A child may lose consciousness because of crying

Known as deliberate breathing, such situations usually last less than a minute and are the result of a child's crying because of pain, anger, or fear.

Crying can prevent the passage of air into the lungs, which often ends up causing the child to lose consciousness, but it is the body's protection that makes the muscles relax to resume breathing.

These episodes usually end completely until the fifth year of a child's life. They occur in every 20th child, says the British National Health Service (NHS).

Parents are advised to send their child to the doctor when first unconscious to rule out the possibility of serious illness, such as epilepsy.