Comportement de l’enfant atteint de spasme du sanglot. Étude transversale

Abstract

The behavior of children with breath holding spells has been the subject of few studies. This study was conducted with the aim to study spells, the child behavior described by his mother and noted by direct observation of the child affected by breath holding spells. Materials and methods The study is cross sectional, descriptive and analytical occurring from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2008. The sample consisted of 32 children younger than three years, with severe breath holding spells, recruited from pediatric consultations and sent to the child psychiatrist. The duration of interviews was one hour. The data relating to the type of spasm and the characteristics of the child were collected over a predetermined form after viewing the filmed interview. The difficult temperament has been studied with reference of Thomas and Chess types. The analytical study was conducted to find a particular behavioral profile according to form spasm types, age and child's gender. Results Through the discourse of mothers, characteristics of children with breath-holding spells have been reported. These children had a difficult temperament in 78.13% of cases. They were angry in 82.14% of cases, emotional in 50% and had difficulties to be consolated in 64.29% of cases. Some of these data were confirmed by direct observation. Thus, children had expressed without any frustration a tension state or anger in 56.24% and they react to frustration by a state of anger in 56.37% of cases. Moreover, the children were active or hyperactive in 75% of cases. The study of the child's behavior according to the spasm type showed a significant association of the type with the “tyrannical” and “angry”, and the pale form with “emotional”, “passive” and “fearful” lines. Conclusion The results of this study suggest the existence of constitutional factors in the origin of extreme behavior that would promote breath holding spells by entanglement with environmental factors.