New care guidelines for breath-holding spells in young children
Tests new management guidelines, including iron, for children with breath-holding spells.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Region Skane
- Where
- Sweden12 sites in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Breath-holding Spells and Its Management Study
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 120 people, planned
- Started
- 2 Dec 2024
- Expected to end
- Dec 2030
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Guidelines
- Record updated
- 5 May 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for young children below 5 years of age in Region Skåne, Sweden, who may have breath-holding spells. It tests new guidelines for checking and managing these spells.
- Age
- Below 5 years (0 to 60 months)
- Sex
- All
- Disease stage
- Suspected breath-holding spells. Children with typical spells and with non-typical spells can join.
- Earlier treatment
- Children who have already been tested or checked by doctors for breath-holding spells cannot join. Having had spells before is allowed.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Earlier medical tests or check-ups for breath-holding spells
- Not living in Region Skåne (Sweden)
- Age 5 years or older
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 4 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Below 5 years of age
- resident in Region Skåne (Sweden)
- suspected breath-holding spell
Who cannot take part
- previous investigation for breath-holding spell (previous spells are not a reason for exclusion)
This trial has no sites in United States.
It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The goal of this prospective population-based study is to evaluate the new disease description and management guidelines for breath-holding spells in children (Hellström Schmidt et al, Acta Paediatrica 2024) below the age of 5 years in southern Sweden. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read full original descriptionShow less
* Does the disease description and management guidelines lead to the expected reduction in diagnostic interventions and are the clinical managements guidelines safe to use? * If iron supplementation is given, does it reduce the frequency and severity of the spells? * What information and support does parents to children with breath-holding spells need?
Participants will undergo evaluation by a medical doctor and if typical breath-holding spells are diagnosed, be managed according to the new guidelines. If iron deficiency is found, iron supplementation is recommended. Digital surveys will be distributed and parents of patients with frequent spells will be eligible for participation in an interview sub-study.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Typical spellsOther group
Patients with typical spells should be investigated according to our guidelines
Treatment: Guidelines
- Non-typical spellsNo study treatment, for comparison
Patients with non-typical spells will be investigated individually, as it is done today
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Breath-holding Spells and Its Management: a Prospective Study on Patient and Disease Characteristics, Evaluation of Novel Guidelines, Parental Handling, and Long-term Follow-up in Breath-holding Spells
- Plain-language title
- New care guidelines for breath-holding spells in young childrenGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 15 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 5 May 2026