Any Mothers with Infant Who Stopped Breathing or Had ALTE

Did they check for reflux? A similar thing happened to my son 2 days after he was born and when checking his heart they saw acid in his esophagus. The cardiologist explained that when acid enters the esophagus there is a drop in blood pressure and when the acid leaves the pressure returns to normal. Sure enough, other tests revealed severe reflux, which was then controlled by other means. Thankfully, he never had another episode however, as the other responder suggested, I took a CPR class which helped to make me feel more prepared. Best of luck and enjoy that little boy...

Maybe your doctor already told you this but some of the stuff I've learned recently regarding SIDS may be helpful - Make sure no one smokes around baby, especially not in your home. Sleeping on his stomache, researchers believe, can cause baby to rebreath his own expelled air giving him too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen, so make sure he's not wedging his face into the corner of his crib to sleep or having stuffed animals or blankets around his face.

All that and try not to let yourself get too anxious about things. The thought of losing a baby is terrifying but don't let it be your main focus so that you miss all the wonderful parts of being a new mom. I'll keep you in my prayers.

What a scary experience. Even as a nurse it would have unnerved me. ALTE is an acronym for an event that could be cause by anything. Croup, reflux, bronchiolitis and te list goes on. I would suggest having a thorough neurological and pulmonary work up on your son. they need to rule everything out. Secondly I would get certified in CPR. It often is a one time occurance. The Baby monitoring system is a good idea. There is also a system that places leads o the bay and its hooked up to a monitor that would alert you if the baby stopped breathing again. You have to get the info from your pediatrician or pulmonologist.
Good luck to you

I'm so sorry that must be horribly scary. I would get an angelcare monitor immediately. Even if the little one is in your room, just to make sure you are alerted immediately if it happens again.

We used them with our twins (just because of my paranoia), and it eased my nerves tremendously. It only went off when I'd take them out of their crib and forget to turn it off, or once or twice when they were in a weird part of the crib.

SO sorry it happened to you, to know CPR was a great advise, but you might want to get an Anglecare motion monitor. We used it all the time whe our second son was an infant.

Take an Infant CPR class at your local Red Cross.
My daughter had a similar problem on top of a heart condition and i felt relieved knowing CPR.
I know how stressful it is but it will get better and it will eventually stop
Good luck

That is so scary! We used the BabySense V Infant Movement monitor. You can get it online at babies r us. The pad goes under the crib maytress. It senses the tiniest movements including heart rate and breathing. A pediatric specialist at my school recommended it as being the best one. My husband had exactly what your son had when he was a baby and his parents took turns watching him through the night for months. I was concerned since they don't know why these things happened that it could be hereditary so I thought the monitor was the best. Luckily the only time it ever went off was when we took our son out without turning it off. Pacifiers can also help keep the sucking and breathing. Good luck! I hope this can help!

Hi R.,

I would search the web and double check him again. This sounds very serious, I don't mean to scare you anymore then you already are. But look up mistery diagnoses. I think that is how you spell it, I have seen the show. Maybe you could find something there. Good Luck! :) Keep us updated.

Hi R., how terrifying. My niece did the same thing three times. I still remember my sister-in-laws screams! It ended up being a reflux issue. She was started on a medication and all was fine. The medication is temporary until a sphincter matures (I think until she was 6-9months), I can't remember exactly how long she took the meds for, but can ask if you like. I hope you get the answers that you need and your little boy stays well!

My heart goes out to you. I empathize with how terrifying what you went through was. My daughter, now 9.5 months, had a grand mal seizure at 5 weeks old and stopped breathing for a minute and a half. She turned red, purple, blue, and then white. We might have lost her, but my husband knew infant CPR and was able to revive her. She is now on effective anti-seizure medication. That might be a direction to explore why your son stopped breathing. An EEG can monitor the brain waves to check for seizure activity. I could also recommend an awesome neurologist if you'd like. Just send me a message. Anyway, I'm all for the CPR training. It is your most effective weapon against that endangering him again.