Shuddering Spells in Children

Many parents may get horrified if they see their babies do this! The baby you see in this video presented with “abnormal“ body movements that the mother feared was a seizure. As you see in this video, the baby presented with a grimace, stiffening of the head, neck and body followed by a sudden shiver that passed through. What you see is a shuddering spell. Shuddering spells are a type of seemingly weird and abnormal movements that a baby does, but which in fact are completely normal. They aren’t very uncommon and are seen in babies and young children. Their bodies may stiffen/strain, or they may “shiver“ all of a sudden, with their neck and body trembling, and to most it may appear to be like a fit or convulsion Shuddering spells never occur when the baby is asleep unlike a fit disorder which can occur anytime. These shuddering spells resolve as the child grows older. If you have a doubt, the best way is to take a video, like the parent above, and confirm with your pediatrician. _______________________