Breath-holding spell

Under cramps affect refers to a exaggeration of affective ( emotional ) reactions, which can not be controlled by the person himself and express itself in wine, laughing or screaming fits.

Especially in children between 1 and 5 years of age, it can affect respiratory spasms (English: breath holding spells or affective respiratory spasms ) are the so-called Wutkrämpfen. These are emotional spasms, starting evolve from a minimum trigger stimulus such as fright, pain or discomfort on a screaming fit, holding the breath, cyanosis and fatigue to the point of unconsciousness. This type of attacks can get up in the school age child for a longer time and are starting from an emotionally induced hyperventilation also very rarely observed in adults. The dramatic symptoms usually disappear after exhaustion or a deep inhalation.

So far, no reliable organic or psychological causes of cramps are determined affect the child. An increased proportion of mothers seems to be suffering from iron deficiency anemia, an etiologic relationship is unclear. Also clusters within families could be observed. When suspected respiratory spasms affect the presence of syncope is to exclude other causes, particularly epileptic forms, respiratory diseases or heart.

In severe cases that are associated with a slowing of the heart beat (bradycardia ), treatment of possible cardiac cause was tested with a pacemaker.