Child Fainting - Vagus Nerve Response

Updated on January 31, 2012
K.H. asks from Merrimack, NH
6 answers

Hi All,

Recently my 3 year old daughter fell while playing at an indoor playground. She sort of slid to the ground off of an inflatable slide. I went to get her b/c I could see that she fell, but I didn't think anything serious had happened. However, when I picked up my child her mouth froze like a yawn and her eyes rolled back into her head. I placed her in a prone position and my nurse friend and I tried to get my child to regain consciousness. Then she sat up on her own and seemed fine. Another friend called 911 while my daughter was unconscious. She was evaluated by EMTs and taken to the hospital where they determined that she must have had the wind knocked out of her and fainted as a vagus nerve response. The doctors gave me the impression that this wasn't a big deal, but it was very scary to me! Has anyone else experienced this with a child and was it a one time deal or did it happen again from future injuries? I am going to follow up with the pediatrician, but I was looking for some real life experiences as well.

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V.C.

answers from Dallas on

My FIL had this problem, as well as my husband and one son. If it is the vagus nerve, it is a blood pressure issue.Their BPs are different depending upon whether they are standing, sitting or lying down.
The doctor can measure her bp in these positions. There is also something called a tilt test to determine if it is just bp and not a heart issue.
Make sure she stays hydrated and gets plenty of salt. The condition i not serious, but passing out and hitting your head is. Hopefully, this is a one time thing and won't happen again.

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

I have 4 kids and 4 grandkids and I never had this happen. My son when he was about 12 triped and fell backward over his own 2 feet. Even though he landed in the soft mulch stuff around a swing set at the park he still had a concussion. He came home and I could see by looking at him something wasn't right. He told me what happened and just wanted to lay down for a few minutes on the couch. We were about to eat dinner and I said okay lie down and rest. Winthin about 15 minutes he started throwing up--so I knew head injury.
It was a crazy night my daughter was also sick and I had called the doctor for advice and when he called back I explained what was going on and he said bring her in I'll meet you at the ER and I said well hold on and I told him about my son and he said I will see all 3 of you at the ER.

As a Mom you know when something isn't right with your child. I would be calling her ped right away and asking questions. She may have had the wind knocked out her.. It happened to me when I was little but I didn't faint.

Is she acting different? Is she eating and sleeping about the same? Any vomiting or nausa?

A person can get a concussion even if they don't hit their head. The brain is in a liquid and can slosh inside the skull and bruise itself by hitting the skull. (I hope that wasn't graphic or gross)

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H.G.

answers from New York on

My daughter fainted at her allergist's office a few minutes after having 11 (yes, 11) injections in her upper arm to test for several allergies. My daughter is not afraid of needles, doctors or procedures. The PAIN associated with 11 injections was just too much for her and she did almost exactly what your daughter did. Thank God I was standing next to her as she would have fallen off the exam table. She came to in what seemed like forever, but was actually maybe 30-40 seconds. The doctor rushed in and raised her legs and lowered her head. She was perfectly fine within 10 minutes. Me, not so much.

I later learned about the vegus nerve response. I now know that it's a possibility that my daughter may faint from pain in the future. I've explained to her (she's now 12) that if she ever gets hurt in say, gym class, and feels like she's going to faint - she HAS to get down to the ground immediately. My daughter had maybe 15-20 seconds of warning before she fainted. She knew she didn't feel well.

If your daughter really did have the vagus response, teach her that fainting won't harm her (you still breathe, etc.) - but falling and hitting your head when you faint can be dangerous. Make sure that her school nurse and teachers are aware of this going forward.

I was prepared for my daughter to faint when she had her ears pierced recently. I'm happy to say that she did fine and didn't have any problems. Her initial passing out was WAY more scary for me than it was for her. I'm sure you'll agree that it was the same in your case.

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G.E.

answers from Hartford on

Okay, so my answer is definitely different than the others! My daughter started having "breath-holding spells" when she was only about 6 months old. They always happened in association with her getting hurt, and as she got older if she was REALLY upset about something. The first time it happened was exactly as you described with your daughter. How long was your daughter unconscious? That might be the only difference. The longest my daughter was ever "out" was maybe 10 seconds. I freaked out as well and took her to pedi who explained breath holding spells and after an exam determined this is what it was. Never mentioned vagus nerve but once I was told what it was I found out that I had a couple of friends who had children who experienced it. Now that Grace is older (she's 3 as well) they are very rare occurrences and I handle them MUCH better than I used to! I'd be happy to chat with you more but have to get to work. Let me know if you have more questions.

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J.K.

answers from Phoenix on

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

I used to faint during every blood draw. When I was 17 I was getting my shots updated for college and woke up with my face in an O2 mask. I'd done it again. I was so thankful that I didn't faint giving blood during my pregnancy or any time DD needed shots. I would follow up, but if she was evaluated and it doesn't happen often, just keep an eye on it.

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