Breath holding spells: evaluation of autonomic nervous system function.

This study attempted to determine noninvasively whether a dysregulation of autonomic reflexes exists in children with breath holding spells (BHS). Fifty children between 13 to 47 months of age who had experienced BHS were evaluated at a time when they stopped having spells, for autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. The results were compared with the test results of control group of 100 normal children (age and sex matched). Breath holding children displayed significantly high resting heart rate and resting diastolic BP significantly abnormal; 30: 15 RR ratio after rising from supine to standing position; showed significant hypersensitivity of pupil on instillation of 0.125 percent pilocarpine into conjunctival sac and positive Orthostatic signs when compared to control group. This study correlates with the hypothesis that a subtle underlying generalized autonomic dysfunction exists in children with BHS.