Question
A little girl, about 8 months old, sometimes loses consciousness while crying and quickly regains consciousness, but her voice remains hoarse. This condition has persisted for about two years, and now she is beginning to speak, but her voice is still hoarse. I’m worried it’s a consequence of excessive crying in the past. Is there a serious problem with this situation?
Answer
Pediatric apnea is not an uncommon condition and is a manifestation of child hysteria, typically occurring in children aged 6 months to 3 years. It usually occurs when children are emotionally upset or scared. When a child holds their breath, they temporarily stop breathing, leading to obvious symptoms of hypoxia. Hypoxia then causes temporary loss of brain function, resulting in loss of consciousness, convulsions of limbs, and incontinence of urine and feces. This is a neuroreflexive respiratory pause, so breathing can be restored under the stimulation of hypoxia and carbon dioxide, or by gently touching the child’s Stomach 36 (Conception Vessel) point. To prevent pediatric apnea, the key is to start with educating the child. You should neither scold nor threaten the child nor always cater to their unreasonable demands. Don’t be afraid to educate or provoke the child just because they have apnea. Actively guide the child to interact more with other children, cultivate their sense of sharing, help them develop an open and optimistic personality, overcome their egocentric thoughts, and fundamentally prevent the occurrence of pediatric apnea. If apnea occurs, parents do not need to panic. Let the child lie quietly on their back, loosen their clothing, and gently press on the Stomach 36 point to alleviate the symptoms.