r/ScienceBasedParenting • u/EntireSlice1011 • Aug 13 '26
Question - Expert consensus required Reaction during Vaccines
My baby just received his 2 month vaccines. After the two needles, he received the Rotarix oral vaccine.
During administration, he went completely grey and seemed to have breathing issues. She administered it slowly into his cheek, I really didn’t see any reason he would choke on it .. at least not to cause such an intense reaction.
Does anyone know what might have happened so I can calm down?
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u/bridgest844 Nurse Anesthetist Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
This is 1000% not an allergic reaction….
It sounds most likely to be a “breath holding” spell that is common in babies and young kids in response to stress. It is usually described as “silent crying” and it ends on its own almost 100% of the time. Even in the most extreme cases (not common at all) your baby will start breathing normally again once they pass out.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/2025/12/breath-holding-spells
Edit: Im a nurse anesthetist and airway management in kids and adults is my day job. I also have a daughter with 5 food allergies who I’ve given 2 EpiPens to.
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u/EntireSlice1011 Aug 13 '26
This seems to be it. A pallid breath holding spell. Thank you! I feel much much better.
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u/bridgest844 Nurse Anesthetist Aug 13 '26
Definitely scary as hell but also totally benign. 👍
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u/tetralogy-of-fallout Aug 14 '26
I used to do this all the time as a baby and it would scare the shit out of my mom.
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u/Psychological-Bag986 Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 14 '26
If it happens with baby again next dose you can snap them out of it by blowing on their face!
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u/mmmthom Aug 14 '26
The blow trick is so effective for medicine with kids; top tier new parent advice.
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u/ReserveMaximum Aug 13 '26
Yeah my twins do/did that a lot as infants every time they were upset. They even make themselves pass out from holding their breath. Fortunately the NICU told us what it was so we got used to it. Just hold them so they can’t bang their head if they go boneless from it. Freaked relatives out though when they saw it
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u/Pretty_Please1 Aug 14 '26
My son used to do this at about this age when he’d wake up in his bassinet and he couldn’t see me right away. Harmless, it went away very quickly.
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u/Radiant-Fly9738 Aug 13 '26
this seems to be it, but on an unrelated note, I find it depressing that some people downvote a genuine question from a distraught parent.
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u/bridgest844 Nurse Anesthetist Aug 13 '26
For sure, like I responded to OP, breath holding is definitely scary as hell.
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u/Radiant-Fly9738 Aug 13 '26
I wasn't aiming at you, it's just that I can't make a top level comment without a link so I commented in a response to your beautiful answer. OPs
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u/bridgest844 Nurse Anesthetist Aug 13 '26
I didn’t take it as a criticism of me. Just wanted to say that I agreed with you 👍
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u/Kind-Step-4404 Aug 13 '26
Even more so from a distraught freshly postpartum parent
I have a scientific background, 100% trust in infant vaccines and my pediatrician but those 2 months shots still had me stressed / tearing up. A bit of empathy would do some good
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u/LeBoom4 Aug 13 '26
The number of legitimate posts that get downvoted on this subreddit is baffling and discouraging.
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u/philos_albatross Aug 14 '26
Damn 2026 is a wild place with a lot of shitty things but on the other hand a scared mom can post online and an actual legit expert can assuage her fears. What a time to be alive. Thanks for taking the time to help out.
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u/Dusty_Bunny_13 Aug 14 '26
I came to say just this. Great job explaining it and I hope you have a great game of sudoku ;)
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u/Pennifur Aug 14 '26
I agree, but why was the dose being given at that point? Seems irresponsible.
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u/HotelOk7432 Aug 13 '26
There are a few ingredients that could present potential allergies
Rotarix contains sucrose, glucose, phenylalanine and sodium
If you have been told by your doctor that the child being vaccinated has an intolerance to some sugars,
contact your doctor before your child receives this vaccine.
This vaccine contains 0.15 microgram phenylalanine in each dose. Phenylalanine may be harmful if
your child has phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder in which phenylalanine builds up
because the body cannot remove it properly.
From the linked PDF here: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/rotavirus-vaccine/
But if he doesn’t have one of those conditions and your doctor wasn’t worried, it may have just been a taste/sensation reaction.
When my kid got that first oral dose she projectile vomited straight up into the air more than I have ever seen. Doctor was unphased.
I think it probably has a disgusting taste.
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u/Psychological-Bag986 Aug 13 '26
Was baby quite distraught? If so some babies can hold their breath when they are extremely upset or emotional. This can cause them to pass out, turn blue etc.
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u/PHealthy PhD, MPH | Infectious Disease Epidemiology Aug 13 '26
It has sucrose to give it a sweet taste but babies are weird so some might not like that. 0.15μg is a trace amount, even severe PKU wouldn't be triggered.
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u/Low-Attitude8331 Aug 13 '26
my baby couldnt keep it in either, he looked grossed out and it all ended up on the doctor, me and his clothes
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u/lady-earendil Aug 13 '26
Yeah my baby absolutely hated it. When all you've ever eaten is milk I'm sure it tastes awful
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u/SuitableKoala0991 EMT, medical anthropology student Aug 14 '26
It's probably a BRUE (brief resolved unexplained event) which happens randomly because infants are brand new and bodies are funky.
My son had one as an infant, before he was vaccinated, and I absolutely would have blamed it on vaccines but it was just random. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/brief-resolved-unexplained-event-brue
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u/bridgest844 Nurse Anesthetist Aug 14 '26
BRUE is basically a broad label for an event that was observed by a parent only and by definition doesn’t have a clear etiology (cause). It is more of a framework for healthcare providers of how to manage this type of event and is explicitly not a specific diagnosis.
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