Muscular hypotension in children. Muscle tone in a child: types of disorders and directions for their treatment

Moms, I am glad to welcome you again on the pages of the beloved online magazine "Beloved Child - Small, Unreasonable". According to a recent tradition, we are opening a new “Temko for a gazebo” - muscle hypotonia in a child.

I will not bore you with medical terminology, causes and effects, but will tell you about my experience in treating this disease from the point of view of a mother who felt all the difficulties “from the inside”. You can familiarize yourself with the medical version of neurological problems, using the example of Dr. Komarovsky, by watching the video below:

How did I encounter this problem?

There are many reasons for hypotension in a child. One of them - birth injury. Unfortunately, this is our case. Who would have thought that the second birth, which proceeded without any complications, could end in a broken collarbone and hypoxia in a child? The baby was quite large 4 kg 200 g. The team of doctors could not cope with the flow of women in labor at that moment, so they accelerated the process of childbirth - and my “baby doll” was simply squeezed out. Here is the result.

2nd day:

4th day:

Already in the delivery room, the baby was given medicine to remove a terrible hematoma on her head. His hands did not work well, there was practically no grasping reflex. The doctors in the maternity hospital did not react to my complaints and answered that everything was fine, and I was too suspicious of a mother. We put 8 out of 10 on Hangar, and I found out about the broken collarbone of the baby by accident. As it turned out, they didn’t even want to include this “small state of emergency” in the map! N-yes. Thank God, that's where the bad stuff ended! On the whole path of recovery, we came across incomparable doctors: humane and very competent in their field!

6th day:

Checked out. A doctor came to our house, replacing the district doctor on vacation, who turned out to be a neurologist. She identified our problem right away - hypotension in infants due to hypoxia. On the seventh day, we started taking a drug that allows us to increase the supply of oxygen to the brain, thereby increasing its activity. At the age of three months, we began to attend massage and at the same time a rehabilitation center, where we were assigned physiotherapy for babies.

Good aunt Inna gives Styopka (3 months) a massage:

Video about baby massage from Dr. Komarovsky:

After a massage session with hypotension (if my memory serves me, then we were prescribed general massage No. 10), we were heading to the rehabilitation center, i.e. treatment was complex.

Our trips to the other end of the city continued until the age of 1 year, with rest intervals of three weeks. Periodically, we were prescribed physiotherapy and medications, we constantly visited a neuropathologist and an orthopedist, and were also exempted from vaccinations. Vaccination began after a year.

Thanks to the early detection of the problem and the right treatment, we restored brain activity, thereby eliminating the occurrence of serious consequences. Today, Styopka is 3.5 years old - he is a mobile and intelligent child, and despite his excessive infant weight, he rolled over in a timely manner, sat down and walked.

SOS: who to contact for help

I gave birth to my first baby in the Mother and Child center in Minsk on a paid basis. Everything went amazingly, leaving behind calmness, confidence and a lot of positive emotions. That's why, going to the second birth on a budgetary basis, I thought that I knew everything, I was confident in my abilities I wanted to give birth closer to home. You know the result of this sad experience.

And here is the third pregnancy. I knew that I would entrust my life and the life of a child only to highly educated specialists, not relying on “maybe”, and decided to go to Mother and Child again.

And now on January 11, "Mother and Child", 4th floor, observation, 12-45 days - the birth is over. The incomparable doctors, the quick decisions of Dr. Natalya Vladimirovna and the help of the midwife Ekaterina Valerievna helped save the life of me and my child.

I have a wonderful boy. I understood that it was not that he was small, no, rather some kind of weak. He was easily frightened, while his whole face began to pound, not just his chin, but his whole body.

I couldn’t get a consultation with a neurologist, we don’t have one at the clinic, and they didn’t give a referral to another clinic, due to the lack of clear evidence. As a result, the child later began to hold his head, did not roll over for a long time and sat down late (8.5 months).

When Egorushka was 7 months old, I sounded the alarm. Doesn't sit. With difficulty and scandals, through the head physician of the clinic, but still knocked out a number to a neurologist, where we prescribed Encephabol, massage, exercise therapy, and sent for a consultation to the regional hospital in Mogilev.

We came for a consultation at the rehabilitation department for children under one year old. We were diagnosed with hypotonicity of the legs and arms with a lag in motor development. The doctor was amazed, saying that the child should be "their client" from 4 months.

I am infinitely grateful to the doctor - Natalya Alexandrovna, for her kindness, amazing patience and tremendous experience in working with such children. Analyzes and examinations of narrow specialists, which our own polyclinic did not do, were appointed immediately:

• we had a genetic examination with special analyzes and tests,
• took general tests, biochemistry and an analysis for immunity,
• we passed:
  • ophthalmologist,
  • orthopedist,
  • defectologist,
  • cardiologist,
  • Laura,
  • dentist.

After the completion of the examination, the doctor came to our room, explained everything and reassured us by prescribing the treatment. To the question about possible reasons decreased tone, answered that in our case this may be due to:

1. With the age of the mother. After 30 years, the child absorbs calcium and potassium worse (in the womb);
2. Frequent ultrasound examinations. This area has not been fully explored, so the impact of these studies has not been established for sure;
3. Constant work at the computer. In mothers who constantly work at the monitor during pregnancy, there is a decrease in muscle activity in the future crumbs;
4. Mild rickets- lack of vitamin D in the body;
5. Prematurity of the nervous system at birth, as evidenced by the tapping of all the muscles of the child's face;
6. big welcome medicines during childbirth- in our case, it was a forced measure of doctors in the process of childbirth.

However, according to the doctor, these are all assumptions. No doctor can say for sure the cause of muscle hypotonia in a child, if it is not associated with an obvious birth injury or more serious diseases, such as cerebral palsy.

Every day, Natalya Alexandrovna examined Yegor, watched the achievements, affectionately speaking to him: “You are my scumbag, scumbag. You can tie your legs around your neck with a bow.

Hypotension manifests differently in different children. however, there are similar points - this is:

• Weak muscle activity upper or lower limbs;
• "Looseness" of the joints, when the legs or arms turn out at an unthinkable angle;
• Underdevelopment of the back muscles;
• Lack of oxygen supply to the brain.

Treatment methods and our results

With the joint efforts of doctors Natalya Aleksandrovna and Natalya Sergeevna, as well as an instructor of exercise therapy and massage Natalya Sergeevna, we managed to raise my son to his feet, strengthening all his muscles.

We were able to achieve such an amazing result thanks to the correctly prescribed complex treatment, which included the following procedures:

1. Acupuncture.
2. Taking medications.
3. Massage and exercise therapy.
4. Physiotherapy.
5. Aromatherapy.

A huge role in our recovery was played by the exercise therapy instructor and masseur in one person Natalia Sergeevna. I have never seen such a massage received by children in this center. He is very efficient. It is very difficult to repeat it yourself. Natalya Sergeevna uses special techniques that stimulate weakened muscles. Of course, the “or” in the office was notable, because this procedure is unpleasant, it would be more correct to say that the child is in pain. However, you need to stock up on endurance, watching the suffering of the baby and, having endured these tears, get an amazing result.

After the massage begins exercise therapy- a set of specially selected exercises. The lesson is built every time in a new way, taking into account the muscle group that will be involved in the massage (massage sessions alternate: arms - back, legs - back).

We were scheduled for two physiotherapy sessions a day. One - we went through it ahead of time, about 1.5-2 hours before the massage, and the second - paraffin - immediately after the massage.

Of course, during the day the child got tired both emotionally and physical plane. But trust me, these doctors know what they're doing.

Today my Egor is 1 year and 4 months old. We took the first steps at 1.1 months, but we started only a week ago. Someone will say that it's too late, but in reality, everything is within the normal range. Maybe a little later than the rest, but, over time, this difference in development will level out completely and disappear altogether.

Conclusion

“Keep working with your child: take massage courses, walk for a long time, visit a neurologist and an orthopedist periodically, take vitamins and just lead an active lifestyle, and when the baby grows up, be sure to give him to gymnastics or choreography. Future Olympic champions grow from such children!”

So, mothers, respond in a timely manner to all the signals of the child, seek advice from experienced specialists - and everything will definitely be fine. The main thing is not to lower your “paws” and believe: believe in doctors and in your child! Be healthy!

Weak muscles in a child are not just a complaint from parents or a diagnosis from a pediatrician (neurologist). This is a violation of the brain's response to action. Toddlers suffering from hypotension bend their elbows and knees worse, during sleep their arms and legs can hang down relaxed. If the problem is hidden deep, studies are assigned. But professional massage and patience, the willpower of parents work wonders.

Weak muscles in a child: how to help him?

Weak muscle tone in a child is important to notice in time

Not to be confused with ordinary muscle weakness (when a baby or an older child simply devotes little time to physical development). The problem can develop at any age. Legs and hands often suffer, but there is also a general weak tone muscles in a child. The causes of pathology are different.

1. Deficiency or excess of vitamin D.
2. muscle dystrophy.
3. Diseases of the brain.
4. Down Syndrome.
5. as a result of infectious diseases.
6. reaction to the vaccine.

No need to be scared. First, go to the doctor and find the cause. On their own, parents can pay attention to the unusual condition of the baby.

• The baby does not hold the head for a long time, does not roll over on the tummy and on the back.
• Weak muscles in a child sometimes “speak about themselves” with the amazing ability of a crumb to spread limbs much further than physiological parameters allow.
• Inability to stand on legs.

With proper treatment, progress is seen after 3 months. You just need to tune in to fruitful work - there is no other way to call classes with young patients.

The child has weak muscles: what to do?

If genes or an infectious disease are to blame, you need to start therapy from this point. Also, a pediatrician or a neuropathologist advises a whole range of activities.

1. An experienced massage therapist is selected (although you need to try to find a real professional). He develops an individual course (10 - 15 lessons).

To regain the physiological ability to transmit nerve signals, the muscles must be well developed. Tingling, deep rubbing is sometimes painful, but the result is worth it.

1. Acupuncture helps.
2. Electrophoresis.
3. Swimming loads the muscles well and relaxes the spine. Joining the pool is a great idea.
4. Home massages will also help.

These are rhythmic rubbing, spreading the arms and legs to the sides (crosswise), the “scissors” exercise, and acupressure. You can include children's songs during the procedure.

Such a diagnosis can be made by a neurologist. He necessarily observes all babies up to a year once every three months, starting from birth. A neurologist can identify many diseases at an early stage, which are much easier to cure in infancy. Most often, various massages or physiotherapy help well.

What is hypotonia in infants how dangerous the disease is, how it manifests itself and what it leads to - a lot of questions arise for the parents of a baby with such a diagnosis. And the most main question – how to treat hypotension?

Hypotension- this is a weakening of the muscles in an infant at a time when it is necessary to show muscle tension. How does it manifest itself? The doctor, when straightening the baby's legs, expects them to squeeze them, but this does not happen or happens a little later. In this case, the diagnosis is hypotension. In this neurological disease, the baby's muscles cannot contract normally. More often, infants are diagnosed with the opposite diagnosis - hypertension. With hypertonicity, the child's muscles are strongly contracted without any effect on them.

You probably paid attention to how the neurologist treats the baby at the appointment. First, he tries to take the baby by the arms, expecting that he will start to pull himself up and try to sit down. Then he checks how the legs will behave when resting on a plane. The child should try to push off from it and make stepping movements. This is a normal baby reaction.

With hypotension, the baby cannot make such response movements or reacts belatedly and very weakly.

At home, children with hypotension also behave differently.

What is hypotension in a child?

Please note if:

• your baby is too quiet and calm. Sleeps too much when he wakes up, looks somehow sluggish and slow and is not easily aroused.
• during sleep, the baby will be with fully extended legs and arms, the fingers will also be straightened. He will calmly react if the legs are pushed strongly to the sides and will not try to bend them back. (Usually, in infants, the legs are slightly bent at the knees, and the fingers are clenched into a fist).
• with hypotonicity, infants often suckle the breast very sluggishly or completely refuse it.
• infants with hypotension cannot raise their heads, straining their neck muscles, crawl, stretch their arms - it is very difficult for them to make any movements, straining their muscles.

But do not rush to draw conclusions on your own - express your suspicions to the pediatrician, he, in turn, will prescribe an examination by a neurologist.

Why does hypotonia occur in infants?

Central nervous system dysfunction and insufficient blood supply- these are the main causes of hypotension in infants. Emergency or difficult births with complications, birth injuries, asphyxia and hypoxia in the newborn have a great influence on malfunctions in the central nervous system. Also if during pregnancy future mom suffered a serious infectious disease, with excessive "hobby" vitamin D, or if the pregnancy was complicated. If the expectant mother during pregnancy abused alcohol, nicotine, drugs. Hypotension in infants can develop due to genetic diseases, malformations, underweight, malnutrition of the infant, with the exhaustion of the child's body after severe infectious diseases.

What causes hypotonia in infants?

Importantly, after the diagnosis is determined "Hypotonicity in the baby"- this is not to delay and start treatment on time, because the sooner you start restoring the work of the muscles, the faster they will be able to return to normal, and there will be no other complications.

If hypotension is not treated, then in the future physical development the baby will pass very slowly, and the curvature of the spine and the violation of posture is ensured.

The worst thing that hypotension in infants can lead to is muscle dystrophy. This happens when the musculoskeletal system is completely weakened.

How is hypotension in infants treated?

The main help with such a disease is a course of special massage. Massage for hypotension in infants is very payload not only on the baby's muscles, but also on his central nervous system. Due to the fact that massage movements stimulate all parts of the body, affecting the internal organs through the skin.

Massage from Dr. Komarovsky (video):

How is massage done with hypotension?

The course of massage with hypotension should last at least ten times, depending on the results and the condition of the baby, it can be extended. The massage therapist's hands should move from the periphery to the center. Massage with hypotension sometimes delivers babies discomfort and be sure to monitor his condition and mood. It is better to start massage with hypotension, when the baby is calm, satisfied, in good mood. If the baby does not like the massage, give it a little later.

Usually, to perform a massage, they resort to the services of professional children's masseurs. Such a specialist knows how intensely, with what movements (stroking, tapping, rubbing or pinching), with what rhythm it is better to massage the baby. This also includes acupressure of active points on the baby's body.

The main exercises that a mother can do for a baby.

1. Take the baby's hands in yours, bring them together and spread them apart several times.
2. Boxing. Repeat the movements of the boxer several times.
3. Take the baby lying on his back by the handles and pull him a little towards you. Lower. Repeat several times.
4. Bike. Take the baby, lying on his back, by the legs, make him a few bicycle movements.

In addition to massage for the treatment of muscle hypotonia, the neurologist will probably prescribe physiotherapy procedures. They treat this disease very effectively. To this you can add more acupuncture, physiotherapy exercises, aromatherapy.

In addition to various procedures, a neurologist can add medication. In the treatment of muscle hypotonia, infants are not vaccinated.

Usually, the result of complex treatment for muscle hypotonia in infants is clearly visible after three months. Muscle movements are already much easier for the baby, the development of the central nervous system is more active, and the child himself begins to move more.

Such children are usually observed by a neurologist for a long time, periodically conducting additional procedures.

In addition to professional massage, at home with the baby, mom can perform various exercises. Don't forget about water procedures. Bathing the baby makes all the muscles work, while relaxing them and giving pleasure to the baby. At the same time, start hardening it. To do this, each time lower the water temperature by one to two degrees.

Only love, care and attention of parents will help the baby to cope with any illness. If the baby has muscle hypotonia, only timely complex treatment will completely get rid of this disease.

Such a complex includes - professional massage, exercises at home with mom, physiotherapy, swimming or water treatments, reflexology, acupuncture, aromatherapy. But the most important thing with such a disease is the timely treatment started. The sooner the diagnosis is made and treatment is started, the sooner the baby will become healthy and begin to develop normally.

Muscular hypotension in children- this is a decrease in muscle tone, the condition develops primarily in children. Weakened muscle fibers contract very slowly in response to nerve stimulation and cannot provide the degree of muscle response to the same extent as normal muscle tissue. Muscle hypotension in children is a symptom that can be triggered by many diseases of various etiologies.

Hypotension in children, also called muscle weakness syndrome, is one of the causes of dystrophy. muscle tissue. Low muscle tone can be caused by various reasons. Often this condition indicates the presence of disorders in the central nervous system, genetic disorders or muscle malformations. Muscle tone is the tension or degree of resistance to movement in a muscle. Hypotension is not analogous to muscle weakness, which manifests itself as a decrease in muscle strength, but it may be accompanied by this symptom. In normal condition muscle tone determines the ability of muscles to respond to stretching of the fascia and muscle fibers. For example, the bent arms of a child with a normal level of tone quickly straighten, the flexor muscles of the shoulder (biceps) quickly straighten in response to this action. Once the action is completed, the extensor muscles relax and return to their normal resting state.

In a child with low muscle fiber tone, the muscles are in no hurry to start contracting. They give a delayed response to a nerve stimulus and cannot hold the limb in a certain position for a long time.

The main signs of hypotension in children

The hypotonic state of infants affects their appearance. The main signs of hypotension in children are visible to the naked eye. They rest slightly apart in different sides elbows and knees, while children with normal muscle tone, as a rule, use bent elbows and knees in sufficient amplitude at a right angle as support. Such a child cannot hold his head for a long time due to the weakness of the occipital muscles. The head constantly tilts forward, backward or sideways.

Children with normal tone can be lifted up by placing their hands under the armpits, while hypotonic infants tend to slip between the arms. At the same time, their handles involuntarily rise up, parallel to the plane of the body.

Most children younger age during sleep and rest, bend the arms and legs at the knees and elbows. Children with symptoms of hypotension limply hang them during relaxation.

How does muscle hypotension manifest in children?

Infants suffering from hypotension have a delay in physical motor activity. Muscle hypotonia in children can manifest itself in the form of the following signs:

• they cannot roll over from their tummy to their back on their own;
• cannot learn to crawl;
• with difficulty holding the head;
• do not have the ability to hold a toy in their hands;
• do not keep balance sitting position;
• have difficulty keeping their weight on their feet.

As a result of muscle hypotension, children quickly develop muscle weakness, which negatively affects the posture and mobility of the baby. The level of reflexes decreases, weakness of the ligamentous apparatus occurs, and permanent dislocations of large and small joints can be provoked. The most common are the habitual jawbones, hips, knees, ankle joint. IN severe cases there may be problems with the swallowing and chewing muscles. Such children cannot suckle, chew and swallow food on their own. They need to be fed with a special tube or parenterally.

Prolonged inability to pronounce speech in patients with hypotension is not associated with impaired intelligence and mental abilities. This condition is directly related to poor muscle development. chest, glottis and respiratory disorders.

When does hypotension develop in children?

The spread of this condition is not related to the sex of the baby and the place of his permanent residence. A weak relationship can be traced between the development of hypotension and the behavior of the mother of the child during her pregnancy. At the same time, according to practical observations of control groups of sick children, it can be argued that the age at which symptoms of hypotension first appeared is important. The most dangerous age of a child is the period from 3 to 7 years. It is at this time that there is a risk of the formation of limited physical abilities in the baby due to the development of muscle hypotension.

In infancy, the condition is more successfully corrected through the use of modern medical means of rehabilitation. At the age of over 7 years, hypotension is an extremely rare condition and is directly related to the influence of the underlying disease. At the same time, successful therapy of the underlying disease leads to the complete disappearance of symptoms of hypotension in children.

Causes of hypotension in children

Doctors do not know the reliable causes of hypotension. Scientists believe it may be caused by trauma, environmental stressors, or other genetic changes in muscles and disorders of the central nervous system.

Causes of hypotension in children can be as follows:

• Down syndrome, in which the DNA chromosomes take on an altered appearance, usually due to extra copies of the twenty-first chromosome.
• Myasthenia gravis: neuromuscular disorders in this disease are characterized by variable muscle weakness, which often improves after adequate rest and increases due to physical activity. The condition may be caused by immune disorders.
• Prader-Willi syndrome- a congenital defect of genes, characterized by the absence of approximately 7 genes in the 15th chromosome of the DNA helix. It is accompanied by obesity, a severe form of hypotension, and a decrease in mental abilities.
• Severe forms of reactive jaundice as a result of the conflict between the Rh factor of the mother and the child.
• Cerebellar ataxia with movement disorders, which are distinguished by a sudden onset, is often a complication after suffering infectious viral diseases. May cause hypotension in severe cases.
• Botulism, at which Clostridium can multiply within gastrointestinal tract child. In the course of life, they produce a toxin that paralyzes muscle fibers and is potentially life threatening.
• Marfan syndrome- a hereditary disease of connective tissue cells with the destruction of collagen fibers that form muscle ligaments and supporting apparatus. This has a negative effect on the motor apparatus, cardiovascular system condition of eyes and skin.
• muscular dystrophy is a group of disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness and loss of muscle fiber volume.
• Achondroplasia in the form of a violation of the physiological growth of the bones of the child's skeleton, which causes the most common type of dwarfism. Accompanied by hypotension of moderate severity.
• Sepsis and other serious, life-threatening diseases for the child, causing massive blood poisoning with toxins and living forms of bacteria.
• congenital hypothyroidism causes hypotension by reducing the production of thyroid hormones.
• Hypervitaminosis D- a condition that appears in full a few months after the use of excessive doses of vitamin D to prevent rickets.
• provokes softening and destruction of bone tissue in children. Caused by a deficiency of calcium or phosphate. Accompanied by symptoms of hypotension.
• Spinal muscular atrophy type 1- a group of hereditary diseases that cause progressive muscle dystrophy and weakness, ultimately leading to the death of the child.
• Side effects from .

Common symptoms of hypotension in children

The following are common symptoms of hypotension in children. Each child may experience different manifestations of this condition, depending on the underlying cause of hypotension:

• decreased muscle tone - the muscles feel soft and loose in structure;
• the possibility of breeding limbs in opposite directions goes beyond the physiological norm;
• failure to acquire motor skills appropriate to developmental stages (such as holding one's head without parental assistance, rolling over on one's own, being able to sit without support, crawling, walking);
• inability to independently suck milk or chew food for a long period of time;
• shallow breathing without the ability to take more than two deep breaths in a row;
• the lower jaw may sag, there is a prolapse of the tongue.

When to See a Doctor

Normally developing children tend to develop motor skills, control their own posture in accordance with medical standards at this age. Motor skills fall into two categories. Vasomotor skills include the ability of an infant to raise its head while lying on its stomach, and to roll over from its back to its stomach. As a rule, at a certain age, the child develops motor skills to such an extent that he can hold his body in a sitting position, crawl, walk, run and jump. The speed of reaction includes the ability to quickly see the transfer of a toy from one hand to another. The kid points to an object, follows a toy or a person's actions with his eyes. Children with muscle hypotonia are slow to develop these skills, and parents should seek medical attention from a pediatrician if they notice such developmental delays.

A lot is written and said about increased muscle tone (hypertonicity) in children of the first year of life, but reduced tone (muscle hypotension, hypotonicity) somehow usually remains “in the shadows”. Although this problem is faced by many newborns and older children.

What kind of animal is this - a weak muscle tone in a child? The reasons for this phenomenon, as in the case of hypertonicity, must be sought in the features of the course of pregnancy and the birth itself. For example, another diagnosis “beloved” by our doctors leads to hypotension - PEP, that is, perinatal encephalopathy. In Russian, these are damage to small areas of the fetal brain during pregnancy and childbirth, usually a consequence of oxygen starvation (hypoxia or asphyxia). And if increased tone more common in newborns born at normal times, hypotension is a more common problem in preterm or immature children.

Physiological immaturity can occur in absolutely full-term babies born on time. However, immature newborns look and behave as if they were born before Nature intended. They have thin skin, a weakly expressed fatty layer, a lot of vellus hair, the body is abundantly covered with primordial lubrication, the weight can be less than 3 kilograms, the child does not keep a normal temperature well, and often freezes. But most importantly, in immature children, muscle tone is reduced, there is a lack or even complete absence of some reflexes.

It is quite difficult for a mother who gave birth to her first child to recognize the signs of hypotension in a baby. Usually this diagnosis is made during the examination by a neurologist. A more experienced mother may suspect such a deviation by the fact that the child seems a little lethargic, his muscles are not tense (as in a healthy newborn), and the arms and legs are easily unbent. The baby is not able to hold his head while lying on his stomach, and at the same time spreads his arms to the sides, but does not tighten, as children usually do. When suckling the breast, he can quickly get tired and fall asleep.

If you try to “plant” a baby with hypotension by pulling up on the handles, then his arms will immediately straighten easily, the stomach will be very rounded, and the back will be hunched. Normally, it will not be possible to completely unbend the arms of a newborn, since his muscle tone is slightly increased.

Another way to check is step reflex and support reflex. To do this, you need to “put” the child on a flat surface, holding it with your hand under the chest. A healthy baby will stand on the support of the entire foot, and then take a “step” forward - this reflex is observed in children up to one and a half months, and then fades away (and has nothing to do with the walking skill in the future). A child with hypotension will not “walk” anywhere, he will bend his legs, or still make a stepping movement, but at the same time the leg will be strongly bent.

There are also a number of important signs by which deviations from the norm of muscle tone are determined. But we will leave them to the experts. Moreover, an examination by a neurologist is mandatory for all children from the age of 1 month.

Muscle hypotension in children: treatment

To correct weak muscle tone in a newborn, doctors very rarely prescribe any drugs, except in cases of severe hypotension. And the main means of normalizing the tone is massage, gymnastics and other procedures, most of which can be done at home on your own.

With reduced tone, a stimulating massage is required, which is usually carried out by specialists in a clinic or at home. But along with medical massage, you can do it yourself with the baby, preferably every day. It would also be useful to get a gymnastic ball at home - fitball, exercises on which also have healing effect with hypotension. And examples of massage and ball exercises are easy to find on the Internet or ask a nurse or a masseuse who will come to your child.

Another great way to stimulate weak muscles- lessons in the pool. If you have such an opportunity, do not miss it in any case. In baby pools, the water is usually not as warm as they make at home. loving mothers for bathing babies, and this coolness has a stimulating effect on the child's body and his muscles. And in combination with gymnastics in the water, you can generally get a wonderful effect for your baby.

No pool? It doesn’t matter, therapeutic bathing can be done at home. Make the water a little cooler and try to get the child to move more actively. By the way, hardening procedures with water are also useful for babies with muscle hypotension. But wrapping and overheating such children is not worth it - the heat relaxes the muscles, makes them "sour", which negatively affects physical skills.

Nowadays, among young parents, the advice of pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky, who is considered an unconditional authority in everything related to child health. Evgeny Olegovich did not bypass his attention to the topic of neurological abnormalities in newborns. According to him, in all countries of the former CIS there is a problem of overdiagnosis of both increased and decreased tone in children.

Dr. Komarovsky believes that doctors often play it safe, identifying this or that deviation from the norm in their little patients, and advises mothers not to panic if the child does receive such a diagnosis.

"Yes, there is enough a large number of serious neurological diseases that occur infrequently - according to statistics, even in developing countries, such problems occur in about 4% of the child population. At the same time, a maximum of 1-2% of children really need pills for neurological diseases, and 90% of children receive them, ”says Evgeny Olegovich.

Hypotension in infants Komarovsky refers to those variants of the norm that are quite amenable to correction at home. And this, as mentioned above, is massage, gymnastics, water procedures, hardening and parental love.

True, this does not mean at all that mom and dad need to relax and do nothing at all. Hypotension is not dangerous to health, it is a fact - at least its mild degrees, which are most common. But the reduced tone does not affect the physical development of the child in the best way. Such babies later begin to roll over, sit down, crawl, stand up and walk. Usually these deviations are leveled by a year and a half, but if you properly deal with your child, then you can forget about the problem much earlier.