AboutBill Russo Expertise My wife and I have successfully raised our triplets using volumes of self help and instructional books, but most of our success has come from within. We have been married since 1979. After 10 years of infertility (which was an education in and of itself) we have been students of high risk pregnancy, neonatal intensive care, nursery organizational skills, potty training, discipline, schooling, and most recently, Attention Deficit Disorder. We have lived in a city setting and rural suburb. We have had hired help and have done it alone. What I offer to you is the knowledge we have accumulated over the years.
Experience
Past/Present clients I have had questions from dozens of parents of multiples in eleven countries.
Question I have fraternal twin 9 mo old boys conceived naturally.
They were born 3 hours apart vaginally. The younger one cries, holds his breath, then passes out and comes to immediately.
He has been tested for everything and nothing seems to be wrong.
This past week his brother was a the Grandparents house and the younger twin while alone with his parents did not cry and pass out at all. Within an hour of the older twins' return home the younger one cried and passed out and has been doing it again ever since. I have come to the conclusion that he is jealous of the other sibling. We try to give them equal attention etc.
Any suggestions?
Answer First of all, let me apologize for the delay in answering your question. The system that notifies me failed to do so.
Your problem, though rare, is not unheard of. I have had letters from several parents coping with their young children holding their breath. In every case, it turned out to be simply a behavioral problem that we were able to work through. At only nine months, there isn't much you can do besides ignoring the behavior so as not to reinforce it. By no means should you ignore your other son, rather, show him affection as a response to the breath-holding. Children use crying as an attention getting device. It is their only way of communicating at that young age. Keep a watchful eye for more destructive behavior as your son passes his first birthday. If he intentionally hurts himself or his brother, there may be deeper rooted problems that would be best diagnosed by a professional.
