How long does a breath-holding spell typically last?

Breath-holding spells are episodes where a child voluntarily or involuntarily holds their breath, often in response to a strong emotion, such as frustration, anger, or fear. The duration of a typical breath-holding spell is usually up to one minute. During these episodes, the child's body may respond with changes like a slowing heart rate or paleness, which are usually not harmful and resolve on their own.

Understanding the typical duration helps caregivers appropriately respond and reassure themselves that these spells, while alarming, are generally not indicative of severe underlying health issues. Other options suggested durations that exceed what is typical for breath-holding spells, which is why they do not align with the medical understanding of these events. Longer durations might raise concerns for other medical conditions, and spells lasting several minutes or five minutes would be atypical and possibly warrant different evaluation.