Breath holding spells, otherwise called as “Infantile syncope”, are well recognized, common clinical entity characteristically seen in infants and younger children aged 6 months to 5 years. Breath holding spells are nonepileptic paroxysmal event that occur in otherwise healthy children. The attacks are benign but may cause fearfulness and anxiety to parents, until the condition is “defused” by explanation and reassurance. The events are self limited and gradually disappear before child reaches 5 years of age. It is important to differentiate breath holding spells from epileptic seizures so that inappropriate treatment with antiepileptics can be avoided. To differentiate from closely resembling epilepsy, one hundred children with breath holding spells in this study, were examined electroencephalographically during sleep between the intervals of the spells. Our study found that all of the children in the study group had normal EEG findings except for one child, which showed slow waves but no epileptic form discharges. Hence it is concluded that EEG study in combination with detailed history and clinical observation is of value in differentiating breath holding spells from convulsive disorders.

Keywords: Breath Holding Spells; EEG; Children; South India.