Muscles are an important part of the human body. They are necessary for the accomplishment of many vital processes. And after the birth of a child, doctors evaluate him with special care. muscle tone. This term refers to the minimum tension that is maintained in a state of complete relaxation and rest. And with certain health problems, the tone can be disturbed, which requires close attention and adequate correction. Let's talk on www.site about what to do if the child's muscle tone is weak and increased, consider 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 at this time are very tense. After the baby is born, muscle tone gradually decreases, and only by two years is it approaching an adult. But many babies have problems with natural muscle tension.
Weak muscle tone in a child (hypotonia)
Such a violation is often diagnosed even in the hospital. Muscle weakness makes the baby unnaturally sluggish. The kid only occasionally moves his limbs, and he begins to hold his head too late. In general, such children look limp, they sleep a lot and occasionally cry. If you put the baby on his back, unbend and spread his legs to the sides, you will not feel any particular resistance. On weak tone in children, indicates the absence of natural bending of the arms under the chest during laying out on the stomach.
Weak muscle tone in a child. Causes
The cause of a violation of the muscle tone of a child can be several factors: trauma during childbirth, placental insufficiency, poor environmental conditions.
Muscles can also be affected by neurological, infectious, genetic, metabolic and degenerative diseases; lesions of the spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerve; polio.
What to do?
With a decrease in tone, you must immediately begin to correct it, otherwise the child may slow down physical development. It is necessary to seek advice from a qualified neuropathologist, as well as an orthopedist. Massages are most often prescribed for babies with reduced muscle tone. Parents can do gymnastics with babies on their own, it will also not be superfluous to sign up with a qualified massage therapist and take several courses. An excellent effect is given by fitball exercises and swimming.
Also, small patients with hypotension are shown to have acupuncture and various physiotherapy procedures (for example, paraffin).
In especially severe cases children with hypotonia are prescribed medications. But such funds are selected exclusively on an individual basis.
With weak muscle tone, extremely important role also plays the definition of the cause of its occurrence and the correct correction of the identified violations.
Massage
With a reduced tone, children are shown a stimulating massage that activates the baby. Such an impact involves the performance of chopping and kneading movements. It is better to start and end the massage with traditional strokes. At the same time, it is worth moving 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 a child. Treatment
As you know, increased muscle tone in children up to a month is completely normal. However, in some cases it is too pronounced (excessive) character. So you can talk about hypertonicity if the child starts holding his head too early. So in some babies, such attempts are noticeable literally in the first days after birth.
If the crumbs have an increased tone of the upper limbs, its handles will be constantly clenched into fists, often in the form of a “fig”. hypertonicity lower extremities manifests itself in the event that the baby's legs cannot be parted to the sides in any way until an angle of ninety degrees is reached. Such children often cry a lot, are characterized by increased anxiety, 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 violation, but not of a tonic, but of a relaxing nature. Initially, ten massage sessions are prescribed for small patients, after six months such procedures will need to be repeated. Swimming and physiotherapy procedures also give a good effect.
As for drug treatment, it is selected exclusively on an individual basis. The doctor may prescribe diuretics for the baby, designed to reduce the amount of fluid in the brain. Dibazol can also be used immediately before the massage, such a remedy helps relieve spasm and expand blood vessels.
Small patients may be prescribed B vitamins (especially vitamin B6 and B12). Also, Mydocalm can be used. A positive result can be achieved when conducting baths with the addition of medicinal herbs (for example, motherwort, sage, valerian or lingonberry leaves).
Massage
With hypertonicity, massage can be done on your own. The child should be placed on a flat surface and with warm hands gently stroked on the arms, legs and back. You can stroke with your fingers (stroking) and with the whole brush (grasping). After the skin should be rubbed gently and gently in a circular motion(as if you are sifting sand through a sieve with your hand). Then it is necessary to make shaking and shaking movements of the limbs. End the massage with gentle rocking.
In case of violations of tone in infants, one should not hesitate to carry out appropriate treatment. Untimely therapy is fraught with the development of various kinds of disorders.
Muscle tone is called muscle tension, which is necessary for the implementation of movements, the static maintenance of body posture. How is a pathological condition identified? muscle hypotension in infants or hypertension.
In the mother's abdomen, before birth, the baby is in the fetal position. At the same time, his limbs are bent and pulled up to the body, his fingers are clenched into fists. Muscles are tense. After birth, some hypertonicity normally still persists for up to six months. However, it is not very pronounced. The fists can be easily unclenched, the limbs can be straightened.
Features of hypotension
If the baby behaves sluggishly, the limbs lie along the body, the range of motion is small, or the child does not move at all, does not try to roll over, then they speak of hypotonicity.
Hypotonicity or muscular hypotonia of the newborn is insufficient muscle tension. Another such lethargy is called the syndrome of muscle weakness of the baby.
The reaction of muscle fibers to the action of stimuli is preserved, but it slows down significantly compared to that which muscle tissue normally shows.
Lethargy is the exact name of the main symptom of hypotension. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to immediately determine the signs of hypotension in a newborn. Sometimes pathology can be hidden from unprofessional eyes under poor health and excessive capriciousness.
When to Expect Hypotension
Signs of hypotension can manifest themselves in different infant and childhood.
- Immediately after birth. Such a pathology is determined when checking the reflexes of a newborn. The etiology of such a low tone must be sought in the course of the mother's pregnancy.
- 3–7 months. Hypotension can be diagnosed by reflexes and by secondary signs.
- 3–7 years. Such hypotension 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 sex of the child, his territorial or racial affiliation.
Diagnostic tests
A specialist, in order to determine the signs of hypotension, will need some special professional techniques and tests. In particular, support reflexes and others are checked.
Classifications
Muscular hypotonia can be on one side of the body, or it can capture both. Hypotonicity is classified depending on the severity and severity of muscle weakness.
Muscular hypotension may be subtle to the layman, or represent complete immobility. The most severe degree is considered to be a state with lethargy of the muscles of breathing, sucking, swallowing, chewing. These babies need to be fed through a tube. They suffer from constant dislocations.
Slight hypotension is also harmful to the body and leads to severe pathological changes. Over time, such a child has a pathological formation of posture, a violation of the development of motor skills. He will lag behind not only in physical, but also in mental development. He will be able to sit down, crawl, walk much later than his peers.
In severe cases, a child of the first year of life has a curvature of the spine, dislocations of the joints, pathological contractions of poorly functioning tendons.
It is extremely important to identify and begin treatment of the baby's muscular hypotension as early as possible. This will allow not only to cure the child, but also to avoid complications dangerous for a small growing organism.
Every parent is concerned about the health of their child. The largest number anxiety associated with newborns. Indeed, at first glance it is very difficult to determine at least some problems with his health. And if the maternity hospital was diagnosed with "hypotonicity of the baby", then there is no need to despair. Identification of this problem in the early stages allows you to quickly restore the health of the child and give him a normal and active life full of accomplishments and deeds.
Often, even in the maternity hospital, they can say that there is muscle hypotonia in the baby. Unfortunately, untimely detection of the condition can complicate the treatment process and delay it for years. In order to make sure that your child is in good health, it is worth visiting a neurologist. He will make a diagnosis at a glance and help restore health. After all, hypotension in infants is cured the faster the earlier it was diagnosed.
You should not be afraid of such a diagnosis. Parents' love, care, exercise, massage and drug treatment, literally within three to four months, will give their result. And the baby will delight his loved ones with a radiant smile and unprecedented activity. Hypotension of the baby is quickly cured if all necessary measures are taken in a timely manner.
Hypotension in infants: signs
At first glance, the baby seems completely normal. Nothing worries him. Most of the time he spends in a sleepy state, and cries of indignation are heard very rarely. And many parents believe that they just have a very calm child, rejoicing in this circumstance.
The baby's palms are always open, because due to muscle weakness, he is not able to clench his fists. The legs, both during wakefulness and during sleep, are widely spread. Sometimes it seems that such a position causes great inconvenience to the baby, but this is not so. The hypotonicity of the baby makes it possible to practically not feel muscle tension.
In the process of feeding, the baby may fall asleep several times, as his muscles are not ready for a prolonged load.
It would seem that these are not obvious signs. But in practice, it turns out that most children, having such features in the first months of life, undergo long-term treatment in the future.
Hypotension in infants: causes
There are many reasons why hypotonia appears in the baby. And they are not always obvious. It is very important that the condition of the baby be ascertained in a timely manner.
Causes of hypotonia in infants:
- botulism;
- muscle atrophy;
- birth injury;
- hypertrophy and reduced body weight;
- congenital myopathy;
- imbalance of hormones;
- chromosome imbalance;
- polio;
- unbalanced and malnutrition.
In some cases, hypotension in infants is caused by serious illnesses. So, children with Down's disease almost always have hypotension, but against the background of the main problem, the treatment of this condition fades into the background.
Hypotension in infants: treatment
When hypotension in infants is diagnosed, do not despair. Especially if it appeared on the background of serious diseases. 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 is able to adequately assess the condition of the baby, take into account physiological features and confirm the diagnosis. Only taking into account the data obtained, it is possible to develop a course of treatment. For each young patient, the course is individual. Hypotension in infants treatment is effective only if the parents follow all the recommendations of the doctors. TO general purpose neurologists include massage and exercise.
In some cases, it is assigned:
- phytotherapy;
- acupuncture;
- physiotherapy;
- physiotherapy procedures.
The number of procedures is selected individually. It is necessary to track after which treatment methods the baby has more progress, and which practically do not give results. The later the diagnosis is made, the more procedures will be required.
Breast massage for hypotension
It must be remembered that massage of the baby with hypotension is required. It should be performed exclusively by a professional prescribed by a doctor. You need to be prepared for the fact that various manipulations can cause irritation in the child. Forcibly conducting sessions is not recommended, since the condition can only be aggravated. If the massage is not to the liking of the child, then his sessions are postponed to a later time. Sometimes it is necessary to postpone treatment for more than a couple of months.
Proper massage is not aimed at stimulating muscles and normalizing trophism. The kid should feel that he has muscles and that he knows how to 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 in an infant is already detected closer to a year, then the number of massage sessions can increase to 30. In any case, the neurologist carefully monitors the results of the treatment.
Massage the child is carried out using stroking, rubbing, sharp tingling, tapping. The masseur performs movements throughout the body: starting from the fingertips on the handles, ending with active rubbing of the back. To increase the effectiveness of the massage, the specialist massages each muscle pointwise. Do not worry if the procedure is carried out very impulsively. The main thing is that the work of the child's muscles is fully restored. And given the fact that some kids are really delighted with the procedures, then you should not worry. Thanks to good massage hypotension in the baby will pass faster and he will feel all the joy of active movements.
Gymnastics of the baby with hypotension
Gymnastics is shown to all newborns and caring parents do it every day, watching the progress of their child. With hypotension in the chest gymnastic exercises are almost paramount. They become an integral part of a baby's life. Thanks to correct execution enough simple exercises you can get great results quickly.
Gymnastics of the baby with hypotension implies the following exercises:
- Boxing - taking the baby's arms in her fingers, the mother alternately straightens and bends the child's arms in front of her. When the muscles get stronger, the baby will clench his fists and independently take his mother by the fingers. His movements will become sharper and more independent.
- Cross swing with arms - taking the child by the arms, actively cross them, bring them together and breed them.
- Pulling up - from a lying position, the baby is gently lifted by the handles. Strengthened muscles allow you to raise your baby to a sitting position on their own.
- Bicycle - alternate bending and straightening of the baby's legs.
- Breeding the legs to the sides - the mother alternately crosses the legs of the baby and spreads them wide to the sides.
There are many more exercises that allow the mother to reproach the process of restoring the development of the baby. It is also not worth ignoring the massaging of the palms, fingers and feet. This procedure stimulates the nerve endings. Hypotension in infants, under the strict guidance of a caring mother, will quickly pass.
Komarovsky: hypotension in infants
Dr. Komarovsky has long been a luminary for all mothers of the post-Soviet space. Evgeny Olegovich claims that caring parents themselves can detect hypotension. The recovery of the child 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, do gymnastics, and gradually increase the load. Hypotension in infants 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.
Hypotension in infants has long ceased to be a serious problem. Timely detection, therapy and a properly selected course of treatment allows you to save the child from such a disadvantage and return him to full health.
Muscular hypotonia is a disease characterized by weakening of muscle fibers. This leads to impaired conduction of nerve impulses. In the vast majority of cases, muscle hypotonia is a consequence of other pathologies, including congenital ones. The disease is diagnosed in childhood, however, for a number of reasons, there is a risk of developing muscle hypotension in adults.
Muscle hypotension is not an independent disease, but a pathology that manifests itself against the background of other diseases. The violation is due to a decrease in muscle tone, which leads to a violation of the nervous regulation of muscle fibers. Nevertheless, the syndrome of muscular hypotonia is often described as an independent disease, but always overlaps with other disorders. Isolation of disorders in a separate disease is due to a whole range of symptoms that require separate therapy.
Also, the isolation of a violation in 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 hypotonia.
Muscular hypotension may be the result of congenital pathologies and anomalies. Also, the disorder can be a symptom of acquired diseases, such as sepsis or meningitis in adult patients.
The disease is most often diagnosed in children
Classification and types
Muscle hypotonicity is classified according to the development, location of the lesion and the form of the course.
According to localization, diffuse muscular hypotension syndrome and local muscular hypotension are distinguished. With diffuse muscle hypotension 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 group of muscles.
Due to development, congenital and acquired forms of the disease are distinguished. Congenital hypotension in infants is a consequence of developmental anomalies. Violation develops even in the intrauterine period of growth of the child.
Acquired hypotension in a child and an adult is a consequence of serious illnesses. In most cases, acquired muscle hypotension is associated with damage to the central nervous system, neurological disorders or autoimmune processes. Also, muscle hypotension can develop due to infectious diseases.
By the nature of the onset of the pathological process, muscle hypotension is acute and gradually developing. In the first case, the symptoms of muscle weakness occur abruptly, in the second case, muscle weakness increases gradually. First, there is a slight lesion of one muscle group, which progresses. In the diffuse form of the disease, there is a constant worsening of symptoms, up to a complete loss of the ability to move the affected muscles.
According to the nature of the course, the disease is divided into 4 types:
- episodic, manifesting once;
- intermittent hypotension, in which periods of worsening symptoms are replaced by periods of their weakening;
- recurrent, in which the reappearance of hypotension is possible;
- progressive muscle hypotonia, in which the disorder affects new muscle groups, or the symptoms worsen rapidly.
Treatment and further prognosis depends on the type of muscle damage. The most difficult to treat is the diffuse form of the disease.
Reasons for the development of hypotension
As already mentioned, there are a great many reasons for the development of the syndrome of muscular hypotension in a child. Only among congenital and genetically determined disorders, doctors distinguish more than 40 types of various pathologies. The most common causes of the development of the syndrome of muscular hypotension 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 hypotonia in children of the first month of life is most often the result 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 infants in the first days of life may be associated with intrauterine intoxication with drugs that a 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 serious illnesses and chronic disorders that first manifested themselves in adulthood. TO possible reasons include:
- meningitis;
- encephalitis;
- myasthenia gravis;
- sepsis;
- mercury and heavy metal poisoning;
- hypervitaminosis.
Muscle hypotension in children preschool age can be triggered by polio, inadequate response to vaccination, rickets. Signs of hypotension can also appear against the background of various autoimmune pathologies.
Symptoms in newborns and children
In their physical development, children with this diagnosis lag behind their peers.
Muscle hypotonia in infants is characterized by a violation motor activity, reflex activity and delayed physical development. Muscular hypotension in newborns can be suspected by 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 in the neck muscles. It is difficult for a 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 lean properly on their limbs. When trying to raise the upper half of the body, the baby will not rely on the palms, but on the elbow joints.
At an older age, when children begin to make their first attempts to stand up, babies with muscle hypotension have a very hard time. The child cannot keep the body upright for a long time, it is difficult for him to grasp the support with his hands. Even crawling on all fours is accompanied by a lack of coordination of movements due to muscle weakness.
Muscular hypotonic disorder in children is always accompanied by a developmental delay. Such children grow more slowly, remember new information worse, and later than others begin to speak. With the appearance of muscle hypotension at the age of two years, there are problems with the socialization of the child.
Symptoms of the disease in adults
If in infants hypotonia is manifested by impaired coordination of movements and weakening of reflexes, the symptoms in adults are not so pronounced. Most often, hypotension in adults is detected by chance, and a person takes muscle weakness and general weakness as symptoms of chronic fatigue.
Characteristic signs of acquired muscular hypotension in adults:
- the appearance of weakness throughout the body for no apparent reason;
- severe headaches;
- episodic tachycardia;
- discomfort in the region of the heart;
- sleep problems;
- change in the amplitude of movement of the limbs in the joint;
- numbness of the hands and feet;
- profuse sweating.
A characteristic symptom of hypotension 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 are not amenable to drug therapy. Whatever pain medication the patient is taking, 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 for 10 hours a day, but a long rest does not bring relief and constant fatigue continues to bother the patient.
Other than fatigue and headache, there may be no symptoms. A person does not go to the doctor, attributing the malaise to fatigue. This complicates the diagnosis and aggravates the course of the disease, as over time, muscle hypotension begins to progress. In especially severe cases, short-term paresis in the limbs develops.
It is important to remember that muscle hypotension is a serious disease that must be treated. The sooner the patient turns to a specialist, the more favorable the further prognosis.
In adults, the manifestations of pathology may be limited to an enduring feeling of fatigue.
Diagnostics
If you feel unwell, you should contact a therapist or neurologist. The baby must be urgently shown to a pediatrician and a pediatric neurologist.
First, the doctor conducts a survey and analyzes the patient's complaints. Be sure to take into account the family history and all recent diseases. Necessary examinations to confirm the diagnosis:
- muscle examination;
- checking reflexes;
- computed and magnetic resonance imaging;
- study of the composition of the cerebrospinal fluid;
- electromyography.
Sometimes genetic analysis is additionally prescribed, since muscle hypotension may be due to genetic disorders. Additionally, the doctor prescribes a general and biochemical blood test.
Why is muscle hypotonia dangerous?
Hypotension requires timely treatment, otherwise complications may appear. In children, hypotension causes a violation of the swallowing reflex, incorrect speech production, and problems with posture.
At an older age, hypotension can lead to curvature of the spine, metabolic disorders. One of the most common complications of this disorder is obesity.
Principle of treatment
Regular massage improves muscle tone in the baby
Diffuse muscular hypotension in children is difficult to correct, therefore, at the first symptoms, a visit to the doctor is necessary, usually treatment is supplemented by therapeutic exercises.
With hypotension in a child, babies are prescribed:
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- exercise therapy (for older children);
- medical treatment.
Newborns need massage to normalize muscle tone. Older children are prescribed physiotherapy aimed at improving the conduction of nerve impulses to the muscles. To improve posture and normalize cerebral circulation, children are prescribed physiotherapy exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles.
If speech is impaired, a course of classes with a speech therapist is necessary. Children are also assigned special classes for the development of fine motor skills.
It is necessary to treat hypotension in children comprehensively, the treatment is also supplemented with special preparations. Vitamin therapy is carried out, children are prescribed funds to increase muscle tone.
Treatment of muscle hypotension in adults is carried out with medication. Drugs are prescribed depending on the cause of the development of the disorder. Usually, patients are shown taking drugs from the group of nootropics to normalize cerebral circulation and improve the cognitive functions of the brain. As a rule, this helps to get rid of the headache.
Additionally, the following may be assigned:
- means for the normalization of vascular tone;
- neurometabolic drugs;
- vitamin complexes;
- antibiotics.
Antibacterial therapy is carried out if muscle hypotension is due to recent severe bacterial infections. Such treatment is also used in the detection of pathogenic agents in the body. Adults are also shown physiotherapy, including acupuncture.
Preventive measures
There is no specific prevention of the development of muscular hypotension, since it is not possible to foresee the development of this pathology. Prevention comes down to following general health promotion recommendations:
- lack of bad habits;
- balanced diet;
- regular physical activity;
- timely treatment of any diseases.
If symptoms of muscle hypotonia appear in an infant or adult, it is necessary to seek help from specialists as soon as possible.
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 is more often observed in newborns who were born at normal times, then hypotension is a more common problem in premature 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 are a fairly 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 - 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.
