Muscles are an important part of the human body. They are necessary for completing many vital processes. And after the birth of a child, doctors evaluate him with special care. muscle tone. This term refers to minimal tension, which is maintained in a state of complete relaxation and peace. And with certain health problems, the tone may be disturbed, which requires close attention and adequate correction. Let's talk on the website about what to do if a child's muscle tone is weak and increased, and we'll look at the treatment of such pathological conditions in a little more detail.
As you know, in the mother’s womb the baby, in order to fit in the uterus, is located in the fetal position. Accordingly, his muscles are very tense at this time. After the baby is born, muscle tone gradually decreases, and only at two years does it approach that of an adult. But many infants have problems with natural muscle tension.
Weak muscle tone in a child (hypotonia)
Such a disorder is often diagnosed in the maternity hospital. Muscle weakness makes the baby unnaturally sluggish. The baby only occasionally moves his limbs, and he begins to hold his head up too late. In general, such children look limp, they sleep a lot and cry occasionally. If you put the baby on his back, straighten and spread his legs to the sides, you will not feel any special resistance. On weak tone in children, indicates the absence of natural bending of the arms under the chest when lying on the stomach.
Weak muscle tone in a child. Reasons
The cause of impaired muscle tone in a child can be several factors: trauma during childbirth, placental insufficiency, poor environmental conditions.
Neurological, infectious, genetic, metabolic and degenerative diseases can also affect muscles; lesions of the spinal cord and peripheral nerve; polio.
What to do?
If the tone decreases, you need to immediately begin to correct it, otherwise the child may slow down. physical development. It is necessary to seek advice from a qualified neurologist, as well as an orthopedist. For babies with reduced muscle tone, massages are most often prescribed. Parents can perform gymnastics with babies on their own; it would also be a good idea to sign up with a qualified massage therapist and take several courses. Fitball exercises and swimming provide excellent results.
Also, small patients with hypotension are advised to undergo acupuncture and various physiotherapeutic procedures (for example, paraffin).
In particular severe cases Children with hypotension are prescribed medications. But such funds are selected exclusively on an individual basis.
With weak muscle tone it is extremely important role Determining the cause of its occurrence and correct correction of identified violations also plays a role.
Massage
With reduced tone, children are recommended a stimulating massage that activates the baby. This impact involves performing chopping and kneading movements. It is better to start and end the massage with traditional strokes. In this case, you should move from the periphery to the center, starting from the limbs: from the hand to the shoulder, from the foot to the groin.
Increased muscle tone in the child. Treatment
As you know, increased muscle tone in children under one month is completely normal. However, in some cases it is too pronounced (excessive) in nature. So we can talk about hypertonicity if the child begins to hold his head up too early. So in some babies such attempts are noticeable literally in the first days after birth.
If the baby has increased tone in the upper limbs, his arms will be constantly clenched into fists, often in the shape of a “fig”. Hypertonicity lower limbs manifests itself when the baby’s legs cannot be moved apart until an angle of ninety degrees is reached. Such children often cry a lot, are characterized by increased anxiety, and react to different sounds and bright lights.
Excessive tone also needs timely diagnosis and adequate correction. Massages will also help to cope with such a disorder, but not of a tonic, but of a relaxing nature. Initially, young patients are prescribed ten massage sessions, after which six months later such procedures will need to be repeated. Swimming and physiotherapeutic procedures also have a good effect.
As for drug treatment, it is selected exclusively on an individual basis. The doctor may prescribe diuretics for the baby to reduce the amount of fluid in the brain. Dibazol can also be used immediately before a massage; this product helps relieve spasms and dilate blood vessels.
Young patients may be prescribed B vitamins (especially vitamin B6 and B12). Mydocalm can also be used. A positive result can be achieved by taking baths with the addition of medicinal herbs (for example, motherwort, sage, valerian or lingonberry leaves).
Massage
If you have hypertension, you can do massage on your own. The child should be placed on a flat surface and gently stroked with warm hands along the arms, legs and back. You can stroke with your fingers (stroking) or with the whole brush (grasping). Afterwards, rub the skin gently and gently. in a circular motion(as if you are sifting sand through a sieve with your hand). Then you need to make rocking and shaking movements of the limbs. Finish the massage with gentle rocking.
If there are tone disorders in infants, you should not hesitate to carry out appropriate treatment. Untimely therapy is fraught with the development of various types of disorders.
Muscle tone is the muscle tension that is necessary to carry out movements and statically maintain body posture. How is the pathological condition identified? muscle hypotonia in a baby or hypertonicity.
In the mother's womb, before birth, the baby is in the fetal position. At the same time, his limbs are bent and pulled towards the body, his fingers are clenched into fists. Muscles are tense. After birth, some hypertonicity normally persists for up to six months. However, it is not very pronounced. The fists can be easily unclenched and the limbs can be straightened.
Features of hypotonicity
If the baby behaves sluggishly, the limbs lie along the body, the range of movements is small, or the child does not move at all, does not try to roll over, then they speak of hypotonicity.
Hypotonia or muscle hypotonia of the newborn is insufficient muscle tension. This type of lethargy is also called syndrome muscle weakness baby.
The reaction of muscle fibers to the action of stimuli remains, but it slows down significantly compared to what muscle tissue normally exhibits.
Lethargy is the exact name of the main symptom of hypotension. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to immediately identify signs of hypotension in a newborn. Sometimes pathology can be hidden from unprofessional eyes under poor health and excessive moodiness.
When to expect symptoms of hypotension
Signs of hypotonicity can manifest themselves in different infancy and childhood.
- Immediately after birth. This pathology is determined by checking the reflexes of a newborn. The etiology of such low tone must be sought in the course of the mother's pregnancy.
- 3–7 months. Hypotonia can be diagnosed by reflexes and secondary signs.
- 3–7 years. Such hypotonia will be the result of diseases that developed after birth and could affect the muscular, ligamentous apparatus and nervous system.
There is no connection with the child’s gender, territorial or racial background.
Diagnostic tests
To determine the signs of hypotension, a specialist will need some special professional techniques and tests. In particular, support reflexes and others are tested.
Classifications
Muscular hypotonia can be on one side of the body, or it can affect both. Hypotonia is classified depending on the severity and severity of muscle weakness.
Muscular hypotonia may be barely noticeable to a layman, or may represent complete immobility. The most severe degree is considered to be a condition with lethargy of the muscles of breathing, sucking, swallowing, and chewing. Such children need feeding through a feeding tube. They suffer from constant dislocations.
Slight hypotonicity is also harmful to the body and leads to severe pathological changes. Over time, such a child experiences pathological development of posture and impaired development of motor skills. He will lag behind not only in physical, but also in mental development. He will be able to sit up, crawl, and walk much later than his peers.
In severe cases, a child in the first year of life experiences curvature of the spine, joint dislocations, and pathological contractions of poorly functioning tendons.
It is extremely important to identify and begin treatment for muscle hypotonia in your baby as early as possible. This will not only cure the child, but also avoid complications that are dangerous for the small growing organism.
Every parent is concerned about the health of their child. Largest quantity concerns associated with newborns. After all, at first glance it is very difficult to determine any problems with his health. And if in the maternity hospital they diagnosed “infant hypotonia,” then there is no need to despair. Identifying this problem in the early stages allows you to restore the child’s health in the shortest possible time and give him normal and active life full of achievements and exploits.
Often, even in the maternity hospital, they can say that there is muscle hypotonicity in the baby. Unfortunately, failure to identify the condition in a timely manner can complicate the treatment process and delay it for years. In order to make sure that your child is in good health, you should visit a neurologist. He will make a diagnosis at first glance and help restore health. After all, hypotension in an infant is cured the faster the earlier it was diagnosed.
There is no need to be afraid of such a diagnosis. Parents' love, care, exercise, massage and drug treatment will give their results literally within three to four months. And the baby will delight his loved ones with a radiant smile and unprecedented activity. Infant hypotonia can be quickly cured if all necessary measures are taken in a timely manner.
Hypotonia in infants: signs
At first glance, the baby seems completely normal. Nothing bothers him. He spends most of his time in a sleepy state, and cries of indignation are heard very rarely. And many parents believe that they simply have a very calm child, rejoicing at this fact.
The baby's palms are always open, because due to muscle weakness he is not able to clench his fists. The legs are spread wide both when awake and during sleep. Sometimes it seems that this position causes great discomfort for the baby, but this is not so. Hypotonicity in the baby makes it possible to practically not feel muscle tension.
During the feeding process, the baby may fall asleep several times, since his muscles are not ready for prolonged stress.
It would seem that these are not obvious signs. But in practice it turns out that most children, having such characteristics in the first months of life, undergo long-term treatment in the future.
Hypotonia in infants: causes
There are many reasons why hypotension appears in a baby. And they are not always obvious. It is very important that the baby’s condition is determined in a timely manner.
Reasons that cause hypotension in infants:
- botulism;
- muscle atrophy;
- birth trauma;
- hypertrophy and reduced body weight;
- congenital myopathy;
- hormone imbalance;
- chromosome imbalance;
- polio;
- unbalanced and unhealthy diet.
In some cases, hypotension in infants is caused by serious illnesses. Thus, children with Down syndrome almost always have hypotension, but against the background of the main problem, the treatment of this condition fades into the background.
Hypotonia in infants: treatment
When a diagnosis of hypotension is made in an infant, there is no need to despair. Especially if it did not appear against the background of serious illnesses. Competent doctor active gymnastics and massage, and most importantly timely detection of the disease, help very quickly.
It is important to find a competent neurologist who can adequately assess the baby’s condition and take it into account physiological characteristics and confirm the diagnosis. Only taking into account the data obtained can a course of treatment be developed. The course is individual for each young patient. Treatment for hypotonia in infants is effective only if parents follow all doctor’s recommendations. TO general purposes Neurologists include massage and exercise.
In some cases it is prescribed:
- phytotherapy;
- acupuncture;
- physical therapy;
- physiotherapeutic procedures.
The number of procedures is selected individually. It is necessary to monitor after which treatment methods the baby shows greater progress, and which practically do not produce results. The later the diagnosis is made, the more procedures will be required.
Baby massage for hypotension
It must be remembered that massage for infants with hypotension is mandatory. It should only be performed by a professional as prescribed by a doctor. You need to be prepared for the fact that various manipulations can cause irritation in the child. Forcibly performing sessions is not recommended, as the condition can only worsen. If the child does not like the massage, then its sessions are postponed to a later time. Sometimes you have to delay treatment for more than a couple of months.
Proper massage is not aimed at stimulating muscles and normalizing trophism. The baby should feel that he has muscles and that he can control them. Based on the individual condition of the child, 10-20 massage procedures are prescribed. In some cases, with early diagnosis of the condition, 8 visits are sufficient. If hypotension is detected in an infant closer to one year, then the number of massage sessions can increase to 30. In any case, the neurologist carefully monitors what results the treatment gives.
A child is massaged using stroking, rubbing, sharp pinching, and tapping. The massage therapist performs movements throughout the body: starting from the fingertips on the arms, ending with active rubbing of the back. To increase the effectiveness of the massage, the specialist acupressures each muscle. Do not worry if the procedure is carried out very impulsively. The main thing is that the child’s muscle function is fully restored. And taking into account the fact that some kids are truly delighted with the procedures performed, there is no need to worry. Thanks to good massage The baby's hypotonia will go away faster and he will feel all the joy from active movements.
Infant gymnastics for hypotension
Gymnastics is recommended for all newborns and caring parents do it every day, watching the success of their child. For hypotension in infants gymnastic exercises are almost paramount. They become an integral part of the baby's life. Thanks to correct execution enough simple exercises you can quickly achieve excellent results.
Gymnastics for infants with hypotonia involves the following exercises:
- Boxing - taking the baby's hands in her fingers, the mother alternately straightens and bends the child's arms in front of her. When the muscles become stronger, the baby will clench his fists and independently take his mother’s fingers. His movements will become sharper and more independent.
- Cross arm swing - taking the child by the arms, actively crossing them, bringing them together and spreading them apart.
- Pull-up - from a lying position, the baby is carefully lifted by the arms. Stronger muscles allow you to lift a baby who has picked himself up independently into a sitting position.
- Bicycle – alternately bending and straightening the baby’s legs.
- Spreading the legs to the sides - the mother alternately crosses the baby's legs and spreads them wide to the sides.
There are many more exercises that allow the mother to speed up the process of restoring the baby’s development. You should also not ignore massaging your palms, fingers and feet. This procedure stimulates the nerve endings. Hypotonicity in a baby will quickly go away under the strict guidance of a caring mother.
Komarovsky: hypotonia in infants
Doctor Komarovsky has long become a luminary for all mothers in the post-Soviet space. Evgeniy Olegovich claims that hypotension can be detected by caring parents themselves. The child’s recovery depends on their strength and desire. In addition to massage sessions conducted by a specialist, it is necessary to tirelessly stimulate his limbs at home, perform gymnastics, and gradually increase the load. Hypotonia in an infant is not a fatal diagnosis. The correct and reasonable approach of parents to its treatment helps to get rid of the disease and return the baby to full health.
Hypotonia in infants has long ceased to be a serious problem. Timely detection, therapy and a properly selected course of treatment can save a child from such a deficiency and restore him to full health.
Muscular hypotonia is a disease characterized by weakening of muscle fibers. This leads to disruption of the conduction of nerve impulses. In the vast majority of cases, muscle hypotonicity is a consequence of other pathologies, including congenital ones. The disease is diagnosed in childhood, but for a number of reasons there is a risk of developing muscle hypotension in adults.
Muscle hypotonia is not an independent disease, but a pathology that manifests itself against the background of other diseases. The disorder is caused by a decrease in muscle tone, which leads to disruption of the nervous regulation of muscle fibers. However, muscle hypotension syndrome is often described as an independent disease, but always overlaps with other disorders. Isolation of a disorder into a separate disease is due to a whole complex of symptoms that require separate therapy.
Also, the isolation of the disorder as a separate diagnosis is due to the fact that the syndrome of impaired muscle tone is a symptom of a huge number of different diseases. To date, more than a hundred pathologies have been identified that are accompanied by muscle hypotonicity.
Muscle hypotonia can be a consequence of congenital pathologies and anomalies. The disorder may also be a symptom of acquired diseases, for example, sepsis or meningitis in adult patients.
The disease is most often diagnosed in children
Classification and types
Muscle hypotonia is classified according to the reason for its development, location of the lesion and form of its course.
Based on localization, a distinction is made between diffuse muscular hypotension syndrome and local muscular hypotension. With diffuse muscle hypotonia in children and adults, a general disorder is diagnosed in all muscle fibers. The local form of the disease is a lesion of a small muscle group.
Due to development, congenital and acquired forms of the disease are distinguished. Congenital hypotonia in infants is a consequence of developmental anomalies. The disorder develops during the prenatal period of the child’s growth.
Acquired hypotension in children and adults is a consequence of serious illnesses. In most cases, acquired muscle hypotonia is associated with damage to the central nervous system, neurological disorders or autoimmune processes. Muscle hypotension can also develop due to infectious diseases.
According to the nature of the onset of the pathological process, muscle hypotension is acute and gradually developing. In the first case, symptoms of muscle weakening occur abruptly, in the second case, muscle weakness increases gradually. At first, there is a slight damage to one muscle group, which progresses. In the diffuse form of the disease, there is a constant worsening of symptoms, up to complete loss of the ability to move the affected muscles.
According to the nature of its course, the disease is divided into 4 types:
- episodic, occurring once;
- intermittent hypotension, in which periods of worsening symptoms are followed by periods of their weakening;
- recurrent, in which hypotonicity may reappear;
- progressive muscle hypotonia, in which the disorder affects new muscle groups, or symptoms quickly worsen.
Treatment and further prognosis depend on the type of muscle damage. The diffuse form of the disease is the most difficult to treat.
Reasons for the development of hypotension
As already mentioned, there are many reasons for the development of muscle hypotension syndrome in a child. Among congenital and genetically determined disorders alone, doctors identify more than 40 types of various pathologies. The most common causes of muscle hypotonia syndrome in a newborn:
- Down syndrome;
- Robinov's syndrome;
- Patau syndrome;
- Niemann-Pick disease;
- achondroplasia;
- spinal muscular atrophy.
Down syndrome is the most common cause of muscle hypotonia
The development of muscle hypotonicity in children in the first month of life is most often a consequence of intrauterine malformations, but not genetic disorders. Possible reasons include:
- cerebellar ataxia;
- hypothyroidism;
- cerebral palsy;
- intrauterine severe hypoxia.
Also, the development of muscle hypotension in a baby in the first days of life may be associated with intrauterine intoxication with drugs that the woman took during pregnancy. Often, fetal muscle hypoxia is caused by psychoactive drugs prescribed for the treatment of epilepsy and anxiety disorders.
The development of muscle hypotension in adults is a consequence of severe diseases and chronic disorders that first appeared in adulthood. TO possible reasons include:
- meningitis;
- encephalitis;
- myasthenia gravis;
- sepsis;
- mercury and heavy metal poisoning;
- hypervitaminosis.
Muscle hypotonia in children preschool age may be caused by polio, an inadequate reaction to vaccination, or rickets. Signs of hypotension can also appear against the background of various autoimmune pathologies.
Symptoms in newborns and children
Children with this diagnosis lag behind their peers in their physical development
Muscle hypotonia in infants is characterized by impaired motor activity, reflex activity and delayed physical development. You can suspect muscle hypotonia in newborns based on the following symptoms:
- weak reflexes;
- increased salivation;
- violation of the grasping reflex;
- general flabbiness and muscle weakness.
With hypotension in infants, impaired muscle tone does not allow the baby to hold his head normally. There is weakness of the neck muscles. It is difficult for the child to roll over on his stomach on his own; the grasping reflex is very weak, and therefore the baby cannot hold anything in his hands for a long time. Typically, infants with hypotonic muscles cannot support their limbs normally. When trying to lift the upper half of the body, the baby will rely not on the palms, but on the elbow joints.
At an older age, when children begin to make their first attempts to stand on their feet, children with muscle hypotonia have a very difficult time. The child cannot hold his body in an upright position for a long time; it is difficult for him to grab support with his hands. Even crawling on all fours is accompanied by a lack of coordination of movements due to weakening of the muscles.
Muscular hypotonic disorder in children is always accompanied by developmental delays. Such children grow slower, remember new information less well, and begin to speak later than others. When muscle hypotonia appears at the age of two years, problems arise with the child’s socialization.
Symptoms of the disease in adults
If hypotonicity in infants is manifested by impaired coordination of movements and weakened reflexes, the symptoms in adults are not so pronounced. Most often, hypotension in adults is detected by chance, and people mistake muscle weakness and general weakness for symptoms of chronic fatigue.
Characteristic signs of acquired muscle hypotonia in adults:
- the appearance of weakness throughout the body for no apparent reason;
- severe headaches;
- episodic tachycardia;
- discomfort in the heart area;
- sleep problems;
- change in the amplitude of movement of the limbs in the joint;
- numbness of the arms and legs;
- profuse sweating.
A characteristic symptom of hypotonicity in adults is a change in the amplitude of movement of the limbs. Compared to a healthy person, it increases significantly. Movements in the joints become sweeping.
Often, muscle hypotension in adults is accompanied by symptoms of cardiovascular disorders - pain in the heart, shortness of breath, tachycardia.
Severe paroxysmal headaches do not respond to drug therapy. No matter what painkillers the patient takes, headache does not decrease.
Sleep problems often appear against the background of muscle hypotension. In this case, a person may suffer from insomnia, or constantly feel the need to sleep. Some patients begin to sleep 10 hours a day, but prolonged rest does not bring relief and constant fatigue continues to bother the patient.
Other than fatigue and headache, there may be no symptoms. The person does not go to the doctor, attributing the ailment to fatigue. This complicates diagnosis and aggravates the course of the disease, since muscle hypotonia begins to progress over time. In especially severe cases, short-term paresis in the limbs develops.
It is important to remember that muscle hypotension is a serious condition that must be treated. The sooner the patient contacts a specialist, the more favorable the future prognosis.
In adults, manifestations of pathology may be limited to a persistent feeling of fatigue
Diagnostics
If you feel unwell, you should consult a therapist or neurologist. The baby must be urgently shown to a pediatrician and pediatric neurologist.
First, the doctor conducts a survey and analyzes the patient’s complaints. Family history and any recent illnesses must be taken into account. Necessary examinations to confirm the diagnosis:
- muscle examination;
- reflex testing;
- computed and magnetic resonance imaging;
- study of the composition of cerebrospinal fluid;
- electromyography.
Sometimes a genetic analysis is additionally prescribed, since muscle hypotension can be caused by genetic disorders. Additionally, the doctor prescribes a general and biochemical blood test.
Why is muscle hypotonia dangerous?
Hypotonia requires timely treatment, otherwise complications may arise. In children, hypotonicity causes a violation of the swallowing reflex, incorrect speech production, and problems with posture.
In older age, hypotonicity can lead to curvature of the spine and metabolic disorders. One of the common complications of this disorder is obesity.
Treatment principle
Regular massage improves muscle tone in your baby
Diffuse muscle hypotonia in children is difficult to correct, so at the first symptoms you need to visit a doctor, usually treatment is supplemented with therapeutic exercises.
If a child has hypotension, children are prescribed:
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- Exercise therapy (for older children);
- drug treatment.
Newborns need massage to normalize muscle tone. Older children are prescribed physical therapy aimed at improving the conduction of nerve impulses into the muscles. To improve posture and normalize cerebral circulation, children are prescribed physical therapy aimed at strengthening muscles.
If you have a speech disorder, you need to take a course with a speech therapist. Children are also given special classes to develop fine motor skills.
It is necessary to treat hypotension in children comprehensively; treatment is also supplemented with special medications. Vitamin therapy is carried out, children are prescribed drugs to increase muscle tone.
Treatment of muscle hypotension in adults is carried out with medication. Drugs are prescribed depending on the cause of the disorder. Typically, patients are advised to take medications from the group of nootropics to normalize cerebral circulation and improve cognitive functions of the brain. As a rule, this helps get rid of headaches.
Additionally, the following may be assigned:
- means for normalizing vascular tone;
- neurometabolic drugs;
- vitamin complexes;
- antibiotics.
Antibacterial therapy is carried out if muscle hypotonia is caused by recent severe bacterial infections. This treatment is also used to identify pathogenic agents in the body. Physiotherapy, including acupuncture, is also indicated for adults.
Preventive measures
There is no specific prevention of the development of muscle hypotension, since it is not possible to predict the development of this pathology. Prevention comes down to following general health promotion recommendations:
- absence of bad habits;
- balanced diet;
- regular physical activity;
- timely treatment of any diseases.
If symptoms of muscle hypotension appear in an infant or adult, it is necessary to seek help from specialists as soon as possible.
A lot is written and spoken about increased muscle tone (hypertonicity) in children of the first year of life, but decreased muscle tone (muscle hypotonia, hypotonicity) somehow usually remains “in the shadows”. Although many newborns and older children face this problem.
What kind of animal is this - weak muscle tone in a child? The reasons for this phenomenon, as in the case of hypertonicity, must be sought in the peculiarities of pregnancy and childbirth itself. For example, hypotension is caused by another diagnosis “favorite” by our doctors - PEP, that is, perinatal encephalopathy. In Russian speaking, this is 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 is more often observed in newborns born at normal times, then hypotonicity is a more common problem in premature or immature children.
Physiological immaturity can occur in completely full-term children born on time. However, immature newborns look and behave as if they were born earlier than what Nature intended. They have thin skin, a poorly defined fat layer, a lot of vellus hair, the body is abundantly covered with vernix, the weight can be less than 3 kilograms, the child does not maintain normal temperature well, and often freezes. But the most important thing is that in immature children, muscle tone is reduced, and some reflexes are insufficient or even completely absent.
It is quite difficult for a mother who has given birth to her first child to recognize the signs of hypotension in her baby. This diagnosis is usually made during an examination by a neurologist. A more experienced mother may suspect such a deviation because the child seems a little lethargic, his muscles are not tense (like those of a healthy newborn), and his arms and legs can be easily unbent. The baby is not able to hold his head up while lying on his stomach, and at the same time he straightens his arms to the sides, but does not tuck them in, as children usually do. When suckling at the breast, he may quickly get tired and fall asleep.
If you try to “sit” a baby with hypotension by pulling him up by the arms, his arms will straighten out easily, his stomach will be very rounded, and his back will be hunched. Normally, it will not be possible to fully straighten a newborn’s arms, since his muscle tone is slightly increased.
Another way to check is the step reflex and support reflex. To do this, you need to “put” the child on a flat surface, holding him with your hand under the chest. A healthy baby will stand on the support of his 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 walking skills in the future). A child with hypotension will not “step” 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 specialists. Moreover, examination by a neurologist is mandatory for all children over the age of 1 month.
Muscle hypotonia 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 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 work with your baby yourself, preferably every day. It would also be a good idea to have a gymnastic ball at home - a fitball, exercises on which also have therapeutic effect with hypotension. It’s easy to find examples of massage and ball exercises on the Internet or ask the nurse or masseuse who will come to your child.
Another great way to stimulate weak muscles- classes in the pool. If you have such an opportunity, do not miss it under any circumstances. In infant pools, the water is usually not as warm as it is 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 water, you can get an absolutely 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 children with muscle hypotension. But you shouldn’t bundle up and overheat such children - the heat relaxes the muscles, makes them “sour,” which negatively affects physical skills.
Nowadays, the advice of pediatrician Evgeniy Komarovsky is very popular among young parents, who is considered an absolute authority in everything related to children's health. Evgeniy Olegovich did not ignore 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 when they identify one or another deviation from the norm in their young patients, and advises mothers not to panic if the child does receive a similar diagnosis.
“Yes, there are quite a large number of serious neurological diseases that occur infrequently - according to statistics, even in developing countries, such problems occur in approximately 4% of the child population. At the same time, in reality, a maximum of 1-2% of children need pills for neurological diseases, but 90% of children receive them,” says Evgeniy Olegovich.
Komarovsky classifies hypotonia in infants as one of those normal variants that can be easily corrected at home. And this, as mentioned above, is massage, gymnastics, water treatments, hardening and parental love.
True, this does not mean at all that mom and dad need to relax and do nothing. Hypotension is not dangerous to health, this is a fact - at least its mild degrees, which are most common. But reduced tone does not have the best effect on the child’s physical development. Such babies later begin to roll over, sit up, crawl, stand up and walk. Usually these deviations are leveled out by a year and a half, but if you properly work with your child, then you can forget about the problem much earlier.
