Helping Your Child Manage Emotions to Prevent Fainting

When children faint, it’s rarely due to a serious health concern. But even though they’re healthy, up to 60% of kids who faint once will experience another episode. 

That’s why our team at THINK Neurology for Kids — Shaun S. Varghese, MD, Cristina R. Marchesano, MD, Lorena Herbert, MD, Barbara Kiersz-Mueller, DO, Lauren Weaver, MD, Alicia Walls, MD, Sundeep Mandava, MD, Patricia DeForest, DO, Robby Korah, FNP-C, Jennifer E. Martin, CPNP-PC, Tammy DeLaGarza, FNP-C, and Heather King, CPNP-PC — encourages you to schedule an evaluation after your child faints. Then, we work with you and your child to prevent recurrent episodes.

Why children faint

Fainting occurs when there’s a temporary drop in blood flow to the brain. In children, fainting is usually caused by vasovagal syncope, which is fainting that occurs in response to a trigger. The trigger stimulates the vagus nerve, causing a drop in blood pressure and reduced blood flow.

The most common triggers include:

• Strong emotions
• Dehydration
• Overheating
• Standing still for a long time
• Hyperventilating (breathing too fast)
• Sudden physical pain

Simple fainting (the common name for vasovagal syncope) seldom occurs in children younger than 6 years. However, children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years can pass out during a breath-holding spell.

How to manage fainting caused by emotions

Preventing vasovagal syncope involves avoiding triggers, recognizing warning signs, and learning strategies to calm strong emotions. 

Here are four steps parents can take to help their child:

1. Identify and discuss triggering emotions and events

Emotional triggers include anxiety, stress, fear, embarrassment, and extreme (happy) excitement.

The strong emotions that cause vasovagal syncope may occur in response to a specific event. For example, your child may black out if they:

• See blood (or see an injured person or animal)
• Experience something scary
• See someone vomit
• Face a stressful event (like going to the doctor or public speaking)
• Feel sudden pain

Most parents can only recognize triggers after their child faints for the first time.

2. Explain early warning signs and how to prevent fainting

Depending on their age, most children can learn the warning signs that they’re about to faint and then take steps to try to prevent a blackout.

The symptoms that may occur before fainting include:

• Dizziness
• Nauses
• Sweating
• Blurry vision
• Ringing in their ears
• Cold, damp skin
• Tingling fingers

Fainting occurs shortly after the warning signs appear, making it essential to teach children to quickly sit, lie down, or sit and put their head between their legs. Making a fist may also lower the chances of fainting. (Making a fist or tensing muscles helps raise blood pressure.)

3. Teach how to identify and express emotions

Teaching your child to identify and name emotions and encouraging them to express their feelings will empower them to recognize and prevent the strong emotions that trigger fainting.

The following techniques will put your child on the path to emotional well-being:

Name the feeling

Emotions can’t be managed until they’re identified. Use examples from your child’s favorite stories, movies, or TV shows, or use an emotion chart (also called feeling lists, charts, and wheels) to help them see, identify, and name their emotions.

Validate their feelings

When your child is emotional, label the feeling and accept it without judgment. Give them time to talk about their feelings and reassure them you understand.

4. Practice techniques to manage emotions

Breathing techniques are one of the best ways to manage emotions. Deep breathing or purposeful, slow breathing tells the nervous system to calm down.

Though simple to learn, breathing techniques require practice. The goal is to help your child feel comfortable with the technique and get them in the habit of using it as soon as they feel the emotions that trigger fainting.

Here are two calming techniques to practice with your child:

Square breathing (box breathing)

This technique teaches your child to: 1) breathe in, 2) hold it, 3) breathe out, and 4) hold it. Teach them by using your finger to trace the four sides of a box in the air, with each side representing one of the four steps. After learning the technique, children can count to four in their head while breathing or draw the box.

Bubble blowing

Children who have blown bubbles will quickly grasp this technique. The goal is to have them take a deep breath and then slowly exhale, pretending they’re trying to create a large bubble.

If these techniques don’t help, your child may need more advanced interventions to manage their emotions.

Call the nearest THINK Neurology for Kids office for an evaluation and support. We’re located in The Woodlands, Katy, Sugar Land, Austin, San Antonio, and Lake Jackson, Texas.