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Small tone in the legs of the baby. Hypertonia in newborns and infants: signs and treatment. Carrying out therapeutic exercises and massage for infants with hypertension

05.03.2020

Parents make a huge mistake, not paying attention to the signs of pronounced increased muscle tone in their babies.

This deviation in the normal development of the newborn requires a mandatory set of health measurespurposeful and long enough.

What is hypertonia and the causes of its occurrence

Violation of the normal muscle tone of the baby in the direction of tension is often a consequence of a violation of the central nervous system, the beginning of which can be laid even during the period of intrauterine development of the fetus.

So, it can lead to:

  • acute infectious pathologies suffered by the mother during gestation, especially in the pelvic area;
  • severe pregnancy with frequent toxicosis, especially in the final trimester;
  • hereditary genetic diseases associated with general metabolic disorders;
  • chronic diseases future motherassociated with the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver, organs of internal secretion;
  • non-compliance by a pregnant woman with recommendations on proper and nutritious nutrition, the necessary lifestyle during the gestation period, her addiction to smoking, even occasional alcohol consumption.

Often hypertonicity caused by injuriesreceived by the child while still in the mother's womb, but more often occurring during the birth process:

  • too quick labor or, on the contrary, difficult, when the mother's labor is weakened, with incomplete opening of the birth canal, with a very large baby, in the case when it is necessary to resort to the imposition of forceps or the use of a vacuum extractor;
  • even if the risk persists, in the case when, at the request of the patient, a minimal cosmetic incision is made;
  • another cause of muscle tone disorder may be hemolytic disease caused by the incompatibility of the blood of a woman and her child.

Alarming symptom:. Excess water or one of the signs of gestosis? Find out now!

On the use of Curantil on later dates pregnancy this article.

Why is hypertonicity dangerous (and is it dangerous?) For newborns?

The danger of hypertonicity cannot be underestimated. Firstly, he himself speaks of disorders in the baby's central nervous system, which requires careful diagnosis. Secondly, the baby does not receive normal physical development, does not normally rest, being in constant overexcitation, which in the future also affects mental abilities.

Sometimes neglected forms lead to impaired motor functions, gait, coordination and even inhibition of speech development.

Diagnosis of the disease

Symptoms and signs

In fact, manifestations of increased muscle tone are characteristic of almost all children in the initial period of their life and are considered a variant of the norm.

The fetus was in a twisted state in the uterus, and this position does not go away immediately. Muscle tension weakens gradually, and by the age of six months it should return to normal.

but there are a number of signsthat speak of pathological hypertonia requiring action:

  • the baby is very nervous, often cries for no reason, while there is a characteristic chin trembling;
  • the fists are tightly clenched, the arms and legs are brought together, and any attempt to spread them apart is difficult and causes resistance and crying;
  • the child "holds" his head from the first days of life, and during sleep throws it back strongly;
  • when feeding often spits up and bends.

These signs - a signal for a mandatory appeal to a pediatrician, who will conduct a thorough examination and assess the level of hypertonia and the degree of health risk.

However, if such alarming symptoms are not observed, this does not at all mean the absolute absence of pathology. You can do a "home checkup", which allows you to determine the presence of increased tone.

For example, evaluate the positioning of the foot of his leg on a flat surface, while holding it by the armpits. If he touches the surface only with his toes, without placing his feet on the foot, this is a well-known sign of hypertonicity.

Treatment of hypertonicity in newborns

Medicines

With severe severe forms of hypertonia caused by perinatal encephalopathy, the doctor may prescribe medications for treatment - vitamin preparations, relaxing remedies - Dibazol, Pantogam, Elkar, and others.

Parents should know that absolutely forbidden independent use of any drugs or unauthorized change in the schedule and dosage of their intake!

Non-drug means

Experienced professional children's massage therapists know their job well, but a child can get scared of other people's hands, strain, cry, and the healing effect will come to naught. Exactly that's why mom's involvement is so importantwho can independently carry out some procedures, especially in the very early age baby.

It's good if she listened to the advice of doctors, and even during pregnancy, she underwent a short training course in massage procedures and medical gymnastics. If not, then a pediatric neuropathologist should show her the basic techniques of manual therapy for hypertension... They are not difficult, but they require systematic implementation.

Massage begins from 5-6 weeks of lifewhen the umbilical wound is completely healed. The duration of the procedure should not exceed 5 minutes for a baby up to 3 months, 8-10 minutes - for older ones.

Never massage should not be performed if the child sleeps, is capricious if he shows obvious displeasure from the manipulations performed with him. It will instinctively shrink, it will not be possible to achieve a relaxing effect.

Beginning procedures always with a gentle light stroking, which will accelerate blood circulation, relieve pain. Then the baby's arms are massaged - from hand to shoulder, legs, paying special attention to the feet, then the back.

All movements should be rhythmic, fast enough, but at the same time unsharp and not causing disturbance to the child. Complete the procedure also obligatory soothing stroking.

Water treatments are very important

Human movements are carried out due to the alternating contraction of one muscle group and relaxation of the other. The functions of the muscular system are coordinated by the nervous system, which carries out their connection with the spinal cord and brain. The normal state of muscle tissue is tone or involuntary tension, which is not controlled by volitional and conscious influence.

Thanks to him, a person not only makes voluntary and involuntary movements, but also maintains the position of the body in space. Even in the womb, the baby moves, learns to control the muscles. The tone of a newborn differs from that of an adult, which is due to the immaturity of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.

What is muscle tone. What tone is normal

Tonus is a characteristic of the normal state of muscle tissue of any kind. Reflex muscle tension depends on:

  • the strength of nerve impulses reaching the tissue - neuromuscular activity;
  • metabolic processes occurring in the fibers - own muscle tone.

Even at rest, muscle fibers are tense. This state of the tissue is due to nerve impulses passing from the brain and response signals from the fiber bundles to the brain. The tone is subdivided into:

  • active;
  • passive.

Thanks to active tension, the child's body maintains a fixed vertical position and maintains balance, and the muscles are constantly in readiness for active movements. Passive tone in the legs is determined when making movements of the limbs - abduction / adduction, flexion in the joints. With active tension, all elastic fibers in the bundle are involved, and with passive tension, some of the fibers are tense, and some are relaxed. This alternating "switching on" conserves energy and allows the muscles to move for a long time.

Muscle tone in a child is somewhat different from muscle tension in adults. The baby in the womb maintains a forced position for a long time - his arms are bent at the elbows, the hands are clenched into fists, and the legs are pulled up to the tummy and bent at the joints. After birth, excitation of nerve impulses in the muscles, the tone of newborns for some time maintains the usual posture of the embryo.

The tone in the legs of a full-term newborn leads to their reflective position and moderate adduction. Physiological overstrain persists for about 1 month. Gradually, the nervous system matures, and the condition of the baby's muscles returns to normal. This happens by 3 months. In a two-year-old child, the activity of the muscles should correspond to that of adults. What is muscle tone in an infant can be understood with simple tests. With their help, it is determined whether the stress is physiological or pathological reasons.

Types of deviations and disorders in infants. Causes of tone in children

Normally, the increased tone in a newborn is uneven - the tension of the extensor muscles of the head and neck is higher. Increased tone the baby's neck leads to the fact that the head of the baby is slightly thrown back. The tone of the legs is due to the tension of the adductor muscles of the thighs, therefore, when trying to spread the child's legs in different directions, resistance is felt. The incorrect tension of the muscles of the upper limbs is slightly lower and, despite resistance, they can be parted, and the cam can be opened. The tone in the pens is maintained for 4 months after birth.

Normal hypertonicity is symmetrical and persists until the appearance of voluntary movement skills in the crumbs. This happens at the age of 3-3.5 months. Then, gradually hypertonicity decreases - at the age of 3-6 months, the tension decreases in the flexor group, and asymmetry disappears in the extensors. In the event that hypertonicity remains after six months, then it is a sign of pathology.

More information about hypertonia, its causes and when muscle tone passes in babies can be found at. Muscle strain in a newborn can be a sign of:

  • congenital disorders of the formation of the brain;
  • birth injury or diseases of the central nervous system;
  • hypoxia.

The opposite of hypertonicity is hypotonia - decreased muscle tone. A kid with such a violation looks lethargic, passive. The child moves little and little limbs, poorly holds the head. Hypotonic joints are hypermobile - the extension angle is more than 180 °. When laying out the crumbs on the stomach, he does not bend the arms under the body, but takes a flat position.

Weak muscle tone in a newborn is no less dangerous than hypertonicity, since the condition can be a sign of dangerous diseases:

  • poliomyelitis;
  • congenital myopathy;
  • spinal muscular atrophy;
  • botulism;
  • neonatal myotonic dystrophy.

In addition to the listed muscle disorders, there are:

  • asymmetry of muscle tension;
  • dystonia.

With asymmetry, the baby may experience the following abnormal disorders:

  • torticollis;
  • short leg syndrome;
  • rachiocampsis.

Dystonia is a condition of the muscular system in which some muscle groups are overly tense and others overly relaxed.
The reason for the violation of muscle tone is damage to the central nervous system due to:

  • intrauterine hypoxia;
  • acute or chronic diseases that the mother of the baby suffered during pregnancy;
  • intoxication;
  • obstetric pathologies - toxicosis, risk of miscarriage, increased uterine tone;
  • lack of water;
  • multiple pregnancy;
  • heavy or rapid childbirth;
  • birth trauma;
  • rhesus conflict between the fetus and the pregnant woman.

The condition of the muscles of the crumbs is influenced by heredity and genetic abnormalities, poor ecology. Violation can occur due to infection, trauma, endocrine and nervous and other diseases.

With any development of deviations from the norm (dystonia), there is a threat to the child's health. He falls behind in physical development, the baby later develops motor skills, and then problems with mental development are noted.

Examination and diagnosis of a newborn's tone. Who should I contact?

As a rule, in order to detect dystonia (hypotension or hypertension of the muscular system), it is enough for the doctor to conduct diagnostic tests and assess the condition of their individual groups. The most informative ones are:

  1. Breeding hips test - the child is in the "supine" position, tummy up. It is necessary to gently grasp the legs of the crumbs and carefully spread them apart. With increased voltage, pronounced resistance is felt. Flexion / extension is also difficult. If the legs move apart easily, and there is excessive mobility in the joints, then this is a sign of hypotension.
  2. Sitting on the handles - the baby is laid on a hard, flat surface so that the back is flat. Gently grasp the handles above the wrists and gently pull them towards themselves so that the baby takes a sitting position. During testing, it is necessary to observe the position of the crumbs' body and evaluate the resistance to translational movement. If the arms do not straighten and excessive resistance is felt, then the cause is muscle hypertension. If the head of the baby leans back or hangs forward, then the tone of the baby's neck is reduced. When the joints of the limbs are extended without effort, and the body is curved in a sitting position - the back is rounded, the abdomen is protruding, the posture is unstable, then all the signs of hypotension are evident.
  3. Step and support reflex - allows you to assess the tone of the legs in babies. The child's armpits are taken, giving the body a vertical position, the abdomen is flat, the foot should rest on a horizontal hard surface. In the normal state of the muscles, the foot is completely on the surface, the fingers are straightened. As soon as the body is tilted forward a little, the baby will make movements similar to walking. According to the indicators, the reflex disappears by 1.5 months after birth. If it persists longer, then this indicates an overstrain of the muscles of the body (hypertonicity). When the movement occurs with support on the toes or the toes are drawn in, the legs are crossed, then this is hypertension. When a child refuses to walk, or moves on bent knees, the body bends in the back, then he has hypotension.
  4. Symmetrical reflex - "lying on your back" posture, belly up. The palm is slipped under the back of the neck and the head is gently raised, tilting it towards the chest. At the same time, he bends the upper limbs and straightens the lower ones.
  5. Asymmetric reflex - the baby is placed on its back and gently turn its head first to one shoulder and then to the other shoulder. Normally, he should take a characteristic pose - stretch the handle corresponding to the side of the head rotation, bend the leg opposite to the side of the turn at the knee and straighten the other. Repeat the test in the opposite direction to check the reflex of the other half of the body.
  6. Test for a tonic reflex - if the baby is laid supine on a hard surface, he will straighten his limbs, as if "open". When laid out on the stomach, the reverse movement occurs - the child bends the limbs, picking them up under the body. The reflex fades away by 2-2.5 months after birth. With muscular hypertension, the reflex is noted at 3 months, and with hypotension, it is absent.
  7. Moro reflex - you should observe the behavior of the baby when exposed to stimuli. If you raise the pelvic part of the body by the straightened legs above the table or just straighten the lower limbs, the baby spreads the arms to the sides and straightens the palm. A second later, the second phase of the reflex begins, and the limbs take their previous position - they bend at the elbows and squeeze the palm. If the tone of the hands in babies is increased, then the reflex is practically absent. It is also noted with pronounced hypotonia - children only slightly spread their hands. Normally, the reflex fades away by 4-5 months after birth.
  8. Babinsky's reflex - with dashed irritation (tickling, stroking, tapping) the outer edge of the foot, the fingers on it straighten out like a fan, and the big toe rises vertically.

The listed tests are easy to carry out independently or under the supervision of a pediatrician, assessing motor activity and maturity of the central nervous system. If you suspect the development of disorders in tone, the pediatrician appoints a consultation with a neurologist and recommends instrumental examinations (MRI, CT) of the brain and spinal cord.

Doctors - pediatrician, neurologist or chiropractor will help to recommend how to relieve the tone of the muscles of the legs in a child.

Therapeutic massages for toned babies

Treatment should be prescribed by a specialist. Depending on the deviations, this can be a doctor - a pediatrician, an orthopedist or a neurologist. The main treatment for dystonia is massage. Drug therapy and physiotherapy can be used in combination. The earlier a violation is detected, the easier and more effective manual treatment is.

With severe pathology, massage is done only by a specialist. If the deviations are minimal, then after training, parents can independently figure out how to tone the muscles of the legs, arms, and neck.

The photo shows different manual techniques for muscle abnormalities

Depending on the state of the baby's muscles, they use different kinds massage - with hypotonia, it is necessary to stimulate the activity of the contractile tissue, and if excessively tense is observed, to relax.

Massage with toned legs is done in the daytime, after feeding. The room must be at least 22 ° C. Massage oil or baby cream is applied to the palm and stroking movements from the periphery to the center begin to work out the tight or overly relaxed muscle structures of the back and abdomen. Children's foot massage with tone is performed in different ways at different ages of the child.

It is recommended to start the impact from the left limb, moving from the foot to the groin, and then move to the right leg, continuing the massage in the same order - foot, fingers, lower leg, thigh. Also work with handles. After the limb has been worked out, attention should be paid to the joints. The adult's palm fixes the limb below the articulation, the second is higher and produces a smooth flexion / extension. Movements should be confident, smooth, careful.

The main methods of massage treatment are:

  • stroking;
  • gentle rubbing;
  • gentle kneading;
  • light vibration and tapping;
  • point pressure.

The older the baby gets, the more active the movements and a little stronger the impact. The duration of treatment also changes. The first procedure takes a few minutes. The older the child, the longer he can endure the correction. In order to stimulate the muscles of the arms, legs, back and abdomen, sawing, chopping movements, shaking the limb are used. Intense, but gentle action activates trophic processes and stimulates the nervous system.

The specialist individually selects the method and supplements the massage of the legs with tone with other traditional and non-traditional methods: special exercises, swimming, gymnastics - exercises on a gymnastic ball, reflexology. A neurologist may prescribe neurometabolic drugs (nootropics), drugs that stimulate blood circulation, and diuretics. When choosing tactics, a neurologist takes into account the condition, age and the presence of systemic diseases.

Even if the muscles in children are normal, they will not be prevented by a preventive massage of the legs of the child with a tone or back and abdomen. The pediatrician should regularly check the condition of newborns and recommend manual methods for preventing intestinal colic, relaxation, and improving sleep. Manual action raises immunity, improves blood supply to tissues and organs, increases the flexibility of the spine and abdomen. The massage is perfectly complemented by warm baths with herbal decoctions. They soothe or stimulate nerve endings, depending on the plant chosen. A prepared, warmed-up body perceives manual influence better.

Self-medication is not recommended - the wrong course of manual exposure will bring the child more harm than good. The adult must control his strength, skill, skill and duration of the procedure. If the baby is capricious, then he is tired, and the process must be stopped. Any impact should be gentle. You cannot apply force and intensively bend-unbend the limbs, press, shake. Treatment should be enjoyable and not painful. Kneading, rubbing is used when the baby grows up a little.

The specialist can start the therapeutic massage from 1.5-2 months. After the child reaches 3 months of age, the exercises become more difficult. Massage should prepare the muscular system for walking, active movements, eliminate pathological blocks and form a healthy stereotype of movements. The effectiveness of the impact is controlled by a specialist. He regularly conducts testing and, if necessary, makes changes and additions to the applied techniques. With the correct correction of violations, babies quickly catch up and even surpass their peers in physical and mental development.

Adults also need a good, professional massage therapist. With age, the tone decreases, and in order to stimulate it, exercises, gymnastics, and gymnastics are needed in order to avoid difficulties in treatment and severe consequences.

Today we will talk about such a condition as hypertonicity in a newborn child. Sometimes the parents of a newborn pediatrician's words about hypertonicity in their baby are perceived as a terrible diagnosis. Still, this is a term completely incomprehensible to a layman, which, even by the sound of a word, subconsciously causes anxiety.

In this article, I want to explain to parents what hypertension is from the point of view of the physiology of a newborn child. Why is the increased muscle tone of the baby dangerous? When is this condition normal and when does it require medical attention?

I'll start by explaining what normal muscle tone is. This is an involuntary muscle tension that allows a person to move around, change their position in space. Even a relaxed muscle retains residual tension. Muscle tone is controlled by the central nervous system - the brain and spinal cord.

That is, tone is a normal physiological phenomenon. For normal motor activity of the baby and the acquisition of new motor skills, normal muscle tone is simply necessary.

Can hypertonia always be considered a pathology?

Hypertonia - increased muscle tone, manifested by their stiffness and tightness. It prevents the baby from mastering motor skills in time. May cause discomfort and anxiety.

In medicine, there is such a concept as the physiological hypertonicity of a newborn. Let us recall the position in which the child was for 9 months in his mother's tummy - in the position of the embryo. The legs and arms of the fetus were bent and brought to the body, the fists were clenched, the legs at the knees were slightly apart, the stacks were crossed, the chin was pressed to the chest.

After birth, the baby retains the same posture for some time. And this is the physiological hypertonicity of the newborn. Flexor muscle tone is higher than extensor muscle tone. When trying to spread and straighten the limbs, some resistance is felt in the limbs. Also, it is possible to open the baby's compressed cam for a very short time.

Let me remind you that a baby is called a newborn in the first 28 days from the date of birth.

Physiological hypertonicity persists not only in the first month, but during the first few months of the baby's life. On average, this condition lasts up to three months, in some cases up to four. However, in children in the first year of life, muscle tone is higher than in children older than a year.

At what age can hypertension be diagnosed?

Despite all of the above, the diagnosis of hypertension can be made at any age. Including newborns.

It is very difficult to recognize hypertonicity in newborns and babies up to three months. Only an experienced specialist can determine it.

If the muscle tone of the newborn is really increased relative to the age norm, then problems arise even with the act of sucking and seizing the mother's nipple. After all, it is difficult for a baby to work and manage with clamped muscles.

Also, increased tone affects the muscle walls. internal organs... Therefore, children with hypertonicity often and abundantly regurgitate the food they have eaten.

Therefore, excessive adduction of the limbs and stiffness of movements are by no means the only manifestations of hypertonicity in a baby.


There are signs of hypertonicity that should alert parents.

  • The baby sleeps restlessly, cries often and for a long time, reacts sharply even to dim light, to sounds in the room. The child is capricious, often or profusely spits up.
  • The crumbs often have chin trembling, flinching and crying at stimuli.
  • Even a child's posture can tell a lot to parents and the doctor. A child with asymmetric muscle tone lies unevenly or in a slightly bent position. The kid throws his head back, bends.
  • The baby's head can be tilted to one side, to one shoulder. The so-called torticollis is formed due to uneven tension of the neck muscles.
  • Even if a child holds his head well by the age of one month, this is not always a reason for pride. Most often this is a manifestation of increased tone of the muscles of the neck and occiput.
  • The kid turns and turns always in one direction. Grips the toy with only one hand. You always need to pay attention to this, since for children of the first year there is no concept of left or right. Newborn babies are two-handed.
  • Hypertonicity of the extremities is manifested by resistance when trying to spread the arms and legs of the child to the sides. The arms are constantly bent at the elbows. The fists are clenched and difficult to spread.
  • The thumb is always pressed against the palm. Children older than three months no longer have to "twist the figs". Breeding limbs provokes increased resistance or crying of the baby.
  • Hypertonicity of the lower extremities leads to impaired mobility in the joints, especially in the hip. Breeding the legs of these babies is obviously difficult.
  • When placing the baby on a hard surface, he does not rest on the entire foot (on the toe or on the outer edge of the foot), often bends his toes.
  • When trying to walk, there is a pronounced intersection of the baby's legs. Children who have already walked have a tiptoe gait.

It is worth paying attention to the above symptoms in time and reporting them to the doctor who is observing the child. If necessary, the pediatrician can refer the child for a consultation with a neurologist.

Such a variety of signs of hypertonia is due to the fact that it can manifest itself in several variants.

Symmetrical hypertonicity is a variant of physiological muscle tension. At the same time, all the muscles of the baby's body are evenly tense, the baby's posture is natural, the arms and legs look symmetrical.

Asymmetric hypertonicity Is a pathological variant characterized by uneven muscle tension on the right or left side of the baby's body. In this case, the child lies unevenly, bends or tilts his head to one side, falls to one side (in the direction of greater muscle tension).

Dystonic hypertonicity - This is a complex variant of muscle tone disorder. With this option, there is an excessive tension of certain muscles and relaxation of others (a combination of hypertonicity and hypotension). With this option, the function of the limbs is significantly impaired, which complicates and lengthens the rehabilitation of such babies.

Causes of hypertonia in infants

The reasons for the baby's hypertonicity can be various factors that, to one degree or another, influenced the baby's nervous system during intrauterine development or during childbirth.

Pathology of intrauterine development, pathology of the central nervous system (CNS), as a rule, are directly related to the state of health of the expectant mother, her lifestyle. In particular, alcohol and nicotine have a pronounced toxic effect on the central nervous system of the fetus.

The development of hypertonicity can be affected by the pathological course of pregnancy and childbirth, birth trauma.

Chronic fetal hypoxia or prolonged lack of oxygen during childbirth (baby asphyxia) is a common cause of problems with the baby's nervous system. Since brain cells are most sensitive to oxygen starvation.

Birth injuries, intracranial hemorrhages in a baby due to prolonged or rapid childbirth, or their incorrect management are another reason for problems with muscle tone in a baby after birth.

What is the danger of hypertonicity in a child in the first year of life?

It is necessary and important to pay attention to increased muscle tone, despite the fact that it can be physiological. It is important to consult a specialist as soon as possible if the parents or the attending physician suspect that the baby has some abnormalities in muscle tone.

The specialist will help determine possible congenital neurological diseases of the baby or dispel your doubts.

Late diagnosis of hypertonicity in a baby can lead to a lag in physical and motor development. All motor skills in such children are formed with a lag.

Violation of a large and fine motor skills will lead to a violation of speech development, since these processes are interrelated.

Hypertonicity of the neck muscles can lead to a limitation of the ability to turn the baby's head. In a child, an asymmetry of the bones of the skull may form if the child lies, turning only in the direction of greater muscle tension.

Severe hypertonicity of the legs can be especially dangerous. In this case, coordination of movements is disturbed, the formation of a normal arch of the foot. There may be asymmetry not only in the muscles, but also in the length of the baby's limb. Subsequently, the baby's gait and posture may be disturbed.

In order for a specialist to determine in each specific case whether the baby's hypertonicity is an age feature or a symptom of a certain neurological pathology, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination and more than one examination of the baby.

Neurosonography - ultrasound diagnostics of the brain in newborns and children under one year old. Such a study can be carried out while the baby's fontanel is not overgrown, since the examination is carried out through the soft tissues in the fontanel area.


The technique allows you to determine the general state of the brain, the state of its individual structures, the vascular system, the quality of blood supply. The method is very informative, accessible and safe, does not require complete immobility from the child (no anesthesia is needed).

Neurosonography is routinely performed for all infants at about 1.5 months.

Electromyography is also used in diagnosis, but much less frequently. This research method allows you to evaluate the speed of nerve impulses, muscle strength, and its symmetry. Also electromyography makes it possible to analyze the work different groups muscles and their state at rest.

In addition, a geneticist's consultation can be prescribed and genetic methods of examination of the baby can be carried out.

Hypertension treatment

As a rule, the earlier the problem is identified, the easier and faster it is to resolve. So it is with hypertonicity.

Drug treatment is prescribed only in severe cases of the course of the disease or in the absence of effect from previously carried out non-drug methods (massage, gymnastics, physiotherapy).

The key to all procedures is that they should not cause discomfort and anxiety to the child. If the child is worried, nervous, crying, then the tension in the muscles increases even more. There will be no positive effect from such treatment.

Massage

All massage techniques used for hypertonicity are aimed at relaxing tense muscles and eliminating spasms in them. The massage should only be performed by a professional children's massage therapist. As a rule, the massage should be carried out in several courses. The duration of the course is 10-15 sessions.

Parents can also learn general infant massage, which will improve the health of their baby.

When carrying out a massage, everything is important: the environment, the temperature in the room, the place of the massage, the well-being and mood of the baby, the technique of performing the massage techniques.

The room should be warm so that the cold does not cause additional muscle tension. After all, the child is completely undressed during the massage. At the same time, the room should not be stuffy.

Do not massage your child immediately after eating, when the child is hungry or when he wants to sleep. The child should be calm and in the mood for a massage session.

That is why, most often, parents are looking for an opportunity to invite a specialist to their home so that the baby feels protected in a familiar environment. Plus, at home, you can try to choose the time of the massage according to the baby's sleep and feeding regime.

Massage should be done on a hard surface. You can do it on a regular table, covered with a blanket and an absorbent diaper. The surface should not be slippery, oilcloths are inappropriate here.

The masseur's hands should be clean and unadorned, nails cut short so as not to injure delicate skin crumbs.

Massage for a newborn can be done from two weeks of age. But up to a month and a half, it should include only stroking. From about three months, you can include elements of rubbing, rocking, light vibration.

There are not even two identical cases of hypertension and two identical people. Therefore, it is impossible and unacceptable to give any recommendations to parents on therapeutic massage. Parents need to learn massage from specialists in medical institutions, and not on the Internet.

Between the courses of therapeutic massage, you can carry out the usual restorative massage.

When it is carried out, all movements are carried out from the periphery to the center, along the lymph flow. Start and end the massage with light strokes.

The duration of the massage session depends on the age of the baby. At the age of 2 months, the massage is carried out for 7-8 minutes. By 3-4 months, light gymnastic exercises are connected, and the duration of the session is increased to 15-20 minutes.


Baby massage begins with gentle stroking movements of the palms on the back, breast, arms and legs of the child. After stroking, rubbing of the limbs, back, abdomen is performed in a circular motion with the pads of the fingers.

Let's start with the legs. The position of the child is lying on his stomach.

Holding the leg just below the shin and fixing the ankle joint, lightly press at the base of each toe and on its ball.

Then massage each toe from the nail to the base of the toe. The movements are soft sliding, slightly scrolling, as if pulling gloves on a finger. Repeat each movement three to four times.

Draw "eights" on the baby's foot. Start at the base of the toes, lead, grasping the entire surface of the foot, cross in the center of the foot. Three to four reps.

Perform stroking and light rubbing movements along the lower leg and outer thigh 3-4 times. Do not massage the inner thigh, groin area, kneecap. Do the same on the other leg.

Move on to massage the pens. Massage the handles from palm to shoulder with the child lying on their back. Gently open the baby's palm with your thumbs. Perform circular motions clockwise and counterclockwise. Do three reps.

Massage each finger of your baby. The movements are already familiar. As on the foot, we “pull on gloves” on each finger.

Take four crumbs of fingers (index, middle, ring, and pinky) together and do a couple of flexions and extensions.

With gentle stroking movements, sweep along the extensor surface of the handles from palm to shoulder. Repeat 6 reps.

Start the tummy massage with light strokes on the tummy from top to bottom, from the ribs to the pubis. Then go to circular motions clockwise. Repeat each exercise 5-6 times.

With stroking and movements, massage the chest from the bottom up, moving to the shoulders, gently bypassing the nipple area.

Begin the back massage with stroking movements from top to bottom, gently going around the spine. Movement can also resemble a herringbone - from top to bottom and to the side.

Gymnastics

Therapeutic gymnastics also normalizes muscle work and stimulates physical activity. Gymnastics should also be carried out by a specialist.

The complex is developed individually, taking into account the age of the baby, its anatomical features, and the degree of hypertonicity.

Dynamic gymnastics is contraindicated for babies with increased muscle tone.


Physiotherapy

Thermal therapy: with hypertonia, paraffin applications are shown.

This treatment helps relieve muscle spasms through the relaxing effects of heat. Paraffin applications are applied to the lower third of the baby's leg and foot, for which this procedure is called "paraffin boots".

The duration varies from 10 minutes at the beginning of treatment to 20 minutes with repeated sessions. The full course includes 10 procedures.

Heat therapy can be replaced by electrophoresis with magnesia.

Exercising in the water normalizes muscle tone well, reduces muscle spasm, and improves coordination.

In this case, the body receives a uniform load on all muscles, which contributes to the formation of a normal muscle corset. To relieve hypertonicity, the water in the bathroom should be warm, you can add sage, motherwort, pine needles to the water. Diving is contraindicated.


Baths are best done before bedtime. Water procedures should not cause discomfort for the baby, therefore it is allowed to use inflatable elements and toys.

Osteopathy

A very popular destination at the moment. Only a qualified pediatric specialist can conduct osteopathy sessions. As a rule, such a procedure is prescribed for children with neurological disorders due to birth trauma or congenital skeletal pathologies.

Drug therapy

Medication is prescribed in rare cases and only by a neurologist. As a rule, such treatment is connected in the absence of the effect of non-drug methods.

With hypertension, they can prescribe:

Drugs that relieve muscle spasm - muscle relaxants.

Drugs that improve blood circulation and metabolic processes in the brain, stimulating the work of brain neurons - nootropics.

Drugs that reduce venous congestion, fluid retention in brain structures - diuretics.

These drugs are prescribed according to strict indications and under the supervision of a specialist.

Walkers, jumpers and other devices that can put additional stress on the fragile spine and uneven stress on the muscles are contraindicated for children with increased limb tone.

It is important when a child learns to walk, pick up the right shoes... The child should learn to walk not in slippers and booties, but in shoes with a high heel-fixing back and orthopedic insole. This will allow you to correctly form the arch of the foot and correctly distribute the load so that the muscles work normally.

A practicing pediatrician and twice mother Elena Borisova-Tsarenok told you about hypertonicity in a newborn and a baby.

The first movements of the crumbs occur due to the muscular-articular feeling, with the help of which the child, long before birth, determines his place in space. In the first year of life, the muscular-articular feeling gives the child a powerful stimulus for development. It is thanks to him that the baby learns to make conscious movements (raise his head, reach for a toy, roll over, sit down, get up, etc.). And the main characteristic of the muscular skeleton of newborns is tone.

The tone is different

First of all, you need to figure out what muscle tone is and what is considered the norm. Even in sleep, our muscles do not completely relax and remain tense. This minimal tension that persists in a state of relaxation and rest is called muscle tone. The younger the child, the higher the tone - this is due to the fact that at first the surrounding space is limited by the uterus, and the child does not need to take targeted actions. In the embryo position (with the limbs and chin tightly pressed against the body), the fetal muscles are in strong tension, otherwise the child would simply not fit in the uterus. After birth (during the first six to eight months), muscle tone gradually weakens. Ideally, the muscle tone of a two-year-old should be approximately the same as that of an adult. But practically all modern babies have problems with tone. Poor ecology, complications during pregnancy, stress and a number of other unfavorable factors provoke a violation of the tone in newborns. There are several of the most common muscle tone disorders.

  • Increased tone (hypertonicity).

    The child seems tense and constricted. Even in sleep, the baby does not relax: his legs are bent at the knees and pulled up to his stomach, arms are crossed on his chest, and his fists are clenched (often in the shape of a "fig"). With hypertonicity, the child from birth holds his head well due to the strong tone of the occipital muscles (but this is not good).

  • Decreased tone (hypotonia).

    With reduced tone, the child is usually lethargic, moves little legs and arms and cannot hold his head for a long time. Sometimes the legs and arms of the child are extended at the knee and elbow joints by more than 180 degrees. If you put the child on his stomach, then he does not bend his arms under the chest, but spreads them to the sides. The child looks limp and sprawled.

  • Asymmetry of muscle tone.

    With asymmetry on one side of the body, the tone is higher than on the other. In this case, the child's head and pelvis are turned towards the tense muscles, and the body is bent in an arc. When a child is laid out on his stomach, he always falls to one side (where the tone is enhanced). In addition, asymmetry is easily detected by the uneven distribution of the gluteal and femoral folds.

  • Uneven tone (dystonia).

    With dystonia, signs of hyper- and hypotension are combined. In this case, the child has some muscles too relaxed, while others are too tense.

Diagnosis of muscle tone

Usually, immediately after childbirth, the doctor, based on visual diagnostic tests, detects violations of tone and motor activity. In addition, all infants have the so-called "residual" (posotonic) reflexes, which can also be used to determine muscle tone disorders. In principle, you yourself can check how the child is doing with tone. Here are some basic tests that can determine abnormalities in the development of muscle tone and postural reflexes in a newborn.

  • Breeding the thighs.

    Place the child on their back and gently try to straighten the legs and move them apart. But do not use force and make sure that the child does not get hurt. You should normally feel moderate resistance. If the legs of a newborn, without resistance, are completely unbent and easily parted in different directions, this is evidence of a reduced tone. If the resistance is too strong and at the same time the child's legs are crossed, this is a sign of hypertonicity.

  • Sitting down by the hands.

    Place the baby on its back on a firm, level surface (for example, on a changing table), grasp the wrists and gently pull towards you, as if sitting down. Normally, you should feel moderate resistance to extending your elbows. If the child's arms are unbent without resistance, and in the sitting position the stomach is strongly protruded forward, the back is rounded, and the head is tilted back or lowered down, these are signs of decreased tone. If you are unable to take the baby's arms away from the chest and straighten them, on the contrary, this indicates hypertonicity.

  • Step reflex and support reflex.

    Take your baby vertically under the arms, place him on the changing table and tilt him forward slightly, forcing him to take a step. Normally, the child should stand, leaning on a full foot with the toes spread out. And when leaning forward, the child imitates walking and does not cross his legs. This reflex gradually fades away and almost disappears by 1.5 months. If a child is older than 1.5 months, this reflex persists, this is evidence of hypertonicity. Also, tightened toes, crossing the legs when walking, or support only on the forefoot indicate increased tone. If, instead of standing, the newborn squats, takes a step on strongly bent legs, or refuses to walk at all, these are signs of low tone.

  • Symmetrical reflex.

    Place the baby on his back, stick your palm under the back of his head and gently tilt the baby's head towards the chest. He should bend his arms and straighten his legs.

  • Asymmetric reflex.

    Place the child on their back and slowly, without effort, turn their head towards the left shoulder. The child will assume the so-called fencer's pose: he will stretch his arm forward, straighten his left leg and bend his right leg. Then turn the child's face to the right side, and he should repeat this pose only in the opposite direction: he will stretch his right arm forward, straighten his right leg and bend his left.

  • Tonic reflex.

    Put the child on his back on a hard surface - in this position, the newborn's extensor tone increases, he tries to straighten his limbs and seems to open up. Then turn the child over onto his stomach and he will "close", pull the bent arms and legs under him (the flexor tone increases on the stomach).
    Normally, symmetrical, asymmetric and tonic reflexes are moderately expressed and gradually disappear by 2-2.5 months. If the newborn does not have these reflexes or are too weakly expressed, this indicates a decreased tone, and if these reflexes persist by three months, this is a sign of hypertonicity.

  • Reflexes of Moreau and Babinsky.

    Observe the child carefully. When overexcited, he should throw the arms to the sides (Moro reflex), and when the soles are irritated (tickling), the child reflexively begins to unbend the toes. Normally, Moro and Babinsky's reflexes should pass by the end of the 4th month.

If muscle tone and associated reflexes do not undergo changes appropriate to the baby's age, this is a very dangerous signal. Do not rely on the notorious "maybe" and expect that the problems with muscle tone will go away on their own. Violation of the tone and development of reflexes often leads to a delay in motor development. And with a strong deviation from the norm, we are talking about the possible formation of diseases of the nervous system, from seizures to (cerebral palsy). Fortunately, if the doctor diagnoses a violation of tone at birth (or in the first three months), the threat of developing serious diseases can be prevented with the help of massage, because in the first year of life, the nervous system has a huge recovery potential.

Healing massage

It is best to start the massage when your baby is two months old. But first, it is necessary to show the child to three specialists: a pediatrician, an orthopedist and a neurologist, who make a diagnosis and give recommendations. If a child requires medication, it is usually "tailored" to the massage. Correctly and timely performed massage course helps to correct many orthopedic disorders (incorrectly inverted feet, etc.), normalize muscle tone and eliminate "residual" reflexes. In case of serious deviations from the norm, the massage should be done by a professional. But you can slightly correct the tone at home.

It is better to massage during the day, at least an hour after feeding. You should first ventilate the room and take care that the temperature is not lower than 22 degrees, the child should not be hot or cold. Hands must be washed with warm water, wiped dry (to keep them warm). It is not necessary to smear the whole body of the child with massage oil or cream; it is enough to apply a small amount of the cream on your hands. For massage, you can use a special oil or regular baby cream. While doing the massage, talk to your child lovingly and watch his reaction. When the first signs of fatigue appear (crying, whimpering, disgruntled grimaces), you should stop exercising.

During massage, all movements are done from the periphery to the center, starting from the limbs: from the hand to the shoulder, from the foot to the groin. In the first lessons, each exercise is repeated only once. At first, the whole complex of massage will take no more than 5 minutes. Gradually increase the number of repetitions and time to 15-20 minutes.

To eliminate hypertonicity and residual reflexes, manifested in the child's excessive activity, the so-called gentle massage - it relaxes and soothes. Start the massage by stroking your hands, feet, back with the back and palms of several closed fingers. You can alternate between flat (with the surface of the fingers) and enveloping (with the whole brush) stroking. After stroking, the skin is rubbed in a circular motion. Place the baby on his stomach and place your palm along the baby's back. Without taking your hands off the baby's back, gently move his skin up, down, right and left with strokes, as if you were sifting sand through a sieve with your hand. Then place the child on his back, take his hand and shake it lightly, holding the child by the forearm. Thus, massage both hands and feet several times. Now you can move on to wiggle. Grasp the baby's arm muscles (just above the wrist) and gently but quickly swing and shake the arms from side to side. Your movements should be fast and rhythmic, but not abrupt. Do the same with the legs, grabbing the calf muscles. You need to finish the massage in the same way as you started - with smooth stroking.

With reduced tone, on the contrary, it is carried out stimulating massagethat activates the child. The stimulating massage includes a large number of "chopping" movements. After traditional stroking with the edge of your hand, lightly walk over the baby's legs, arms and back. Then place the baby on his stomach and roll his knuckles over his back, bottom, legs and arms. Then turn the child over onto their back and roll the knuckles over their stomach, arms and legs.

In addition to massage to normalize muscle tone, it helps physiotherapy, for example, exercise on a large inflatable ball. Place the child with his belly on the ball, legs bent (like a frog) and pressed against the surface of the ball. Let dad, for example, hold the baby's legs in this position, and you take the baby by the arms and pull him towards you. Then return the baby to its original position. Now take the baby by the shins and pull them towards you, until the baby's face is at the top of the ball or the legs touch the floor. Smoothly return the baby to its original position. Then tilt the child forward (away from you) so that he touches the floor with his palms (just make sure that the baby does not hit the floor with his forehead). Repeat this exercise back and forth several times.

With an asymmetric tone, a relaxing massage should be done with effort on the side in which the tone is lower. In addition, the following exercise on an inflatable ball has a good effect: put the child on the inflatable ball with the side into which it bends. Smoothly swing the ball along the axis of the child's body. Repeat this exercise 10-15 times daily.

Even if the child's muscle tone is normal, this is not a reason to refuse preventive massage... Preventive massage includes both relaxing and energizing movements. Massage techniques are used such as stroking (massage begins and ends with them), rubbing, kneading with stronger pressure. In a circular motion (clockwise) massage the abdomen for prevention and constipation. Use your thumb to stroke the soles of your baby and pat them lightly. Then, with the whole palm, preferably with both hands, stroke the baby's chest from the middle to the sides, and then along the intercostal spaces. From three months it is useful to combine massage with gymnastics. The main purpose of preventive massage is to prepare the child for walking. From two months to one year, a healthy child must undergo at least 4 massage courses (15-20 sessions each). When the child starts to walk, the intensity of the massage is reduced to twice a year. It is advisable to take massage courses in spring and autumn to improve the state of the immune system, which is usually weakened at this time of year.

Natalia Aleshina
Consultant - pediatric neuropathologist Knyazeva Inna Viktorovna.

Hypertonicity, hypotension, dystonia of the child's muscles

Almost all children are born with a physiologically increased tone. This is due to the fact that in the embryo position, with the limbs and chin tightly pressed to the body, the fetal musculature is in strong tension. In the extensors of the muscles of the head and neck, the tone is higher than in the flexors, so the head of the newborn is slightly thrown back.

In the adductor muscles of the thighs, the tone is increased, and when trying to move the legs to the sides, resistance to this movement is felt. In a healthy child, you can spread the legs about 90 degrees - 45 on each side. Physiological tone lasts up to 3-3.5 months, then it gradually decreases. Normally, the tone is increased symmetrically and lasts until the period of voluntary movements, that is, up to 3-3.5 months. From 3 to 6 months, there is a decrease in tone in the flexor muscle groups, and the tone in the extensor muscles is leveled. If hypertonicity persists after six months, this is a reason to consult a neurologist.

Various complications during pregnancy, in particular, placental insufficiency, birth trauma, poor ecology, and many external factors lead to a violation of muscle tone. If it is not regulated, the child begins to lag behind in motor development, he has problems with posture and gait. Therefore, the task of the parents is to pay attention to the signs of tone disturbance in time.

It is possible to determine the state of muscle tone not only during the examination of the child at the doctor's appointment, but also by observing the posture in which he lies, the movements that he makes. Muscle tone in a newborn is not just the basis of movements, but also an indicator of the state of the nervous system, the general condition of the baby. Active muscle tone forms the child's posture, passive - is determined when checking the mobility of the limbs and trunk in the joints. Correct positioning of the head, trunk and limbs indicates normal muscle tone. The active muscle tone of the newborn is judged by keeping the child face down in the air, while his head is in line with the body, the arms are slightly bent, the legs are extended.

There are three types of violations:

Hypertonicity - increased tone

Children with hypertonicity (increased tone), as a rule, are restless, often cry, sleep poorly, react to any sound, bright light, when they cry, their chin trembles, and they constantly regurgitate. With hypertonicity, the child holds his head well from birth: his occipital muscles are tense. Legs and handles are drawn in and brought to each other. If you try to dilute them, you will immediately feel resistance. To distinguish a physiological flexion posture from that which occurs in the pathology of the central nervous system, it is necessary to re-dilute the limbs. If the resistance increases a second time, this is a sign of increased tone. In addition, hypertonicity is characterized by: tiptoe support and tucked in fingers. At an older age, while maintaining spasticity, a "skier's gait" is characteristic, usually, such children quickly wear out the socks of their shoes.

Another manifestation of local hypertonicity is the tension of the neck muscles in children and the so-called torticollis. Muscle protection is triggered in response to injury, overstretching of the cervical spine during childbirth during fetal extraction, which is certainly a traumatic method for him caesarean section

After all, through an incision of 13 cm, a head with a diameter of 36 cm is removed! What a powerful stress the child experiences at the same time, and what irreparable damage is sometimes caused to the spinal cord. Or natural childbirth, when the midwife makes a violent turn of the head and traction (pulls) the newborn. As a result, the ligaments and intervertebral discs are injured and the muscles try to shield the damaged segments.

Hypertonicity occurs due to the increased activity of the brain structures that affect the tone, this occurs when the brain tissue is damaged during pregnancy or during childbirth. sometimes the reason is an increase in intracranial pressure or simply an increased excitability of the child. It is also a sign of perinatal encephalopathy, abbreviated as PEP (increased or decreased tone of the arms or legs, increased nervous excitability, chin tremor, etc.). The diagnosis of hypertonicity is made if the flexor tone is more prevalent than it should be for a given age, most often due to disorders during childbirth or bearing a child, viruses, etc. By itself, the tone for a child is not dangerous and until the 6th month it is physiological.

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

Hypertension treatment

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

Your neurologist will select the right treatment for you. Usually this is a therapeutic massage (relaxing). Carry out 10 sessions, repeat after 6 months, relaxing gymnastics, swimming, physiotherapy procedures (Electrophoresis). The earlier the treatment starts and how less child, the faster it will heal. In severe cases, the doctor prescribes medications for the child to reduce muscle tone. They can be prescribed as diuretics to reduce fluid in the brain, sometimes dibazol can be prescribed before massage, it relieves spasm and dilates blood vessels. Vitamins

Groups B: B6, B12, Mydocalm tablets (treatment of increased muscle tone). Baths with valerian, sage, motherwort, lingonberry leaves. Baths alternate on the 4th day of the break. You can contact a homeopathic pediatrician.

To eliminate hypertonicity, it is necessary, first of all, to relieve excessive stress. In this case, the child is prescribed relaxing baths, most often with sea salt or pine needles, and a gentle massage. You can do this massage yourself, of course, after consulting a doctor and having received recommendations for its implementation. It begins, with increased tone, with stroking the hands, feet, back with the back and palmar surfaces of several closed fingers. You can alternate between flat (with the surface of the fingers) and enveloping (with the whole brush) stroking. After stroking, the skin is rubbed in a circular motion. Place the baby on your belly and your palm along the baby's back. Without lifting your hands from your back, gently move his skin up, down, right and left with strokes. As if you are sifting sand through a sieve with your hand. Then place the baby on its back, take it by the hand and lightly shake it, holding the baby by the forearm. Thus, massage both hands and feet several times. Now you can move on to wiggle. Grasp the baby's arms just above the wrist and gently but quickly swing and shake the arms from side to side. Your movements should be fast and rhythmic, but not abrupt. Do the same with the legs, grabbing the baby's shins. To finish the massage, as well as to start, should be done with smooth stroking.

With hypertonicity, avoid tapping and chopping movements during massage, kneading muscles. Don't put your baby in walkers and jumpers, besides the fact that they exert too much stress on the pelvis and spine, the improper distribution of gravity in the walker does not teach the child to stand on his entire foot, the muscles of the legs tense, and the hypertonicity increases. If you really need to put your child in a walker, put on comfortable shoes with solid soles, not sliders, socks or booties.

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

Hypotonicity - decreased tone

A child with a reduced tone almost does not cause trouble for parents: he is absolutely calm, sleeps a lot and rarely cries. But this is imaginary well-being. Take a close look at how the baby lies in the crib. A relaxed posture, arms and legs spread out in different directions, indicate that the tone of his muscles is reduced. In children with reduced tone, the legs and arms are extended at the joints by more than 180 degrees. In addition, due to muscle weakness, sucking and swallowing are impaired, there is often a delay in pace motor development: these babies later begin to hold their heads, roll over, sit, stand.

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

Dystonia - uneven tone

When in a child some muscles are too relaxed, while others, on the contrary, are too tense, they speak of an uneven tone - dystonia. In this variant, the child has signs of hypo- and hypertonicity. The asymmetry of tone is easily detected by the uneven distribution of skin folds. This is especially noticeable when the baby is lying on its stomach on a hard, flat surface. In this position, a newborn with dystonia will fall on one side, on the one where the tone is enhanced. The child's head and pelvis will be turned towards the tense muscles, the torso will bend in an arc.

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

The general scheme of measures taken for dystonia is approximately as follows: a specialist notes foci of tense muscles and uses only relaxing massage techniques on them. After the massage, special exercises are done to stretch tense muscles. Stretching should be carried out smoothly and gently, so that it would be both a massage technique and stretching

Muscle tone is a variable quantity. It is possible to monitor that it is normal with the help of posotonic, to put it simply, residual, reflexes. You can check them yourself.

How to define hypertonicity, hypotension and dystonia.

Sitting on hands

Place the child on his back, on a firm, flat surface, grab the wrists and gently pull towards you, as if sitting down. You should feel moderate resistance when you extend your elbows. If the child's arms are unbent without resistance, and in the sitting position, the abdomen is strongly protruded forward, the back is a "wheel", the head is tilted back or lowered down - these are signs of decreased tone. If you are unable to remove the baby's arms from the breast and straighten them, on the contrary, this indicates hypertonicity. As they grow older, in response to pulling on the arms, the child will try to pull up and sit down.

Step reflex and support reflex

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

Symmetrical and asymmetrical reflexes

Place the baby on his back with your palm under the back of his head and gently tilt the baby's head towards the chest. He should bend his arms and straighten his legs. Then put the baby on his back and slowly, without effort, turn his head to the left shoulder. The child will assume the so-called fencer's pose: he will stretch his arm forward, straighten his left leg and bend his right. Then turn the child's face to the right - he must repeat this pose, only in its “mirror” version: he will stretch his right arm forward, straighten his right leg and bend his left. The asymmetric and symmetrical reflex gradually disappears by 2-3 months. The presence of these reflexes in a three-month-old child indicates an increased tone, and their absence in the first two months of life is, on the contrary, a sign of a decreased tone.

Tonic reflex

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

Reflexes of Moreau and Babinsky

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

Stiffness in the limbs

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

If the muscle tone and the reflexes associated with it do not undergo changes corresponding to the baby's age, this is a reason for contacting an orthopedic surgeon and a neurologist. First, if the parents suspect something is wrong, immediately consult a doctor. Secondly, to make global electromyography using special equipment.

Hypotonicity, muscle flaccidity in a child. Wanga recipes

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