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The following is a summary of “Impact of school periods and long holiday periods on the occurrence of neurally mediated syncope in children,” published in the April 2025 issue of BMC Pediatrics by Wang et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess how school and holiday periods affect neurally mediated syncope (NMS) in children.  

They analyzed 262 children with NMS aged 4–17 years, including 119 males. They compared age, sex, syncope triggers, hemodynamic types, and family history between the long holiday group (n=68) and school period group (n=194); 244 had vasovagal syncope. 

The results showed the incidence of syncope was higher during school periods (74.05%) than long holidays (25.95%). More females had syncope during school periods (P < 0.05). Sudden postural change was more common during holidays than school (26.47% vs. 21.13%, P < 0.05). Situational syncope was protective (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07–0.76, P < 0.05), and being female was a risk factor (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.10–3.35, P < 0.05). Situational syncope reduced risk by 79%, and being female increased risk by 78%. 

Investigators found that NMS-related syncope events in children were associated with school and holiday periods. They also found that being female increased the risk during school periods, while situational syncope was protective. 

Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-025-05625-5