4 month old baby has weak muscles. Signs, causes and diagnosis of hypotension in infants

Outwardly, hypertonicity manifests itself: trembling of the chin when crying, hands clenched into fists, poorly unbends hands, stands on fingers. Usually the child is restless, often crying. A clear sign is the posture in a dream: the child's head is thrown back, arms and legs are tightly pressed to each other. If you try to separate them, you will feel resistance.

Treatment of hypertension

If you notice signs of hypertonicity, do not ignore them. It is worth seeing a doctor. If the diagnosis is made, then it is worth doing the restoration of the normal functioning of the nervous system. As a rule, the state of hypo- and hypertonicity is a sign of perinatal encephalopathy, and if the necessary treatment is not carried out in time, this can later lead to impaired speech and coordination of movements, and poor functioning of the limbs.

Hypertension should be avoided patting and chopping movements during massage, kneading muscles. Do not put the child in walkers and jumpers, besides the fact that they give too much load on the pelvis and spine, the incorrect distribution of gravity in walkers does not teach the child to stand on the whole foot, the muscles of the legs tense up, hypertonicity increases. If you really need to put your child in a walker, put on comfortable shoes with hard soles for your baby, and not sliders, socks or booties.

If you do not notice any improvement after the course, ask your doctor if there is a need to strengthen the treatment and if you need to conduct any additional studies of the baby's body.

Hypotension - decreased tone

A child with low tone causes almost no trouble to parents: he is absolutely calm, sleeps a lot and rarely cries. But this is an imaginary well-being. Pay close attention to how the baby lies in the crib. A relaxed posture, arms and legs spread out in different directions indicate that his muscle tone is reduced. In children with reduced tone, the legs and arms unbend at the joints by more than 180 degrees. In addition, due to muscle weakness, sucking and swallowing are impaired, and a delay in the pace of motor development is often noted: such babies later begin to hold their heads, roll over, sit, and stand.

With a reduced tone, a stimulating massage is performed, which activates the child. It includes a large number of "chopping", kneading movements. After traditional strokes, with the edge of your palm, lightly walk along the legs, arms and back of the baby. Then lay the child on his stomach and roll the knuckles of his fingers over his back, buttocks, legs and arms. Then roll onto your back and roll your knuckles across his stomach, arms, and legs. Your movements should be active and strong enough. Move from the periphery to the center, starting from the limbs: from the hand to the shoulder, from the foot to the groin.

Dystonia - uneven tone

When a child has some muscles too relaxed, while others, on the contrary, are too tense, they speak of uneven tone - dystonia. In this variant, the child has signs of hypo- and hypertonicity. Asymmetry of tone is easy to detect by the uneven distribution of skin folds. This is especially noticeable when the baby lies on his stomach on a hard, even surface. In this position, a newborn with dystonia will fall on one side, on the one where the tone is increased. The head and pelvis of the child will be turned towards the tense muscles, the torso will be bent in an arc.

With uneven tone, a relaxing massage should be done with an effort on the side in which the tone is lower. Classes on an inflatable ball have a good effect. Lay the child on the ball with his stomach, legs bent (like a frog) and pressed against the surface of the ball. Dad or someone from the household should hold the child's legs in this position. And you take the baby by the handles and pull him towards you. Then return to the starting position. Now take the baby by the shins and pull them towards you until the child's face is at the top of the ball, or the legs touch the floor. Then slowly return the baby to its original position. Tilt the little one forward - away from you, so that he reaches the floor with his palms. Repeat this exercise several times back and forth. Then lay the child on the beach ball sideways. Slowly rock the ball. Repeat these exercises 10-15 times daily.

How to determine hypertonicity, hypotonicity and dystonia.

Sitting by the hands

Lay the child on his back, on a hard, flat surface, take the wrists and gently pull towards you, as if seating. You should feel moderate resistance as you extend your elbows. If the child’s arms are unbent without resistance, and in the sitting position, the stomach is strongly protruded forward, the back is “wheeled”, the head is tilted back or lowered down - these are signs of reduced tone. If you are unable to take the child’s arms away from the chest and unbend them, this, on the contrary, indicates hypertonicity. As they grow older, in response to stretching the arms, the child will try to pull himself up and sit down.

Step reflex and ground reflex

Take the baby under the armpits, “put” him on the changing table and tilt him slightly forward, forcing him to take a step. Normally, the child should stand, leaning on a full foot with straightened toes. And when leaning forward, the newborn imitates walking. If the baby crosses his legs and leans only on his fingers, this is a sign of increased tone. This reflex gradually fades away and practically disappears by 1.5-2 months. If a child older than 2 months has a step reflex, this is evidence of hypertonicity. Instead of standing, does the newborn squat down, take a step with strongly bent legs, or refuse to walk at all? This indicates a reduced tone. If a child stands on tiptoes with one foot, and dances with the other, this is dystonia.

Symmetric and asymmetric reflexes

Lay the baby on his back, place your hand under the back of his head and gently tilt the baby's head towards the chest. He should bend his arms and straighten his legs. Then lay the baby on his back and slowly, without effort, turn his head to the left shoulder. The child will take the so-called swordsman's position: he will stretch his arm forward, straighten his left leg and bend his right. Then turn the child's face to the right - he must repeat this pose, only in its "mirror" version: he will stretch his right arm forward, straighten his right leg and bend his left. Asymmetric and symmetrical reflex gradually disappear by 2-3 months. The presence of these reflexes in a three-month-old child indicates an increased tone, and their absence in the first two months of life, on the contrary, is a sign of a reduced tone.

tonic reflex

Lay the child on his back, on a hard surface. In this position, the extensor tone of the newborn increases, he tries to straighten his limbs and seems to open up. Then turn the child over on his stomach, and he will “close”, pull the bent arms and legs under him (the flexor tone increases on the stomach). Normally, the tonic reflex gradually disappears by 2-2.5 months. If it is absent in a newborn, this indicates a reduced tone. And if by three months the tonic reflex does not go away, this is a sign of hypertonicity.

Moreau and Babinski reflexes

The Moro reflex consists in throwing the handles to the sides when overexcited. And the Babinsky reflex is expressed in reflex extension of the toes during irritation, tickling of the foot. Normally, both reflexes should disappear by the end of the 4th month of life.

Stiffness in the limbs

This symptom occurs both in the pathology of the musculoskeletal system, and in neurogenic pathology. And also with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is most often associated with damage to the brain, less often - the spinal cord. Muscular hypertension is accompanied not only by an increase in tendon reflexes, the appearance of pathological signs, but also by excessive movements. A pronounced hypertension of the muscles from the first days of life occurs with congenital destructive lesions of the brain. In these cases, muscle tone significantly exceeds physiological, there is general stiffness, sometimes contractures in large joints, and limitation of spontaneous movements. The reason for the appearance of muscle hypertonicity: the transfer of an intrauterine infection by the mother during pregnancy, fetal hypoxia, group incompatibility of the blood of the parents, Rhesus conflict. Also, muscle hypertonicity occurs in children born in asphyxia, traumatic childbirth, and at an older age - with a delay in psychological development.

If the muscle tone and the reflexes associated with it do not undergo changes corresponding to the age of the baby, this is a reason to contact an orthopedist and a neurologist. First, if the parents suspected something was wrong, consult a doctor without delay. Secondly, to make a global electromyography using special equipment.

Hypotonicity, lethargy of muscles in a child. Recipes Vanga

• Make sure that children go barefoot as often as possible in the summer, without interrupting their connection with the earth. Let children go outside in the summer not only barefoot, but also naked. Let them get bruised, play all over the place to develop protection against all diseases. In addition to washing, children certainly need to wash their feet every evening.
• Add 20 g of sulfur to 400 g of honey, thoroughly lubricate the child's body with this mixture and massage. Massage should be done by a specialist. After that, the child should sweat three times. Change clothes, wrap up well and let him sleep.
• In the spring, you need to do ten baths with a decoction of fresh walnut leaves.
• Let their food be mostly liquid. Do not punish children with dry food.
• With lethargy of muscles in children, add 20 g of sulfur to 400 g of honey, thoroughly lubricate the child's body with this mixture and massage. Massage is carried out by a specialist. After that, the child should sweat three times. He needs to change clothes, wrap him up well and let him sleep.
• Vanga successfully used clay to treat lethargic and weakened children. Clay renews all weakened cells, provides the body with trace elements and minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, silica, etc.) in the most digestible form. It contains exactly those mineral salts that we lack, supplying them in doses that are best suited to our body. In addition, clay absorbs all toxins, poisons, putrefactive gases, excess acid and removes them from the body, completely cleansing it.
  Vanga believed that weakened, lethargic children, as well as all anemic, with lymphatic diseases, people suffering from a lack of minerals, should constantly drink clay water. The normal dose for children is 2 teaspoons of clay powder per day. Take in the morning, immediately after waking up and in the evening before going to bed.
• For a sick child with flaccid muscles, Vanga prescribed bathing in hot spring water, for example, in soda, arsenic, bituminous or sulfuric water. Sea water is also useful.
• You can put cans on the first vertebra and put a sick child in a bath of heated oil.
• To treat this disease, Vanga used oats (groats, whole oats and flour from oat grains, green plants (the tops of stems 20 cm long are harvested during the heading period)), as well as straw.
  Decoction of oats: oatmeal (200 g) should be soaked in cold water (0.5 l) a few hours before preparing the decoction. And then cook for 15-20 minutes. It is better to use a decoction of oats with honey 1/4 cup 2 times a day before meals for 2 to 3 weeks. For 1 cup of decoction - 1 teaspoon of honey.
  Green oat juice: Pass the green parts of the plant through a juicer or meat grinder. Take children 1/4 cup 2 times a day before meals for 2 to 3 weeks.
• Every day, at least a few spoons, the child should eat semolina (if there is no allergy to it). It has a good effect on the bones, muscles, gastrointestinal tract. Give young children warm milk to drink, to which fresh raw eggs are added: 1 egg is taken for 2 glasses of milk and the mixture is shaken well. It is necessary to accustom the child to drink milk 3 times a day. The results will be excellent.
• Use walnut for bathing weakened children. Walnut leaves are brewed for a bath. 250 grams of leaves are poured with 1 liter of boiling water and boiled for 20 minutes. The broth is filtered and poured into a bath with a water temperature of 37 degrees.
• Bathe children in a decoction of milkweed. This will give them strength. 250 grams of milkweed leaves are poured with 1 liter of boiling water and boiled for 20 minutes. The broth is filtered and poured into a bath with a water temperature of 37 degrees.

What does increased tone in a child mean? Is massage effective? And what other methods of treating hypertension exist, we will talk below.

To talk about the increased tone in a child as a disease, first you need to figure out what hypertonicity is and at what age it is a problem, and at what it is the norm. Increased muscle tension, expressed in their overstrain, is hypertonicity. If we turn to statistics, then in 90% of babies, muscle tone is increased. This condition is quite normal for a child in the womb. In the position inside the uterus, the baby is in a compressed state, where the arms and legs are bent and pressed tightly to the body. Having been born, the baby gets freedom of movement, so the baby's muscle tone should return to normal.

Age features

This condition does not go away immediately, gradually, and as the baby grows and acquires certain motor skills, hypertonicity disappears.

Hypertonicity in infants in the first month of life is most pronounced, which is well manifested in the general "squeezed state" of the child. The fists are clenched, the legs are pressed to the body, if you try to spread the legs, the baby will resist. In the supine position, the baby presses his arms to himself and lies in a position very similar to the Folds on the legs should be symmetrical and, if you bring the legs together, form a smile. If in position the baby turns his head left and right, and seems to be trying to crawl with his legs, this is not a pathology and speaks of normal development and moderate muscle tone of the crumbs. If at the age of one month a child often holds his head, this is rather not a sign of his uniqueness and rapid development, but an overstrain of the neck muscles. Massage is effective for the treatment of hypertonicity for a 1-month-old child.

For a three-month-old child, confidently holding the head, the absence of hypertonicity is characteristic. A kid at this age already reacts to toys, pulls handles to them, is able to grab and hold objects in his hand. However, while maintaining some signs of increased muscle tone, do not be afraid, each child is individual and you should wait and observe a little.

Increased in a child by 6 months should disappear, if this did not happen at this age, you should see a specialist. A six-month-old baby is no longer the clumsy as before, his movements are more conscious and purposeful. The fists open, the baby tries to crawl, rolls over onto his back and from his back to his stomach, sits or makes attempts to sit.

At nine months, the baby is especially active, he stands near the support, crawls, sits down. In the presence of hypertonicity in a baby at this age, massage is especially effective in eliminating it, since the main purpose of massage is to relieve muscle tone.

A one-year-old baby is already trying to take the first steps. If hypertonicity is diagnosed in a child at this age, treatment in the form of massage and baths remains the same, if positive dynamics are not observed by one and a half years, additional diagnostics are prescribed and the treatment method is reviewed.

By the age of three, hypertonicity can be expressed in walking not on the foot, but on tiptoe (in case of increased tone of the legs) and violation of the small one (in case of increased tone of the hands).

By the age of five, increased muscle tone can become a real problem. A child of preschool age begins to lag behind his peers in development, in some cases it can become the basis for establishing disability. Studying at school with peers becomes difficult and often such children have to study in special educational institutions.

Thus, early detection of muscle hypertonicity allows you to effectively select recreational activities and eliminate the increased tone. Therefore, it is especially important to pay attention to the symptoms of hypertension in a timely manner, which significantly increases the chances of recovery.

Causes

The causes of hypertonicity in a child can be very different, ranging from a genetic predisposition to birth trauma. However, despite the individuality of each case, there are a number of factors that often cause increased muscle tone. These include:

• the presence of Rhesus conflict;
• bad ecology;
• severe pregnancy (infections and past acute illnesses);
• fetal hypoxia during pregnancy or childbirth;
• hemolytic disease of the child;
• difficult childbirth and birth trauma;
• the presence of bad habits in a pregnant woman;
• excessive nervous excitability;
• severe toxicosis of the mother in the first or last trimester of pregnancy;
• chronic diseases of the mother.

One way or another, increased muscle tone in a child is not a pathology at birth, but in the presence of any of the above factors, muscle tone may not return to normal over a long period of time.

Signs of hypertonicity

Depending on whether the tension of all the muscles in the child is increased, or the increased tone in the child covers only the limbs, or only the arms or legs, the symptoms of hypertonicity are also distinguished. It is characterized by the following general symptoms:

With hypertonicity of the legs, slow motor development is characteristic: the child does not crawl, does not begin to make attempts to walk. In a standing position with your support, the child tries to walk on tiptoe without putting emphasis on the entire foot.

Clenched fists and difficulty in spreading the handles to the sides in the supine position indicate an increased tone of the muscles of the hands. These symptoms serve as the basis for an immediate visit to the doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Reflex tests

Another important method for diagnosing increased tone in a child is the assessment of reflexes. The results of this test can most accurately be assessed by a doctor. When visiting a local therapist, you can often notice testing precisely by the presence or absence of the following reflexes at a certain age of the baby:

1. The tonic reflex should fade away by three months, but if this does not happen, then this may indicate the presence of hypertonicity. So the child, lying on his stomach, will bend his legs, and on his back, straighten them.
2. Upon reaching the age of two months, the child may try to walk, standing on his toes, and not on his whole leg (stepping reflex).
3. Symmetric and asymmetric reflexes should fade away by three months. In the supine position, if you turn the head to the left, the left arm and leg will straighten, and the right arm, on the contrary, will bend. When pressing the chin to the chest, lying on the back, bend the arms, and straighten the legs.
4. When you try to seat the baby, he does not allow you to take your hands off your chest.

Treatment

What to do with an increased tone in a child? If, upon reaching the age of six months, the symptoms of increased muscle tone persist and a neurologist diagnosed muscle hypertonicity, with the appointment of the correct treatment, hypertonicity may disappear completely.

Massage for hypertension

The main direction in the fight against hypertonicity is massage. The main purpose of the massage is gentle relaxation of tense muscles. Availability is a significant advantage. So for preventive purposes, massage can be started already from 2 weeks of age. Mom can act as a massage therapist, and massage is turned into an interesting exciting game with mandatory communication with a loved one. In the case of the appointment of massage for children for therapeutic purposes, it is better to entrust the procedure to a competent specialist. But do not forget about the very big advantage of mom's massage - this is a close and dear person, and it will be much easier for mom to achieve relaxation and comfort for the baby. Therapeutic massage for a child from 1 month and older, as a rule, is prescribed as a course, after the end of the course, the dynamics of the disease is assessed and, if necessary, the courses are repeated after a short rest.

Considering the small age of the patient, it is imperative to lubricate the hands with oil before the massage, since the skin of babies is very delicate and it is not difficult to damage it. Massage should not be done immediately after eating or after waking up, the child should come to his senses, be in a good mood. It is important to establish contact with the child, as massage, against the will and with the periodic crying of the child, loses its healing properties. All movements should be done smoothly, not abruptly, softly and gently. Minimal effort is enough, patting and deep kneading are unacceptable. In case of a negative reaction to your actions, it is better for children to stop massaging and eliminate the cause of dissatisfaction (this may be the cold hands of the massage therapist or low temperature in the room).

Massage manipulations

They can be divided into:

1. Stroking and rubbing. It is better to start with stroking movements of the arms, legs, moving to the back. As a rule, babies are more willing to massage their legs than their hands. Therefore, it is important to determine the order for the effective continuation of the massage. With rubbing, you need to be very careful and not overdo it.
2. With rubbing soft movements, touch the parts of the body in the direction from the bottom up. First, do such a massage while lying on your tummy, then turn it over onto your back.
3. Shaking and rocking:

• Gently shake your hands, be sure to hold your forearm, shake your legs. If the baby gives some exercises reluctantly, resists, you can try to shake the limbs slightly and do this exercise, if the resistance still does not decrease, move on to another exercise.
• Shake the handles in different directions, do the same with the legs, shaking the legs holding them by the lower leg.

It is better to finish the massage with light strokes to calm the excited baby. It is important to maintain contact with the child, to speak affectionately and encourage each successful exercise, a step towards you, and in no case raise your voice.

Particular attention should be paid to the massage of the legs when an increased tone of the leg muscles is detected, since the aggravation of the problem has a very negative effect on the acquisition of such an important skill as walking.

When massaging the legs, hold them by the shins and start stroking from the bottom up, repeating the movements about eight times, then go to the back of the thigh. This is followed by soft rubbing with fingertips in the same direction - from bottom to top. Easily stroke the feet, moving from the toes to the heel. At the base of the thumb, you should lightly press, fingers close, then draw along the outer part of the foot, the fingers will straighten out with a “fan”, repeat this several times. Next, with your thumb, you can “draw a figure eight” on the foot. You can lightly stretch the foot by gently pressing with your thumb. Then you should stroke the area from the fingers to the ankle joint, continue soft rubbing this area, gently pressing, touching.

After massaging the legs, you can do simple exercises. Taking the legs by the knees, alternately bend them, gently pressing on the tummy. This exercise is also useful for toddlers who are still bothered by gassies. Bending the legs at the knee joint, the knees are spread in opposite directions, and the feet are folded together, gently rubbing against each other. If the exercises are done correctly and gently, you will not only advance in solving the problem of hypertonicity, but also give the baby the necessary communication with a loved one.

Soothing bath

Bath, like massage, has a relaxing effect on the muscles, with the addition of herbs such as eucalyptus, lavender, motherwort, sage, valerian, coniferous plants, the relaxing effect of the bath is enhanced. As a rule, a bath is prescribed by a doctor with the addition of an ingredient suitable for a particular baby in a course. If necessary, the cycle of baths is repeated. In some cases, the herbs alternate. An important aspect in the appointment of a particular medicinal plant is the individual tolerance of the child.

Appropriate Care

Also, for the treatment of muscle hypertonicity in children, the following measures aimed at relaxing and reducing muscle tone can become effective:

Drug treatment is prescribed only in cases where more gentle measures do not lead to positive dynamics. In most cases, a timely diagnosis and following the doctor's prescriptions give positive results without the need for medical intervention.

In addition to the treatment prescribed by a competent specialist, an important role is played by the care properly organized by the parents and the psychological climate. Providing comfort in moral and domestic terms is the primary concern and task of parents.

• It is important to exclude physical activity that creates additional tension in the muscles that are in high tone.
• a favorable and friendly environment allows the baby to be relaxed, calm and does not lead to nervous tension.
• It is important to create a favorable atmosphere in the child's rest room, the absence of irritants in the form of loud sounds, bright light, acceptable air temperature and permissible air humidity.

In any case, no matter what method of treating hypertonicity is chosen, it is important to provide comfortable treatment for the baby, since hypertonicity is an increased muscle tension, therefore, in order to avoid it, relaxation must be achieved.

Why is hypertension dangerous?

The main problem in eliminating hypertonicity in infants is the initially incorrect approach of parents to this problem. Due to the fact that in newborns hypertonicity is the norm (due to being in a cramped position in the womb), many parents do not pay due attention if this condition is prolonged, and consider it to be quite normal and physiological. We remind you that the state of increased muscle tone should normally pass by three months, but if this does not happen by six, this is a reason to see a doctor.

If, nevertheless, hypertonicity is found in a child, and appropriate measures were taken out of time or not taken at all, this can lead to serious developmental deviations:

1. Lag in the motor activity of the child. He starts crawling and walking late. The coordination of movements is disturbed, an incorrect gait and posture are formed.
2. With hypertonicity of the hands, fine motor skills suffer, the child fails to grasp objects with his hands, he cannot fully manipulate them.
3. Rachiocampsis.
4. Lag in general development (speech disorder), mental development.
5. Violation of the internal organs of the child.

The mode of the child with hypertension

In the alternation of feeding, sleeping and playing, the baby should not be much different from a healthy child. Moreover, an important task of parents is not to create additional tension and stress for him. You should not force the baby to a certain regime that is inconvenient for him. The child's body itself is able to determine when it wants to sleep, when to eat, when to play, so be careful and it will tell you what it needs right now. If you forcibly force you to stay awake or put you to sleep through crying, these actions will lead to an aggravation of the problem, since any tension, including nervous tension, is highly undesirable in this case. Also, you should not set a feeding regimen at a certain interval, because for a baby, mother's breasts are not only food, but also a way to relax, calm down and even fall asleep.

The most important tool in the fight against hypertonicity is the attention of parents. No doctor spends as much time with your child as a mom or dad does, who are able to catch the warning symptoms almost immediately and take action. After all, the sooner this issue is dealt with, the faster and more effectively the results will be noticeable.

I hope that in this article you have found all the information you are interested in and learned what hypertonicity is.

Many parents of infants begin to worry when a neurologist diagnoses the baby with hypotonia at a scheduled appointment. Of course, there is little pleasant in this, but you should not panic ahead of time. You should find out the possible causes of this condition, undergo the necessary examinations, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, develop the best treatment option and strictly adhere to this plan. Many doctors believe that this phenomenon may be a feature of physiological development, and the sooner parents begin to correct, the sooner they will get rid of this problem.

What is hypotension in a small child?

Muscle hypotonicity in infants is a weakened muscular state in the case when tension should occur. A neurologist makes this diagnosis for such babies who, when exposed to muscles, do not have a response. For example, when a doctor bends his arms in a baby, then in normal conditions they straighten in response and return back to a position that is comfortable for the newborn. If the baby has hypotension, then there will be no such reaction, or it appears only after a while. This weakness of the muscles is explained by the fact that they cannot contract normally.

How is hypotonia diagnosed?

When visiting a neurologist, hypotension in infants is easily diagnosed with the help of certain manipulations with the baby. The following actions of the doctor are aimed at identifying deviations of congenital physiological reflexes:

• Step reflex and legs. The neurologist takes the child and puts it on a hard surface. The baby, when relying on a full foot, should straighten up on its legs and take steps, as during walking. With hypotension, the baby is not able to straighten his legs and walk, he is likely to bend them. Normally, such a reflex exists for up to two months, after which it fades away.
• Sitting on the handles. The baby is placed with its back on a hard surface, and, holding it by the wrists, they try to lift it into the “sitting” position. The kid himself will begin to pull himself up with the handles with the help of muscle contraction, and the doctor feels this resistance. With hypotonia, muscle weakness occurs, and the baby sags on the handles, his stomach begins to protrude forward, the head is weakly held on the neck, and the back is rounded.

Self-detection of hypotension

Parents themselves can figure out if the baby has hypotonia. To do this, it is enough to carefully observe your child. This pathology affects the general condition of the baby. You may notice that the baby is very calm, quiet and quite rarely comes into an excited state. At the same time, he sleeps a lot, and during wakefulness he is distinguished by slow and lethargic activity.

Also, parents should pay attention to the posture of the child during sleep. If there is a suspicion of hypotonicity in the baby, its signs in this case will manifest themselves as follows: the arms and legs are straightened and relaxed, the palms are wide open, and should be gathered into a fist. Straightening his legs to an angle of 180 degrees does not cause him any discomfort. With normal tone, the palms and limbs of the child are slightly bent, because muscle activity contributes to this.

With a pathological condition of the muscles, a breast-fed baby may not take the breast well or refuse it altogether. A child with this diagnosis has difficulty straining his neck to fix his head, it is difficult for him to learn to crawl and hold objects, and it is also almost impossible to roll over and be in a sitting position.

If parents notice such signs of hypotension, then in this case, you need to contact the local therapist. The consultation received and the exclusion of a serious pathology will allow them to calm down and take the necessary measures to improve this condition in the baby.

Causes

Hypotension in infants is much less common than hypertonicity, and the reasons for this may be different. Weak is directly related to the functioning of the central nervous system, as well as the blood supply to the body. This pathological condition occurs for the following reasons:

• complicated childbirth with asphyxia, hypoxia and injuries;
• severe pregnancy, diseases suffered by a woman;
• emergency childbirth;
• mother has bad habits;
• small body weight in a child at birth;
• malformations;
• improperly organized nutrition of the newborn;
• weight loss in infants after viral and infectious diseases;
• genetic diseases;
• high intake of vitamin D.

Consequences of muscle weakness

The hypotonicity of the legs of the baby, like all other parts of the body, is manifested by a slight tension in the muscles. It is necessary to start treatment of such a pathological condition in a timely manner, since serious violations may occur in the future. The development of the baby due to hypotension can be greatly inhibited, there is a high probability of a curvature of the spine and a violation of posture. Those who had weakened muscle tone in childhood are characterized by increased plasticity and flexibility, and the further progression of such an ailment leads to a strong weakening of the musculoskeletal system with the likelihood of complete muscle dystrophy.

Treatment Methods

To correct the violation of muscle tone, the neurologist prescribes massage and special physical exercises. Usually, the treatment of hypotension in infants involves a set of procedures that are selected individually, taking into account the degree of damage to muscle fibers. Thus, the methods of treating low tone in a baby are as follows:

• conducting physiotherapy;
• acupuncture, which helps to achieve a lasting positive effect;
• physiotherapy;
• herbal medicine, which is represented by herbal baths, rubbing, compresses on the joints.

If you strictly follow all the medical recommendations, then after three months the health of the baby improves significantly. He begins to move his legs and arms more actively. Massage and gymnastic exercises for the baby at first should be carried out by a specialist in this field. Subsequently, parents themselves are able to master such procedures and carry them out at home.

The hypotonicity of the hands in the baby, as well as other parts of the body, helps to remove the gymnastics performed in the water. Swimming most favorably affects weak muscles, because all muscle groups begin to be involved.

Massage technique

It is very useful for a child to massage the muscles, as the work of each organ is stimulated. Thanks to such a treatment procedure, a strong influence is exerted. During its implementation, it is imperative to change the position of the baby's body in order to use all available places. When performing a massage with hypotension in an infant, it is necessary that it lie both on the tummy and on the back.

The massage therapist should start his movements from the fingers, and completes with an active study of the back. With the hands and phalanges of the fingers, the specialist slightly presses on certain areas of the muscles, thus stimulating the bioactive points. During the procedure, muscle tissue is worked out with the help of rubbing, stroking, pinching, tapping. An experienced massage therapist is able to carry out a point effect on each muscle.

The recommended massage course is 10 procedures, but if necessary, their number is increased. It is also important to monitor the reaction of the baby during it. If he starts to worry a lot, then most likely the massage gives him very unpleasant sensations, and therefore it is better to postpone it indefinitely.

Gymnastic exercises

If hypotonicity of the baby has been diagnosed, exercises to restore muscle tone can strengthen the weakened muscles of the baby. In combination with massage, such gymnastics guarantees a positive effect. The following exercises are considered the most common:

• Crosswise - the arms of the baby should be spread apart and brought together, turning the right to the left and the left to the right.
• Boxing - you need to take the hands of the crumbs in your own and alternately or simultaneously bend and straighten them in front of the baby. Thus, the muscles are strengthened.
• Pulling up - you need to take the hands of the baby and carefully move his sitting position. Movements must be slow so that muscle tension occurs and they begin to work.
• Bicycle - you should twist the baby's legs, simulating a bike ride.
• Breeding legs - it is necessary to cross the lower limbs of the child and spread them apart, with a gradual increase in amplitude.

When these steps are taken, the child's condition improves quite quickly.

Conclusion

Caring parents will definitely pay attention to the health problems of their baby. If there is a suspicion of hypotension in the baby, you should definitely show it to the doctor. Timely started treatment allows the child to catch up with his peers in psychomotor and physical development and in the future not to have any health problems.

Often, in children under one year old, such a pathology as muscle weakness occurs, it is most often associated with developmental disorders and hypoxia, from which the baby suffered during pregnancy. But sometimes muscle weakness can be a sign of a serious illness that requires timely treatment.

Usually, a neurologist immediately detects hypotension, if it is present, since the baby is behind in development, cannot hold his head, roll over and walk. In older children, the legs can be deformed, they quickly get tired during physical exertion. It is very important to immediately identify the pathology and begin to treat it in order to avoid serious complications in adulthood.

Hypotension

Hypotension is a violation of muscle tone, in which they are all the time in a too relaxed state. Normally, the muscles in both children and adults contract constantly to maintain the normal functioning of the body. Thanks to muscle tone, a person can stand, sit, although these postures are static, the muscles still contract.

With hypotension, the muscles are weakened, the child cannot sit and stand normally, since the fibers simply cannot withstand such a load. If this condition is not treated, then the baby cannot develop normally. In addition, hypotension can also occur against the background of serious diseases.

Hypotension in infants usually occurs due to birth trauma or lack of oxygen in the womb. This condition is quite fixable, for treatment prescribed gymnastics, massage, sometimes physiotherapy, less often medication, if the therapeutic did not work. It is important to understand that the sooner you start treating hypotension, the faster it will pass, and the less consequences there will be.