The baby has weak arm muscles. Muscular hypotonia syndrome in newborns

Parents of infants at their next examination by a neurologist may sound the alarm about a diagnosis called hypotonicity or muscular dystonia syndrome. Is it really worth being afraid of such a doctor’s conclusion? And is hypotension in infants as dangerous as its name sounds? Parents should carefully understand this issue in order to have an understanding of the sources of this condition, possible consequences and recommended procedures to eliminate the syndrome.

Hypotonicity in infants

Hypotonicity of muscles in newborns is nothing more than a weakened muscle state when the manifestation of tone is necessary. A neurologist can make this diagnosis for those who do not experience a response when exposed and stimulated to the muscles.

For example, if a doctor bends the arms of a baby, then with healthy muscle tone, he expects them to straighten in response and return to a state of rest that is comfortable for the baby. In children with hypotension syndrome, this reaction will be absent or will not appear immediately, but after some time.

The explanation for this weakness is the child's lack of ability to produce muscle contractions normally.

How is hypotonicity detected?

At an appointment with a specialist, decreased muscle tone is easily diagnosed by performing several manipulations with the child. The actions of the neurologist are aimed at identifying deviations in the performance of innate physiological reflexes:

1. Stepping reflex and leg support reaction. When the child is supported and lowered onto a solid surface, he should, leaning on his full foot, straighten up on his legs and take steps as if walking. In a weakened state, the baby will refuse to straighten its legs and walk, but rather sit on bent legs. This reflex normally appears for up to two months and then fades away. Therefore, it is possible to check it before the recommended period.
2. Sitting down by the handles. From the position “lying on his back on a hard plane,” they try to lift the baby, supporting him by the wrists, to the “sitting” position. The baby will also pull himself up with his arms, making muscle contractions, which will cause a feeling of resistance in the examiner. Otherwise, weakness appears, and the baby sags in his arms, his tummy protrudes forward, his neck weakly holds his head, and his back is rounded

Parents can identify signs of the syndrome on their own by carefully monitoring their baby at home:

1. A sign of hypotonicity is not only the inertia of the child’s muscles, it also affects his general condition. Parents may note that their babies are very quiet and calm. They are not easily excited. Most likely, they will spend a lot of time sleeping, and when awake they will be sluggish and slow in activity
2. The posture of the arms and legs during sleep will be characterized by their complete relaxation and straightening. The palms will also be wide open, and not gathered into a fist. Straightening your legs to an angle of 180 degrees will not cause the baby absolutely any inconvenience. If normal tone is present, then the child’s limbs and palms will be slightly bent, as they are held in this state by muscle activity
3. There may be complaints from the mother about problems with natural feeding associated with the baby’s refusal to breastfeed or his severe apathy during sucking.
4. It is very difficult for babies with this diagnosis to strain their necks to fix their heads; it is difficult for them to learn to crawl, grasp objects, and it is almost impossible to roll over and keep their body in a sitting position.

You should not make premature conclusions about the disease, but if you find some symptoms, you can contact your local pediatrician with questions. Obtaining advice and excluding any serious pathology will reassure parents and allow timely measures to be taken to improve the condition.

Reasons for appearance

Hypotonicity, compared to the more common hypertonicity, occurs less frequently in infants, but also has its reasons.

Decreased muscle tone is directly related to the functioning of the central nervous system and blood supply to the body. This syndrome may occur due to the following main factors:

1. difficult birth with hypoxia, asphyxia and injuries
2. emergency birth
3. severe pregnancy with maternal illnesses
4. mother's bad habits
5. improperly organized infant nutrition
6. low birth weight
7. exhaustion after suffering from infectious and viral diseases of the infant
8. developmental defects
9. genetic diseases
10. excessive vitamin D intake

Possible consequences of hypotension

It is necessary to start treatment on time to avoid more serious disorders. The further development of a growing child can be severely inhibited by this condition. Spinal curvature and deterioration of posture may occur.

Those who suffered from hypotension in childhood are characterized by excessive flexibility and plasticity.
With further progression of the disease, the musculoskeletal system completely weakens. One of the health threats is complete muscle dystrophy.

When diagnosing the syndrome, the very first treatment on the doctor’s recommendation is massage and special gymnastic exercises. Initially, you can use the services of a specialist in this field. And after that, mothers can easily master these procedures on their own and systematically carry out the necessary massage at home.

Gymnastics of the legs and arms can also be done in aquatic environment. Swimming has a beneficial effect on a child with hypotension, as almost all muscle groups are involved. Procedures in cool water with its gradual decrease in temperature help to harden the child’s body.

Muscle massage is the main and very effective way treatment. During the procedure, the body receives required load. Typically, a muscle massage begins with light stroking and rubbing of the arms and legs and ends in the same way. Such movements gradually warm up the child’s body and calm them down after the session. The main actions of the massage therapist should be aimed at actively kneading the body.

Massage for hypotension

Muscle massage for a child is a very good physical activity. The ratio of the area of ​​the skin to the body weight of the baby allows you to stimulate the work of each organ during the session. Massage of the muscles of the arms, legs, and the entire body has a strong effect on the central nervous system. It is necessary to change the position of the baby during the procedure so that all available places are used. The baby should lie on both his back and tummy. The massage therapist's movements should be directed from the periphery to the center.

A massage course should consist of at least 10 procedures, but if necessary, you can increase their number. It is very important to observe the mood of the newborn during the procedure. If this gives him extremely unpleasant sensations and causes a negative mood, then try rescheduling these exercises for another period of time.

Of the most common gymnastic exercises, mothers can independently perform the following with their babies:

1. move your arms apart and bring them together
2. perform boxing movements with the handles
3. make a bicycle with your legs, alternately raising and lowering them
4. pull up by the handles top part torso

Not only massage and gymnastics, but also courses of physiotherapeutic procedures, as well as medications may be prescribed by a neurologist. Such infants are exempt from vaccinations for a period of time.

Proper massage, gymnastics and other doctor’s prescriptions help strengthen muscles. If the treatment is regular, the results of the exercises will be noticeable within a few months. This will manifest itself in motor and brain activity, the movements of the arms and legs will become more energetic and dynamic, the baby will begin to master new capabilities of his body more easily and quickly. Another important condition that has a therapeutic effect for completely defeating hypotonicity in newborns is your endless attention and immeasurable care.

Hypotonia in infants is a common occurrence. Many parents begin to panic when a pediatrician makes such a diagnosis. In order for the child to recover as quickly as possible, it is necessary to find the cause and undergo an examination. After which the attending physician selects the optimal treatment option, which must be strictly adhered to.

In the mother's belly, the baby assumes a fetal position. In this case, the limbs are in a bent position, the fingers are clenched into a fist. After birth, muscle hypertonicity is observed for several months. But the arms and legs can be easily straightened and the fists unclenched.

Hypotonia in infants is manifested by a weakened muscle state. Most often, the diagnosis is made after the muscles do not respond to stimulation or exposure to foreign objects.

The pediatrician should bend the baby's arm. If he has healthy muscle tone, then in response he will straighten it and take a position that is comfortable for him. If there is a disease, the reaction does not occur at all or after a certain period of time. This is due to the inability of the muscles to function properly.

Lethargy and weak muscle tone are the first signs of pathology

Signs of hypotonia in an infant are expressed by insufficient tension in muscle tissue. He becomes lethargic, and his limbs are almost always straightened.

For a long time, you may experience a reluctance to move or roll over.

The main manifestation of the disease is lethargy. But in some cases it cannot be diagnosed immediately.

Parents may complain about problems with breastfeeding– or sucks inactively.

Each feeding is difficult for him - weakened facial muscles make the sucking reflex difficult. He suffers from absence muscle tension, which prevents the head from lifting vertical position. It is difficult for a child to learn to crawl, walk or pick up objects.

When the baby begins to make his first attempts at walking, he instinctively uses his legs bent at the knees for balance. The sick child tries to place them as wide as possible. In addition, he may notice prolapse of the tongue, intermittent breathing, and a drooping lower jaw.

10 reasons for weak muscle tone in a child

Bad habits during pregnancy have a detrimental effect on the development of the fetus

Problems with the central nervous system and blood supply to the body lead to decreased muscle tone in infants.

It is slightly less common than hypertonicity. But at the same time it has its own peculiarities of occurrence.

1. labor, which occurs with a lack of oxygen, suffocation, injury to the fetus;
2. premature birth;
3. some diseases that a woman suffered during pregnancy;
4. maternal abuse during pregnancy and nicotine;
5. disrupted diet of the baby;
6. low fetal weight at birth;
7. weight loss after infectious diseases;
8. abnormal intrauterine development of the fetus;
9. diseases transmitted by inheritance;
10. excess vitamin D in the body.

Possible complications

Treatment of muscle hypotonicity in children cannot be delayed. Otherwise, serious consequences may arise. For example, its development after birth may be inhibited. He begins to hold his head up, crawl or sit later than his peers. The disease can lead to curvature of the spine or weakened posture.

Lack of treatment provokes weakening of the musculoskeletal system and the appearance of muscular dystrophy. Children who have recovered from hypotension subsequently exhibit excessive flexibility and plasticity.

Treatment

Only highly qualified specialists can identify muscle hypotonia in newborns: a geneticist, a pediatrician, a neurologist, a cardiologist, an orthopedist, and a pediatric physiotherapist. An inexperienced doctor can only harm the baby’s health with prolonged and ineffective treatment.

Therapy for the disease consists of special gymnastics and massage. At first, the procedures should be carried out under the supervision of professionals, but after acquiring the necessary skills, parents can do this on their own.

In case of hypotension, a drug is prescribed, the use of which promotes the proper growth of the child’s muscle tissue and stabilizes the development of the nervous system.

Massage

Systemic exercises and massage will help cope with the problem

Massage for hypotension should be carried out using high physical activity. This leads to stimulation of the skin and warming of muscle tissue.

In addition, the procedures have a beneficial effect on the functioning of all internal organs.

Massage movements of the limbs and the whole body have a positive effect on the nervous system. Depending on the child’s condition, he should be placed on his stomach or back. It is very important to ensure that all parts of the body are involved in the procedure.

The duration of one session is approximately ten minutes. If necessary, the attending physician may increase the time. Massage movements begin with the fingers, slowly moving to the surface of the back. In this case, it is necessary to apply light pressure on certain areas of the body in order to stimulate bioactive points.

During the session, the muscles are worked through rubbing, stroking, light pinching, and tapping. In the video you can see how to massage a child, including for neurological problems.

During the massage, it is necessary to monitor the baby’s behavior. If he behaves restlessly, then the session should be rescheduled for another time. Some actions may make him uncomfortable. In this case, you should consult your doctor. He will be able to select other equally effective movements.

Physiotherapy

The famous doctor Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky considers therapeutic exercises for hypotension in infants to be an effective method of treatment. In addition, water procedures have a beneficial effect on the work and strengthening of all muscle groups.

Water exercises must be mandatory, because... strengthens the chest muscles in the best possible way

They can be combined with contrast hardening. But the sessions must be strictly supervised by specialists. What water temperature should be when bathing a baby - read.

Some gymnastic exercises for muscle hypotonia in an infant can be done independently:

• The baby is placed on its back. The arms are first moved apart, and then the right one is brought behind the left one and vice versa.
• In the same position, the child is taken by the upper limbs, slowly bent and straightened at the elbows.
• Taking the baby by the hands, you need to lift him to a sitting position. This exercise is done slowly and carefully so that the muscles have time to tense.
• The legs rotate gently, simulating riding a bicycle.
• The lower limbs need to be straightened and the “scissors” exercise should be done, slowly gaining amplitude.

In specialized institutions, a large rubber ball (fitball) is used during treatment, which has a beneficial effect on the muscles:

• The baby is placed on his back and, holding his tummy, makes jumping movements up and down.
• The child is placed in a prone position. The ball is gently rolled back and forth. The exercise is repeated until the baby begins to bend his legs when moving forward.

These exercises must be done daily in conjunction with massage. This will allow for a short time restore muscle tone - the legs and arms will become stronger, the child will begin to hold his head.

Not only massage and therapeutic exercises can improve the condition of a baby. In some cases, the doctor may recommend physiotherapeutic procedures and medication.

Water procedures, which should only be carried out by a highly qualified specialist, have a beneficial effect on strengthening muscle tissue. It is compulsory to have walks fresh air. When to start walking with a newborn in winter and what rules should be followed - topic.

Prevention

Preventive measures for muscle hypotonicity in infants should begin during pregnancy planning. Parents need to eat a healthy and balanced diet, avoid alcoholic beverages and nicotine. Important role During this period, a full examination is carried out, which is aimed at identifying genetic and infectious diseases.

After birth, the baby needs periodic comprehensive medical examinations and consultation with a local pediatrician for the slightest changes in behavior. Daily exercise and swimming will help maintain your baby’s health and strengthen muscles.

To prevent hypotension in a child, it is necessary to develop fine motor skills. This will not only concentrate the baby’s attention, but also strengthen the muscle tissue of the limbs. For classes, you can use mosaics, plasticine, and various educational games with your fingers.

Particular attention should be paid to the baby's nutrition. When compiling a daily menu, the attending physician must take into account the characteristics of the sick child. After all, with food he receives most of the nutrients and vitamins that are necessary for proper growth and development.

conclusions

According to Komarovsky, muscular dystonia in an infant will not lead to serious complications if the optimal treatment is selected in time. Parents, for their part, must provide the child with proper care, surround him with care and love.

Muscle hypotonia is a disease that manifests itself as a weakening of the muscle frame. It may be a signal of serious health problems and requires immediate treatment. The article will discuss the symptoms of the pathology, methods of its diagnosis and treatment.

In order to understand what muscle hypotonicity is, you need to have an idea of ​​how muscles are attached to bones. Muscles are made up of fibers that are most often collected in bundles.

Each muscle is covered on the outside by fascia, which ends in tendons. There are irregularities on the surface of the bone to which tendons are attached. They also transmit signals sent by the brain to the muscles.

Muscle hypotonia is a condition in which there is a decrease muscle tone. The disease is characterized by a loss of muscle resistance to external influences.

They respond late to impulses sent by the brain to the fibers of the muscles or fascia. The pathology is often accompanied by loss of muscle strength. Muscle hypotension can occur in both adults and children.

Important! Most often, a decrease in muscle tone is observed in children aged 3 to 7 years.

There are several types of muscle hypotension:

1. Congenital pathology. It is observed in newborns and develops due to genetic abnormalities.
2. Acquired disease. Occurs as a result of certain diseases.
3. Generalized muscle hypotonia. Characterized by weakening of the entire muscular skeleton.
4. Local form of hypotonicity. Accompanied by a decrease in the tone of a certain muscle group.

Causes

Muscle weakness is a symptom of many diseases. More than 100 pathologies can trigger the development of this disease. It is important to promptly detect and begin treatment of the pathology. Predictions for muscle hypotonicity directly depend on the severity of the disease and the time of its detection.

Muscle hypotonia in infants and infants can develop as a result of many pathological conditions. These include:

• hypoxia or injuries received during childbirth;
• severe pregnancy and a number of maternal diseases;
• abuse of alcohol, nicotine or drugs during pregnancy;
• improper nutrition of the newborn;
• emergency birth, prematurity;
• infectious and viral diseases suffered by a pregnant woman;
• abnormalities in fetal development;
• genetic disorders;
• rickets;
• a significant excess of the permissible concentration of vitamin D in the child’s body.

Severe forms of pathology in children can provoke weakness of swallowing and chewing reflexes.

Decreased muscle tone in adults can be a consequence of a number of pathological conditions.

1. The body's reaction to the administered vaccine.
2. Mercury vapor intoxication.
3. Wasting of muscle tissue.
4. Excess of vitamins in the body.
5. Past illnesses such as meningitis, encephalitis or polio.
6. Esophageal hernia.

Important! Muscle hypotonia in an adult may not develop immediately, but later long time after suffering from an infectious disease.

Symptoms

Muscle hypotonia is diagnosed fairly quickly due to its specific manifestation. Muscle hypotonia syndrome in a newborn and older infant is accompanied by pronounced symptoms:

• weakness and slow muscle response;
• weakening or complete absence unconditioned reflexes: grasping or sucking;
• labored breathing;
• frequent finding of the child in positions not typical for infants;
• muscles feel soft and flabby;
• increased salivation;
• low mobility of facial muscles;
• frequent dislocation of joints in childhood;
• lack of resistance during unnatural flexion of the knee or elbow joints.

In the absence of timely treatment, children suffering from muscle weakness begin to lag behind in development. They begin to sit up, crawl and walk on their own late. In some cases there is a delay speech development, which is caused not by a disruption in the functioning of the nervous system, but by weakness of the speech apparatus.

Muscle hypotension in adults it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• a feeling of weakness throughout the body that is not associated with physical fatigue;
• increased sweating;
• sudden headaches that do not go away after taking strong painkillers;
• spontaneous attacks of tachycardia;
• increased joint mobility;
• sleep disorders;
• lack of sensitivity in the limbs;
• pinching pain in the chest area.

The symptoms of decreased muscle tone in adults are not as clear as in childhood. This may make it difficult to detect pathology in a timely manner.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of “muscle hypotonicity” is established on the basis of data obtained from a series of studies of the patient. To collect information, the patient is recommended to go through:

• laboratory blood tests;
• MRI, EEG, CT and electromyography;
• biopsy of affected muscles;
• examination for the presence of infection in the body;
• spinal puncture.

To obtain a detailed picture of the disease, the patient’s complete medical history is examined for the presence of hereditary factors and possible genetic abnormalities.

In addition to hardware and laboratory research The doctor assesses the patient's reflexes. The patient is asked to perform several physical techniques which only a person with weakened muscles can perform:

1. In a standing position, touch your heel to your hip joint.
2. Place your foot behind your head.
3. The patient is placed on his back on the couch. Holding the patient's knee with one hand, lift his leg up with the other. With a weakened muscle frame, the limb will bend at an unnatural angle.

To diagnose muscle hypotonia in infants, the doctor performs several tests:

1. The child is placed on his legs so that his heels touch a hard surface. With normal muscle tone, he will rest his feet and reflexively take several steps. If there is hypotonia, he will squat.
2. While lying on his back, the baby is taken by the arms and gently pulled towards himself, trying to give the baby a sitting position. With muscle hypotonia, he will hang on his arms, while his back will be arched outward. If muscle tone is normal, then the adult will feel the baby pulling his arms towards himself.
3. The child is placed on his stomach and a palm is placed on his heels. In the normal state of the muscular system, it will push off with its legs, making movements reminiscent of crawling.

There are a number of signs that indirectly indicate the development of muscle hypotonia in infants:

1. During sleep, the baby's limbs are completely straightened and relaxed. Children with normal muscle tone for some time after birth adopt a position in which their arms and legs are slightly bent. At the same time, their hands are clenched into a fist and brought together.
2. Lack of active sucking. This symptom may also indicate poor muscle tone.
3. If a baby cannot take objects for a long time, roll over from his stomach to his back, or hold his head up on his own, this may be a sign of hypotonia of the muscular system.

Treatment

Treatment of muscle hypotonicity in children and adults is carried out under the supervision of several doctors: a therapist (pediatrician), a neurologist, a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, an orthopedist and a geneticist. To eliminate this pathology, complex therapy is used, which includes massage, drug treatment and physiotherapy.

Massage

When treating weak muscles, the main emphasis is on massage. Direct physical impact on the muscles can restore their lost tone. For massage, it is recommended to contact specialists.

Only specially trained people know how to properly influence the patient’s body so as not to harm him and help him get rid of the pathology.

Physiotherapy

To treat hypotension, special physiotherapy procedures are indicated, such as electrophoresis, balneotherapy or acupuncture. Infants need to perform therapeutic exercises. Every mother can do it at home. It includes:

1. Reduction and separation of the baby's upper limbs.
2. Performing the “bicycle” exercise with the child’s legs.
3. Imitation of boxing movements by the child's hands.
4. Pulling the baby by the arms.

1. Modeling.
2. Cutting out.
3. Drawing.
4. Assembling mosaics and puzzles.

Sometimes it is necessary to wear special support corsets to correct posture.

Drugs

In some cases, in addition to massage and physical therapy, the doctor may recommend treatment medicines. The following groups of drugs are used in the treatment of muscle hypotension:

1. Drugs that stimulate increased immunity, as well as B vitamins ().
2. Muscle relaxants (Baclofen).
3. Neuroprotectors (“Cerebrolysin”).
4. Antioxidants may also be prescribed.

The patient is advised to adjust his diet. It is recommended to exclude junk food and increase the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Prevention

There are no uniform effective measures to prevent the development of muscle hypotonia due to the high probability of its development due to genetic disorders. However, there are several rules that can reduce the risk of this pathology:

1. During pregnancy, a woman should avoid bad habits(addiction to alcoholic drinks or smoking).
2. Observation of pregnancy by a gynecologist. Timely completion of required examinations and tests.
3. Regular monitoring of the child's condition by a pediatrician. If you suspect the development of pathology, you should immediately contact a medical facility.
4. Do not neglect therapeutic exercises and massage.

Conclusion

Muscle hypotonia is a health condition that may indicate the presence of serious illnesses in organism. In the absence of proper treatment, the disease progresses, which can lead to complete atrophy of the muscular system. Do not self-medicate, but at the first sign, contact a specialist.

Often, parents at a doctor’s appointment hear about increased or decreased tone in their baby. What is it and how dangerous is it?

Let's start with the fact that by itself tone is not a diagnosis or disease. Tone is a slight constant pretension of a muscle, allowing it to be ready for intentional contraction at any time. Regulation of muscle tone is a very complex neurophysiological process, closely related to innate and acquired reflexes, the correctness of which depends on many factors. Regulation of tone is carried out at the reflex level with the participation of all parts of the brain: brain stem, subcortical nuclei and cortex.

In a newborn, the general tone of all muscles is evenly increased compared to adults and older children. This gives his body a characteristic appearance: arms and legs are pressed to the body, the head is slightly thrown back, it is not possible to separate the limbs completely. All this is absolutely normal and goes away over time.

As the child grows, his muscle tone weakens, which gives the baby the opportunity to begin to actively move. He begins to move his arms, legs, take objects, raise his head. It is important that changes in tone occur correctly and simultaneously in all muscles. If, for example, the upper limbs are in high tone for a long time, it will be more difficult for the child to use them, and the corresponding skills will appear later. Long-term hypertonicity of the lower extremities can cause problems with learning to walk.

Until about 3-4 months, muscle tone remains high, then it begins to decrease - first in the flexor muscles (the arms and legs straighten), and by 5-6 months all muscles relax evenly, which gives the child the opportunity to make more complex movements – sit down, stand up and walk. By 18 months, the child’s muscle tone becomes comparable to that of an adult. If the baby lags behind his peers in development, the cause may be a violation of muscle tone.

What are the causes of tone disturbance?

The vast majority of tone disorders are associated with injuries and hypoxia during childbirth. Most often, the baby’s head and cervical spine are injured, which leads to disruptions in the functioning of the nervous system: the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures. Injury can occur during rapid and violent labor, as a result of unskilled actions of obstetricians, the use of the Kristeller maneuver (pressure on the abdomen during childbirth - prohibited in most countries, but periodically used in Russia), after stimulation of labor with oxytocin, the use of vacuum and forceps.

Prolonged oxygen starvation during childbirth also leads to damage to the nervous system and, first of all, the cerebral cortex. The stronger the injury or the longer the hypoxia was, the more severe the problems for the newborn. The most severe cases are manifestations of cerebral palsy - cerebral palsy, in which the child is practically deprived of the opportunity to develop normally.

How can a mother suspect a tone disorder?

Hypertonicity in newborns up to a month is physiological, that is, normal. A violation can be suspected by excessive tightness and stiffness of the baby, inappropriate for his age. If the tone is increased in the upper extremities, the baby does not reach for the toy, does not straighten his arms, his fists are tightly clenched most of the time, often in a “fig” shape. Hypertonicity of the lower extremities can be suspected if the child’s hips cannot be moved apart so that the angle between them is 90 degrees.

Low tone manifested by lethargy, weak movements of the arms or legs, drooping limbs (frog pose), sluggish movements and late development of age-related skills. If the tone is disturbed on one side, it is easy to notice by the asymmetry that appears on the limbs of one and the other side, as well as by the asymmetry of the folds. If you suspect your baby has a tone disorder, then first of all contact your pediatrician.

How does a doctor assess tone?

It can determine with high accuracy whether your baby’s tone is impaired or not. In doubtful cases, he will refer you to pediatric neurologist. To check, the doctor will examine the baby externally, check his posture on the back and stomach, how he holds his head and moves his arms and legs. Then the doctor will check the baby's reflexes - they usually increase along with the tone. Reflexes such as crawling, grasping, sucking are present in young children and disappear by the age of 3 months. If they persist for too long, this may indicate a problem in nervous system.
Next, the doctor will feel the baby’s limbs with his hands, determining how tense the muscles are. He will try to bend and straighten the baby's legs and arms, and also check the symmetry of these movements.

Norm – muscle tone and reflexes correspond to age, both sides are developed symmetrically.
Hypertonicity – increased muscle tone, the child is stiff and moves with difficulty.
Hypotonicity – decreased tone, muscles are relaxed, cannot contract with the required force, the child is lethargic.
Muscular dystonia – some muscles are in hypertonicity, others are in hypotonicity. The child takes unnatural positions and movements are also difficult.

What are the dangers of tone disorders?

The basis of any tone disorder is a problem in the nervous system. Tone is just one of its manifestations, the first and most obvious thing that can be noticed in a baby, since examination of vision, hearing and other more adult functions is not available to him. Problems with tone are always the result of a violation of the basic reflexes that regulate body movements. This means that along with their tone, coordination will be impaired in such children, age-related skills will develop worse, and they will lag behind their peers in development.

Later, due to impaired tonic reflexes, abnormalities occur in the musculoskeletal system: scoliosis, flat feet, club feet, etc. The severity of developmental delay and other disorders depends on the degree of brain damage. This is not always proportional to the severity of hypertonicity, which is why the child must be shown to a pediatric neurologist.

How to treat tone disorders in a child

In most cases, tone disorders respond well to treatment. The earlier the problem is identified, the better it can be dealt with, so it is very important to undergo routine examinations by a pediatrician and neurologist on time. To rule out a serious problem, the doctor may prescribe a brain examination using neurosonography for a detailed examination of its structures.

Treatment for tone disorders should be prescribed by a doctor and agreed with several specialists: pediatrician, neurologist, orthopedist. Lack of treatment will not lead to anything good; the child will not “outgrow” this problem. If the tone disorder is not treated, it will lead to developmental delays and problems with the musculoskeletal system.

Your doctor may prescribe a variety of treatment methods . Here are some of them:
Massage is very common and often effective method improve the baby’s condition with tone disorders. It is suitable for both hyper and hypotonicity, but is performed using different methods. For hypertonicity, a relaxing massage is prescribed, for hypotonicity, a tonic massage. It is better if the massage is performed by a specialist, but the mother herself can learn hygienic massage. Performing a light massage daily will be a very useful addition to the course from a specialist.
Aqua gymnastics is useful for any tone disorders. Warm water relaxes muscles, cool - stimulates. The child learns coordination and control of his body, all muscles are involved in the process.
Physiotherapy - this means exposure to heat (paraffin baths), electrophoresis, magnets.
Medications become necessary if the muscle spasm is very strong and cannot be relieved by other means.
Osteopathy is extremely effective method working with children after birth injuries, including with manifestations of hypertonicity. Allows you to bring the skull bones into the correct position and cervical region newborn, displaced during childbirth. As a result, the shape of the skull is normalized, the mechanical causes of brain dysfunction are eliminated, and pathological reflexes disappear. Osteopathy has a mild effect, can be used in children from birth, and does not require long courses.

Hypotonia in infants (muscular) is a fairly common occurrence in pediatric practice. Muscular hypotension is a hereditary genetic pathology that is quite difficult to diagnose.

The concept of muscle hypotension

With muscle hypotonia, children develop a decrease in muscle tone. The muscles become so weakened that they cannot contract normally in response to nerve stimulation.

The causes of hypotension in infants can be very different. Muscular hypotonia in children is called muscle weakness syndrome. It can lead to muscle tissue degeneration.

Causes of hypotension:

1) disorders in the central nervous system;

2) genetic disorders;

3) muscle malformations;

4) myasthenia gravis;

5) botulism;

6) sepsis;

7) hypervitaminosis;

8) cerebellar ataxia.

Muscular hypotonia in infants can be accompanied by muscle weakness, when the muscles do not have enough strength to perform the movements familiar to all children. In a child's normal state, muscle tone allows muscles to stretch and responds to stretching of fibers and fascia. Under normal conditions, when the child’s arms are in a bent position, the flexor muscles straighten quite quickly. After performing this action, the muscles return back to a resting state.

With hypotonia of muscle tone, muscle contractions are slow in response to nerve impulses and cannot fix the limb in a certain position for a long period.

Among the hereditary diseases that can lead to muscle hypotension are: Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and Marfan syndrome. Children with Marfan syndrome have a genetic connective tissue disorder that destroys the collagen fibers in muscle ligaments. Botulism produces a toxin that paralyzes the muscles and also affects their motor function. Muscular dystrophy leads to loss of muscle mass and muscle weakness. Myasthenia gravis is characterized by variable muscle weakness caused by impaired immunity. Muscle weakness changes after rest or physical activity.

The most severe abnormalities include spinal muscular atrophy, which subsequently even leads to the death of the child.

Signs of muscle hypotonia

With hypotension in infants, the appearance changes, so the signs of this disease become noticeable immediately. A child with muscle hypotonia chooses elbows and knees spaced apart as support, while children with normal muscle tone rest on their limbs at right angles. If the neck muscles are weak, the baby cannot for a long time hold the head, but throws it to the sides, back or forward.

A baby with hypotension involuntarily raises his arms up parallel to the body when he is taken under the arms. During sleep, children with normal muscle tone keep their arms and legs bent. Their palms are open and the child does not hold his hands in fists like all other children with normal muscle function. With hypotension, children's limbs hang down and become limp. The muscles feel soft and loose to the touch. Limbs can move apart far beyond physiological norms.

With hypotension, the baby's legs can open almost 180 degrees. This position is called frog pose. In this position, a child with muscle weakness does not experience any discomfort or pain at all.

Manifestations of hypotension

An infant with chronic hypotension has limited motor activity. There are several signs of hypotension:

1) the child has difficulty holding his head up;

2) cannot fix the body in a sitting position;

3) cannot crawl;

4) cannot hold a toy in his hands;

5) cannot change body position from stomach to back.

Over time, the child begins to develop muscle weakness. It affects his mobility and posture. With chronic hypotension, the level of reflexes decreases, the ligamentous apparatus weakens. All this can lead to dislocations of small or large joints (ankle joints, knee joints, jaw joints, hip joints and others). In the most difficult situations there may be a problem with the chewing and swallowing muscles: the child himself cannot chew and swallow food. Sometimes the lower jaw may sag or the baby will stick out his tongue. He is fed parenterally or using a special tube. Due to weak glottis muscles, chest and breathing problems, the child’s speech is impaired.

Hypotension occurs in children, regardless of the condition and age of the child. There is some connection between the development of hypotension and maternal behavior during pregnancy. The most dangerous age the period is considered to be from 3 to 7 years. There is a risk of developing muscle hypotonia and limited physical abilities.

Hypotension is most easily cured in early age, subject to the use of modern medical rehabilitation. After the age of 7 years, this condition appears extremely rarely.

When diagnosing hypotension, the following is done:

1) traction test;

2) passive muscle tone;

3) vertical and horizontal hanging;

4) assessment muscle mass;

5) active muscle tone.

The most sensitive test for determining muscle tone is the traction test. To do this, the doctor takes the child by the hands and pulls him into a sitting position. If the child is healthy, then his head will immediately follow the body. When sitting, the head is supported independently. With muscle hypotonia, there will be a significant delay in head movement and limb flexion.

The method for determining passive muscle tone is determined by the sensation of resistance during passive flexion and extension of the limbs. The doctor studies the range of motion and measures the angle between the torso and limb. With muscle passivity, a deviation from the norm will be observed.

The vertical suspension method is as follows: the doctor holds the baby under the arms and lifts him up into a vertical position. In a normal state, the child will hold his head upright. With hypotension, the head and legs will hang forward, the child will slip out of the hands.

During horizontal suspension, the baby is able to independently support his back and head, and bend his limbs at the joints. With hypotension, the baby bends through the doctor's hands like the letter U upside down. The legs and head hang down like a doll.

When assessing muscle mass, the doctor pays attention to myokymia, fascicularity and other manifestations of muscle activity. TO characteristic features muscle weakness includes myasthenia gravis and myopathy. With chronic hypotension, scoliosis, joint contractures and tendon retraction are observed. It is easiest to establish muscle atrophy in the presence of asymmetry. This method slightly difficult due to the large variability of indicators in children with normal muscle function.

The active muscle tone method involves studying muscle activity indicators. These include the baby's posture, the strength of his movements, the speed of movement of the limbs and their return to their original position. When the child takes a position lying on his back, it is quite difficult to determine the presence of any abnormalities. With intrauterine hypotension, dislocation is observed in hip joint and arthrogryposis. Such a baby, being in a sitting position, lowers his shoulders and head forward, his limbs hang.

Treatment of hypotension

The main treatment for muscle hypotonia in infants is aimed at physical exercise and massage. During the examination, the doctor will check how weak muscles the child and what kind of treatment he needs.

With the help of exercises and massage, the muscles begin to actively work and strengthen. You can do these exercises in a hospital setting or on your own at home. The result appears almost immediately: the child begins to independently move his arms and legs, take objects, hold his head, etc.

If left untreated, hypotension leads to delayed development of the baby. In the future, in such children one can often observe curvature of posture and excessive plasticity. In the case of severely developed hypotension, the baby may be completely behind or slow down in development. Therefore, parents should carefully monitor how their child is developing and contact a pediatrician at the first alarming symptoms.