Assessing the Level of Awareness About Breath-Holding Spells Among the General Population in the Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia.

Background and objective Breath-holding spell (BHS) is a serious condition that affects healthy and normal children. It is a paroxysmal non-epileptic disorder and usually occurs after the child gets angry, annoyed, or aroused. In such a scenario, an episode of crying and silent expiration associated with color changes, either cyanosis or pallor, leads to loss of consciousness in the child. In Saudi Arabia, studies assessing the awareness among parents about BHS have been scarce. In light of this, this study aimed to evaluate the awareness of BHS among parents in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in 2023. Methodology This was a cross-sectional study conducted between June and October 2023 by using Google Forms to collect data about awareness of risk factors of BHS among the general population in Makkah. We employed a validated and self-generated survey that was distributed through social media platforms. Results The study included 602 participants; 138 (22.9%) of them had witnessed BHS episodes. Of note, 407 (67.6%) thought that there was a connection between BHS and iron deficiency anemia. A significant majority (n=565, 93.9%) mentioned that spells can lead to passing out and seizures, and 542 (90%) thought that spells are dangerous. The majority (n=479, 79.6%) reported that the actions required during spells involve laying the child on the floor, keeping the child away from anything sharp, staying with the child, and calling 911 if the child remains blue or is not breathing for longer than a minute. The most common source of information for the participants was the Ministry of Health (n=182, 30.2%). Conclusions This study found a generally low level of awareness among parents regarding several aspects of BHS. Hence, we recommend conducting educational campaigns to ensure parents have accurate information about BHS so that they can respond appropriately to its occurrence in children.