October 2, 2024 10:48 am
Affective spasms are brief episodes of apnea triggered by an emotional reaction in very young children. The symptoms can easily cause concern for parents but, as explained by pediatrician Sandra Trapani to Fanpage.it, similar crises are harmless and do not have consequences for the health of children.
Interview with Sandra Trapani
Pediatrician AOU Best
During a moment of particular emotional stress it may happen that a child, taken by an inconsolable crying fityou start to change color, stop breathing and, after a few seconds, even end up briefly losing consciousness. Similar events are called affective spasms and despite the fear and dismay that they may arouse (especially the first few times), it is not a particularly dangerous condition.
“Affective spasms are involuntary episodes that affect children between 6 and 18 months, but can also occur up to 4-5 years” he explains to Fanpage.it Sandra Trapani, pediatrician in charge of the department at the Meyer hospital in Florence.
“These events are not that rare, as they involve approximately 5% of the pediatric population and are triggered by intense emotional stress, such as a strong fright o a moment of frustration given by a reproach”.
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How affective spasms manifest themselves
These manifestations, usually associated with a iron deficiencyfollow a well-defined pattern.
In fact, the typical sequence of an affective spasm begins with a triggering event that causes deep crying. This small crisis ends up altering the child’s breathing, which may hold their breath until apnea develops.
“This freediving ends up changing the color of the baby’s skinwhich usually turns purple, cyanotichowever in rarer cases it can also take paler shades“.
At this point the child shows a brief loss of consciousness – usually lasting a few seconds, a minute at most – and when he recovers, everything ends without major consequences.
Sandra Trapani, pediatrician.
Types of affective spasms
As explained by the pediatrician, there are two types of events of this kind:
- Cyanotic affective spasms: They represent 85% of cases. “They are characterized by the purple discoloration of the face due to the apnea that follows a crying fit. These spasms often derive from an attack of anger or an emotional response to a reproach.”
- Pale affective spasms: Much rarer, they are characterized by less intense crying, followed by pallor and immediate loss of consciousness. “In some cases, convulsions and incontinence may appear, with a temporary slowing of the heart rate.” If the cyanotic spasms are an end in themselves, the pale ones usually deserve some further investigation by the pediatrician, who will prescribe specific tests to investigate the situation further.
Are affective spasms dangerous?
Seeing your child lose consciousness can make a parent very worried, however emotional spasms are harmless manifestations that they leave no residue once the sequence is completed.
How to recognize an affective spasm?
Sometimes these episodes can be confused with epileptic seizures. In fact, some symptoms (tremors, loss of consciousness) are very similar, yet there is a big difference that can help parents distinguish the various cases.
“The affective spasm is always triggered by a trigger emotional, a kind of trigger that starts the reaction when faced with a scare or a moment of strong stress. The epileptic spasm, however, can occur at any time, even during sleep, without there being any external condition causing the episode” underlines Trapani.
How to manage an affective spasm
When the child suffers an episode of apnea for the first time it is always good to take the precaution of going to the pediatrician and informing him about what happened.
“Self-diagnoses are never recommended. Then, if it really was an affective spasm, the doctor will be able to evaluate the situation and provide the necessary reassurance” says the expert.
Precisely due to its extemporaneous and unpredictable nature, however, there are no ways to prevent the crisis. At most, if it involves cyanotic spasms, it is possible to try to reduce the duration of the episode by applying a cold patch on the child’s forehead or by blowing lightly on his face. Once the crisis is over, it is then advisable to pick up the child and console him.
“Rather, it’s good to know what not to do during an affective spasm” concludes Trapani. “Myou have beer to the child or put objects in his mouth. Never shake it or massage it.”
Much better to stay calm and place him on his back or hold him in your arms to prevent falls and reassure him.
