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Behaviours That Often Occur With Breath-Holding Spells
Breath-holding spells often occur alongside iron deficiency, a sensitive temperament, brief fainting with stiffening or limpness, and a family history, and are usually triggered by sudden upset, pain or fright. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
In this answer 5 sections
When your little one suddenly holds their breath, goes quiet and limp, then bounces back — it's frightening to watch, yet these spells rarely travel alone.
In short
Breath-holding spells often come with a small cluster of other behaviours rather than appearing in isolation. The most common companions are iron deficiency or anaemia, a strong-willed or sensitive temperament, brief fainting-type events, and a tendency for the spells to follow sudden upset, pain, fear or frustration. They typically begin between 6 months and 2 years and most children outgrow them by around 5–6 years. They are not tantrums your child controls, and they are not epilepsy.
What often occurs alongside
- Iron deficiency or low iron stores — frequently linked to breath-holding, especially the blue (cyanotic) type. Correcting iron, when a doctor confirms it is low, can reduce how often spells happen.
- A trigger of strong emotion or pain — a sudden fall, fright, anger or frustration usually sets a spell off. The crying stops, breath is held, and the colour change follows.
- Two patterns of spell — the blue (cyanotic) type after upset or frustration, and the pale (pallid) type after a sudden bump, pain or shock. Some children have both.
- Brief stiffening, limpness or a few jerks — during a longer spell a child may briefly stiffen, go floppy or twitch as they faint. This is the body's response to the brief drop in oxygen or heart rate, not a seizure disorder.
- A sensitive, spirited or determined temperament — many children who hold their breath are emotionally expressive and feel things strongly.
- A family history — breath-holding spells often run in families, so a parent may have had them too.
- Quick, full recovery — within a minute the child resumes breathing, colour returns, and they are soon themselves again, perhaps tired or clingy.
When to seek a check
See your doctor promptly if the spells start before 6 months or continue past 6 years, if recovery is slow, if jerking lasts well beyond the faint, if your child is pale and tired between spells, or if you are simply unsure whether what you are seeing is a breath-holding spell. A doctor can check iron levels and, where needed, the heart and rule out seizures. Any blue or grey colour that does not quickly resolve, or breathing that does not restart, is an emergency.
The Pinnacle way
This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. If spells are upsetting your family or you'd like reassurance about your child's overall development, a developmental check and our emotional and behavioural support can help you feel confident again. Explore more on child development at Pinnacle.
Trusted sources
American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) parent guidance on breath-holding spells; NICE guidance on the assessment of faints and funny turns in children; WHO healthy-childhood resources.
Next step — Worried about your child's spells or development? Book a reassuring assessment with a Pinnacle clinician.
CONNECT THE ANSWER TO YOUR CHILD’S DAY
Something to notice. Something to discuss.
What to notice
Watch for spells before 6 months or past 6 years, slow recovery, pale and tired appearance between spells, prolonged jerking after the faint, or any blue or grey colour that does not quickly resolve — which is an emergency.
In everyday life
Stay calm during a spell — lay your child flat on their side, keep them safe from knocks, and don't shake or splash them; most spells end on their own within a minute.
Bring your observations and questions to your child’s professional. Choose activities that suit your child’s comfort, abilities and agreed plan.
Bring your questions to a first visitQuestions families ask
Are breath-holding spells the same as a tantrum?
No. A child cannot control or plan a breath-holding spell — it is an involuntary reflex triggered by sudden upset, pain or fright, unlike a tantrum your child can choose to stop.
Is low iron really linked to breath-holding spells?
Yes, iron deficiency is commonly associated, especially with the blue type of spell. If a doctor confirms iron is low, correcting it can reduce how often spells happen.
Could a breath-holding spell be a seizure?
Breath-holding spells are not epilepsy, though a longer spell may include brief stiffening or jerking as the child faints. If you are unsure, your doctor can examine your child and rule out seizures.
FOLLOW THE SOURCE
References behind this answer.
- Organisation website · further readingAAP HealthyChildren.org — breath-holding spells guidance for parents
- Organisation website · further readingNICE — assessment of faints and funny turns in children
- Organisation website · further readingWHO — healthy childhood development resources
References are supplied with this answer. An organisation homepage offers further reading; it does not establish an independent review of this page.
Content attribution: SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network.
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