to asthma? We're scheduled to take him in to a breathing specialist to get it checked out in the next few weeks, but I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this before.
Answer
I'm the original poster. Nobody gave an answer that covers what turned out to be the actual cause, so I'm posting this answer to bring closure to this question. Hopefully this will be useful to anybody who is experiencing the same issue with their child.
It turns out that the cause of the breath holding was due to swollen tonsils and adenoids. The enlarged tissues around the airway was causing our son to not be able to get enough air, which caused him to constantly take short breaths and hold them as a way to compensate. It was also causing him to have sleep apnea. (Note: In the original question, I said there were no breathing issues at night when he was asleep. I was wrong. We just weren't observing long enough and at the right times.)
We took him to an ENT specialist / surgeon who said that the best option was just to remove them, because they were so swollen. After having his tonsils and adenoids removed, his breath-holding and sleep apnea went away, almost immediately.
Question
My 3 yo holds his breath throughout the day. He'll breathe in (short), hold it for 3-7 seconds, then breathe out (short) and repeat that frequently. He does this when he's awake, but probably not conscious of what he's doing, like when he's watching TV. At night, when he's asleep, he doesn't hold his breath at all, he breathes normally, though his breathing seems a little short. Could this be related to asthma? We're scheduled to take him in to a breathing specialist to get it checked out in the next few weeks, but I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this before.
Answer
I'm the original poster. Nobody gave an answer that covers what turned out to be the actual cause, so I'm posting this answer to bring closure to this question. Hopefully this will be useful to anybody who is experiencing the same issue with their child.
It turns out that the cause of the breath holding was due to swollen tonsils and adenoids. The enlarged tissues around the airway was causing our son to not be able to get enough air, which caused him to constantly take short breaths and hold them as a way to compensate. It was also causing him to have sleep apnea. (Note: In the original question, I said there were no breathing issues at night when he was asleep. I was wrong. We just weren't observing long enough and at the right times.)
We took him to an ENT specialist / surgeon who said that the best option was just to remove them, because they were so swollen. After having his tonsils and adenoids removed, his breath-holding and sleep apnea went away, almost immediately.
My 2.5 year daughter does this and also gets nose bleeds a bit. I know you posted this a couple of years ago and was just wondering if you got any new information on this. Thanks!
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