Breath holding spell

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No treatment is usually necessary and affected children outgrow the behavior.  If iron deficiency is found, iron replacement should be started.

This condition normally goes away without treatment before the child is 2 years old.

Breath holding may be mistaken for seizures, and seizures may be mistaken for breath holding, so be sure to have your child evaluated by a physician.

Call your health care provider if your child exhibits breath holding behaviors, especially if this is a new behavior for the child or if the child does this frequently.

Review Date: 12/01/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.