Infant Panic Attacks???

[sabrinacb]

My DD started having what I can only describe as panic attacks the night of her first vaccinations. She flailed her arms out, her eyes bulged out of her head and she screamed as if she had seen a ghost. There was a look of sheer terror on her face. Its been a month since then and she is still having them sometimes, she has a few good days and then a few bad days. This isn't like normal moro reflex, its very exaggerated. Has anyone experienced this? I have to give her more vaccinations in three weeks and I'm terrified of how she'll respond.

[Beltane]

I am so sorry your little one is going through this - how awful!  I really would hold off on any more vaccinations though for awhile....

I wish I had more advise, but it certainly sounds like a horribly bad reaction to the vaccinations.  Check out the vaccination section of this board, maybe they will have some more advice.

[PatioGardener]

My guy did that after a horrible hospitalization at 2 months.  It took a good 6 weeks for the fear to be 'loved away', and even now, 6 months later he will still get the same panic while asleep occasionally.  It may be a different nightmare, but I wonder. 

[sabrinacb]

Thanks for the replies. Maybe she wasn't reacting to something in the shot but just the fear instead? I hope so.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by Beltane 

I am so sorry your little one is going through this - how awful!  I really would hold off on any more vaccinations though for awhile....

I wish I had more advise, but it certainly sounds like a horribly bad reaction to the vaccinations.  Check out the vaccination section of this board, maybe they will have some more advice.

I completely agree.  Babies usually calm down right after the initial surprise of having a needle poke.  I certainly wouldn't give any more vaccinations for a while, especially considering if it WAS a reaction, the next one could be much worse.  My son had 4 doses of DTaP without incident, and then had a reaction with the 5th one at age 5.

[cocoanib]

So sorry this is happening to your little one.

Hold off for more vax for now to be sure. It could be a reaction from the trauma of getting the vax or a reaction from the vax itself.

Visit the vax board, you will find a ton of info there.

[ammiga]

You don't have to give more vaccines. It is perfectly ok to wait, do research about what caused the reaction, and make a decision from there. You should never do something to your child that you are terrified of doing- especially when waiting and researching is an option. Definitely check out the vaccine forum here- tons of knowledgeable people to answer your questions!

[lucy_v]

Another possible explanation could be gas. When she was a few months old, my DD would occasionally burst out screaming in terror and it turned out to be gas pains. Sometimes it was brief--just a minute maybe---sometimes it lasted for almost an hour (until we realized what was going on and gave her some mylicon). Funny story, the first time it happened, she kept looking at my DH and shrieking, like she was scared to death by something about him. Next thing I know, he's changing his shirt, in case she didn't like the shirt he was wearing. ;)