Hypertonia in an infant is one of the most common diagnoses. It is given to almost every second infant. How dangerous is hypertonia? What can be the consequences for the further development of the baby? In what situations can increased muscle tone be considered the norm, and when is medical attention and drug treatment required?

Muscle tone is the initial muscle tension, which is regulated by the brain and spinal cord and in a healthy body works “on autopilot”. Due to muscle tone, a person is able to move vertically, change the position of the body in space. For the motor activity of the baby, who is mastering new motor skills, normal muscle tone is extremely important. If the muscles are constantly constrained and pinched, the baby later learns motor skills, experiences discomfort, anxiety.

Why does hypertonia appear

The causes of hypertonicity can be safe for the baby's health. However, this symptom can be associated with various neurological disorders. You cannot leave him unattended.

• Age physiology. There is such a thing as physiological hypertonicity in newborns. The classic posture of the fetus in the womb - legs bent and tucked towards the stomach, slightly apart at the knees; arms bent at the elbows, chin tightly pressed to the body. After birth, the baby will be in this "grouped" position for some time. It will take several months, or even more, for the muscles to gradually return to normal operation. Physiological hypertonicity can persist up to six months of age. There is another opinion on this matter: muscle tension can be observed in infants up to a year. And this is a variant of the norm.
• Individual characteristics. Muscle hypertonicity in a child may be present, but this does not affect health in any way. There is such a thing as individual muscle tone. In some children it is naturally higher, in others it is lower. For one baby, hypertonicity is a symptom of a neurological disorder, and for another, a variant of the norm. Each individual case must be considered. Therefore, it is so important that, if pathological hypertonicity is suspected, the baby undergoes a high-quality diagnostic examination. If in doubt, you can show the baby to several specialists.
• Birth trauma. The most common cause of hypertonicity is asphyxia of the child during difficult, prolonged labor, intracranial hemorrhage.
• Intrauterine developmental disorders, congenital diseases of the central nervous system. They can be related to the health and lifestyle of the pregnant woman. Negative to development nervous system the fetus is affected by nicotine and alcohol.

How to dispel doubts

It is sometimes difficult for a neuropathologist to evaluate a particular child in a specific case: hypertonicity is an age norm or a painful condition, a symptom of some kind of neurological disorder. The doctors' anxiety is understandable. After all, hypertonicity can be a symptom of many serious neurological diseases, for example, cerebral palsy or hydrocephalus. Lost time can be costly. What examination can a neurologist prescribe?

• Ultrasound of the brain. Conducted through soft tissue in children under one year old in the area of \u200b\u200bthe unclosed fontanelle. Safe and accurate diagnostic method that allows you to assess the state of the brain and identify pathologies. Infants undergo planned neurosonography at about 1.5 months.
• Electromyography. With the help of special equipment, you can get data on the speed of nerve impulses, muscle strength, symmetry different groups muscles at work and at rest.
• CT scan. Infants are prescribed less often. It is carried out in difficult cases to confirm a diagnosis that is difficult to determine by other methods.

Additionally, studies of the thymus gland, genetic methods of examination can be prescribed. If none of the causes are identified, doctors make a very vague diagnosis of PEP, which stands for perinatal encephalopathy. Often, PEP is set erroneously due to overdiagnosis: there are too many examination methods in modern medicine and options for their interpretation.

Signs of hypertension

Increased muscle tone is defined by a number of symptoms:

• anxiety, moodiness, frequent crying;
• chin trembling;
• throwing the head back;
• torticollis (head tilt to one side);
• violation of joint mobility;
• arching the back;
• arms are constantly bent at the elbows;
• hands are in fists all the time, it is difficult to unclench them;
• the thumbs are pressed to the palm;
• resistance to extension of the limbs;
• if you unbend the arms and legs of the child, he may react by crying;
• when standing on his feet, the baby bends his fingers;
• in children who began to walk, tiptoe gait;
• the child reacts to light and sound by crying;
• flinching at noise.

If the parents notice the above-mentioned recurring signs in the baby, it is necessary to seek the advice of a neurologist.

What are the options for hypertonicity in a child?

• Symmetric. A sign of physiological muscle tension. The fingers and toes are symmetrically compressed, the legs are drawn in, the arms are bent.
• Asymmetric. The muscles in one part of the body are more tense, the other less. Then the baby, as it were, wriggles in an arc, falls to one side, turns its head and torso towards the tense muscles. These are signs of pathological hypertonia.
• Dystonic. This is a combination of hypertonicity and hypotension, when some muscles are overly tense, while others are overly relaxed. Also applies to pathological conditions.

You can use various methods of therapy in the complex: massage, and gymnastics, and drug treatment. But one cannot do without the main component - emotional contact with the baby. Warmth, tenderness, communication are the best medicines for relaxation, removal of physiological muscle tone. According to statistics, in infants-refuseniks, hypertonicity is treated much longer, even with an integrated approach, professional massage, physiotherapy. They lack the main thing - maternal care.

Treatment principles

A neurologist and an orthopedist are involved in the treatment of hypertonicity in infants. What methods are used most often?

Massage

For hypertonicity use different kinds massage: according to Semenova, according to Phelps, impact on biologically active points and others. The main task of all massage movements is to relax tense muscles and relieve spasms. Therefore, all techniques should be gentle, taking into account the age and anatomical features of babies. Stroking, rubbing movements with the whole palm, acupressure are used. The procedure should be performed by a professional children's massage therapist.

The course includes 10 to 15 sessions. Repeated if necessary in a month. If done correctly and professionally, the results will be obvious. Parents can also learn to massage after consulting a pediatrician and masseur. What elementary massage movements can you perform yourself?

• Stroking your fingers (movement similar to putting on gloves).
• Stroking movements in the direction from the shoulder joints to the palms (do not iron in the elbow bend area).
• Stroking the thighs, then the legs and feet (gently massage in the area of \u200b\u200bthe knee joints, groin, inner thighs).
• After stroking, rubbing of the limbs, back, abdomen is performed in circular movements.
• The feet should be stroked from the heel to the toes.
• You can massage each toe.
• Drawing a figure of eight on the foot: start at the base of the toes, cross the movements in the center of the foot and end at the heel.

With hypertonicity in children, it is strictly forbidden to knead the muscles, press hard on them, use patting and tapping movements.

It happens that children cry during a professional massage. Some experts say that this is a natural reaction, since the masseur acts on painful points and spasmodic muscles. Other experts say that a baby should not cry from pain. In this situation, it can be difficult to determine: the baby is crying from discomfort, the procedure itself, or muscle pain.

Remedial gymnastics: 7 exercises

Gymnastics stimulates physical activity and normalizes muscle function. It can be done at home. What exercises can you do?

1. Relaxation. The child lies on his back. First you need to perform relaxing massage movements: stroke the arms, legs in the direction from top to bottom.
2. Extension of the limbs. Movements should be careful and smooth.
3. Shaking limbs. You need to take the child by the fingers and gently shake it. Then the same must be done with the legs.
4. Embryo pose. The legs and arms of the baby need to be bent and pressed tightly to the body. This exercise must be alternated with shaking the limbs.
5. Sliding steps. The baby should be held upright so that his feet touch a hard surface. It is necessary to ensure that the foot lies flat, with the entire surface. This exercise helps you build proper support on your feet.
6. Play with feet. The kid can do gymnastics on his own. If he is interested in the thumbs of his own feet, all the time he will try to try them "to the teeth."
7. Exercise on the ball. You can lay the baby with its tummy on a ball (not too large) and swing it in different directions, holding it by the arms and legs.

Effect from remedial gymnastics will only be with regular and consistent exercise. They can be done several times during the day when the baby is in a good mood. Gymnastics should not cause discomfort in the baby.

Physiotherapy

Most often, electrophoresis is prescribed. There are also many positive reviews about paraffin wraps with increased muscle tone in a child. Under the influence of heat, muscle spasms are relieved well. This procedure is also called "paraffin boots" because it is most often performed on the lower limbs. How is the body wrapping carried out?

1. Paraffin is warmed up (should not be hot!).
2. Then gauze is moistened in it, folded in several layers.
3. It is applied to the maximally extended limb.
4. Fixed with a bandage.
5. The first sessions take 10 minutes.
6. Then their duration is increased to 20 minutes.
7. The course of treatment is 10 sessions.

Aquatherapy

Water procedures well relax muscle spasms, coordinate movements, and provide an even load on the muscle corset. It is important to remember that warm water is relaxing, while cool water, on the contrary, stimulates muscle tone. Diving is not recommended for hypertonicity, and swimming and gymnastics in water are indicated. You can use an inflatable ring, game elements. Baths with the addition of pine needles, sage, motherwort, valerian, lingonberry leaves will be useful. Relaxing baths need to be alternated, it is better to take before bedtime.

Osteopathy

It can only be performed by a qualified pediatrician. Most often, osteopathy sessions are prescribed for neurological disorders after birth injuries, congenital skeletal pathologies, and cerebral dysfunctions. With a mild effect on the bones and bringing them into the correct position, muscle spasms in the neck and limbs are relieved, pathological reflexes are eliminated.

Experts recommend avoiding walkers and jumpers. They can do a disservice and provoke even greater hypertension. When using supportive aids, the baby will not position the foot correctly and the leg muscles will not work properly. It is also important: if the baby starts to walk, he needs shoes with solid soles, with good heel fixation. Booties, socks - don't fit.

Drug treatment

It is prescribed only if there is no positive effect from massage, gymnastics, physiotherapy, hypertonicity does not decrease and persists after 6 months. Treatment is carried out under the strict supervision of a pediatric neurologist. The doctor can prescribe drugs of the following groups:

• muscle relaxants: to relax muscle spasms;
• neuroprotectors: affect neurons, improve blood circulation, adapt, stimulate the brain.
• diuretics: to reduce fluid in the brain and normalize brain function.

Of the drugs most often prescribed: "Cortexin", "Midocalm", "Baclofen", "Semax", "Pantocalcin", B vitamins. Usually, treatment is carried out in the form of injections. One of the most powerful drugs is Cerebrolysin. Many experts prefer to start medication with milder means.

What can be the consequences

Early diagnosis of hypertonicity is extremely important, since it helps to detect (or exclude) both congenital neurological diseases and minor deviations from the norm. What can be the consequences if persistent hypertonicity is not treated?

• Retardation in motor development. The child will be later than the norm to hold his head, roll over on his stomach, sit down, crawl, get up, walk.
• Backlog in intellectual development, speech impairment. Development of a large and fine motor skills is closely related to the development of mental abilities.
• Development of flat feet, impaired coordination of movement. The child will walk on tiptoes, there may be problems with gait, posture. In the future, there will be complaints of discomfort in the back, neck, headaches.

In most cases, increased muscle tone in a child is of a physiological nature and does not require drug treatment. Enough professional massage, gymnastics, physiotherapy to relieve muscle spasticity. The brain is able to independently compensate for neurological defects. This takes time, so hypertonicity can last up to 6 months.

Print

How to help a child with hypertension

Even in a healthy newborn, the brain and peripheral nerves are still developing and do not always function fully. If the child's nervous system has been exposed to any negative impact, health problems cannot be avoided. According to medical statistics, in nine out of ten newborns, muscle tone is impaired and, more often, in the direction of increasing hypertonicity.

Symptoms of hypertonia in a child

Baby tiptoe

This disorder is quite easily determined by numerous external signs, while, oddly enough, the diagnosis of "hypertonicity" is not always made, since even a healthy child in the first six months may have increased muscle tension.

It is possible to suspect hypertonicity when the child behaves restlessly, often cries (the chin trembles when crying), sleeps little and badly, reacts irritably even to quiet sounds and dim light, constantly spits up after feeding, often throws his head back and bends.

A characteristic feature is a peculiar posture during sleep: the child's head is thrown back, arms and legs are drawn in and tightly pressed against each other. If you try to gently dilute them, you will feel a pronounced resistance, and repeated attempts will cause increased resistance and loud crying.

It is also possible to identify hypertonicity while the baby is awake. To do this, you need to take the baby under the arms, holding it, put it on a flat surface (preferably on a table) and tilt it forward a little. In this position, in the first few months of life, the child's innate reflex of automatic gait is triggered, that is, the baby begins to touch his legs, as if walking.

At the same time, a healthy child puts a leg on the entire foot, and for a baby with increased muscle tone rests only on his toes (tiptoes). The tiptoe gait is one of the classic diagnostic signs of impaired functioning of the nervous system and muscle hypertonicity.

Even if you find signs of increased muscle tone in your baby, this is not yet a confirmation of the diagnosis; in this case, you cannot do without a neurologist. Only a doctor can confirm or deny the presumptive diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.

Hypertension treatment

The most important thing is not to ignore even dubious signs of hypertonia in any case. It is possible that further observation of the child's condition will show that all the alarming symptoms were not a manifestation of the disease, but a consequence of the stressful state of the baby, who felt uncomfortable during the medical examination.

If the diagnosis of increased muscle tone has been confirmed, it is worth taking seriously the restoration of 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.

In fact, the treatment of hypertonicity is not extremely difficult, especially while the child is small: relaxing massage, therapeutic exercises, soothing baths, aromatherapy and physiotherapy are quite capable of solving existing health problems.

Do not try to self-medicate, even if your child's muscle tone is slightly increased. The correct treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor after talking with you and a full examination of the child, including the results of clinical studies and neurosonography. The key to successful treatment of hypertonicity should be the trusting relationship of the mother and the doctor - without this, it is simply impossible to quickly achieve the desired result.

You must fully trust your pediatrician, and he, in turn, must establish full contact with you. If for some reason you do not trust this specialist (even if the reasons for this hostility are purely personal and subjective) - it's time to change your doctor. In such a situation, the health of your baby is most important, and your confidence that the doctor is able to help. So try to be mutually patient and considerate: you are solving the same problem together.

If the muscle tone is increased, however, this does not affect the general condition much, non-drug treatment is quite sufficient. These gentle methods include massage and gymnastics, herbal medicine and aquatherapy, vitamin and amino acid complexes and aromatherapy. It is very important under no circumstances to interrupt the started treatment, even if it seemed to you that the child's condition has improved significantly, and the signs of hypertension have disappeared.

Massage, gymnastics, procedures for the treatment of hypertension

Now let's talk about some of the features of the treatment of hypertension in children. It may seem strange to many to say that any treatment that causes a negative reaction in a child will not bring tangible benefits, nevertheless, and in the case of hypertonicity, this is exactly the case.

If massage, exercise or any procedure makes the baby cry, strain, this will lead to even more pronounced muscle tension and upset of the nervous system. Therefore, during treatment, it is very important to maintain a calm state of the baby.

The easiest way to achieve this is if you yourself become a doctor for your son or daughter. How? How can a person without medical education fully carry out treatment? It turns out, yes. Let not all, but a lot of things a mother can do (under the strict supervision of a neurologist and pediatrician) on her own.

You yourself can determine the most the right time and the mood of the baby for the next session, all your movements and reception will be accompanied by tenderness and gentle words... In this case, the baby will not be frightened by the unfamiliar environment, and the touch of someone else's hands will not cause an increase in the already pronounced hypertonicity.

Relaxation massage courses are conducted almost continuously (at intervals of 4-5 days) during the first year of life. Gymnastics and physiotherapy exercises are usually prescribed in courses of 15-20 daily sessions, followed by a break of 1-1.5 months.

During "rest" the mother can carry out the main gymnastic complex independently at home. This treatment is usually combined with daily soothing herbal baths before bed, rational use of aromatherapy, and other gentle methods.

The main thing is not to despair, but also not to let everything take its course. Non-drug methods in the treatment of hypertonicity are usually quite enough so that after a few months (no later than 12-18) the child's condition is completely normalized and no longer causes anxiety in the parents.

Hypertonia - muscle strain - a condition with which most children are born. You need to worry if it does not go away by 3 months of the baby.

Muscle tone - what is it

Tonus is Latin for "tension". Muscle tone is normal as it works by contracting and relaxing.

Almost all babies are born with hypertonicity: arms and legs are pressed to the body, fingers are clenched into fists. In most cases, there is no pathology in this: try to sit for a long time in one position, your muscles will be reduced too. And the child just like that, grouped up, spent several months, and now he gets used to living in a world more spacious than his mother's belly. His brain has not yet learned how to give orders to his muscles, and his muscles - to obey and execute.

In monthly babies, hypertonicity is a common thing, and in the extensor muscles it is more pronounced than in the flexor muscles: the fists are compressed, the legs are bent, move apart with effort and only by 45%, the head is thrown back.

This condition is called physiological hypertonia and in healthy babies passes in a few weeks. Until what age is the physiological tone in newborns - up to three months. If muscle strain persists for a longer time, it can be a serious problem and a doctor should be consulted.

Why does hypertonia occur?

In addition to the baby's intrauterine "habit" of curling up into a ball, due to which physiological hypertonicity occurs, many factors can lead to serious problems:

• during pregnancy: in what conditions the expectant mother lived, what she ate, what she was sick with and what medications she took; alcohol and nicotine are especially dangerous for the formation of the fetus;
• how the childbirth went: the cause of excessive muscle tone can be birth trauma, hypoxia (oxygen starvation), rapid labor, etc.;
• rh-conflict between mother and child.

Symptoms of hypertension

How not to miss the moment when you urgently need to show your baby to the doctor?

There are several symptoms other than tightly clenched arms and legs that should alert parents:

• restless sleep: the baby has difficulty falling asleep, often wakes up with crying;
• the child often cries, his chin trembles (doctors call this "tremor");
• frequent and profuse regurgitation, poor appetite, abdominal cramps;
• painful reaction to light and sound;
• constrained movements;
• baby from birth holds his head.

In any case, if it seems to you that your baby has hypertonicity, do not panic ahead of time. You cannot make a diagnosis yourself, it should be done by a pediatric neurologist.

The doctor will check your concerns with several tests:

1. Support reflex: if you take the baby under the arms and put it on a flat surface, it should stand with its whole foot, and not on tiptoe.
2. Step reflex: the baby, if held upright, tries to take a step.
3. Tonic reflex: lying on his back, the child straightens his arms and legs, and if turned over on his stomach, bends.
4. Symmetrical and asymmetric reflex: if you tilt your head to your chest, your arms and legs are bent and unbent; if you tilt the head to the side, the handle and leg in the side of the tilt will straighten, and the opposite ones will bend.

The step reflex should normally disappear in children after two months, tonic and symmetrical, asymmetric - after three.

Why is hypertonicity dangerous?

The body of a newborn baby is very flexible and malleable, and if you see a doctor on time, you can prevent many problems:

1. If the hypertonicity was overlooked and did not take action, then the baby will later begin to crawl and walk, coordination of movements is impaired.
2. Posture is formed incorrectly, while the cervical spine suffers; result - frequent headaches, fatigue, etc.
3. The formation of fine motor skills of the hands slows down, and mental development, speech, etc. are associated with it.

Treatment of hypertonicity in babies

After the diagnosis is made, a neuropathologist will prescribe procedures to relax the child's muscles, relieve spasms and pain.

Usually these children are shown massage, gymnastics, physiotherapy (electrophoresis and paraffin wraps). In rare and especially difficult cases - medicines to improve cerebral circulation.

Massage and physiotherapy exercises

The massage has a wonderful relaxing effect, relieves spasms and muscle tension.

Regularity is important to obtain a quality effect. If you have the opportunity to conduct a massage course with a qualified specialist - great, but it will be even better if you learn the necessary basics yourself. Then, to the benefits of the procedure itself, the incomparable healing effect of mother's affection will be added to the benefit.

A changing table is suitable for massage; hands should be soft and warm, oils and creams are not needed. The procedure cannot be carried out immediately after eating, it is better - after about an hour.

Movements should be gentle: stroking with an open palm, rubbing and point impacts without pressure. Kneading, pressing, patting is prohibited.

Techniques and movements:

• stroking hands: first, fingers, as if putting on gloves; then pens;
• stroking the feet: again we start with the toes, then the feet from the heel to the toes;
• after stroking - light circular rubbing of hands and feet;
• back: we put the baby on his stomach, pull his arms forward; light movements from the priests to the back of the head with the back side
• palms, back - inner;
• stroke the tummy and rub it slightly in a circular motion clockwise;
• rub the feet: grasping the leg with the palm, draw a figure eight with the thumb from the toes down to the heel.

Several gymnastic exercises can be performed:

• gently unbend the arms and legs of the baby, smoothly and effortlessly;
• let your baby clasp your thumbs and lift your upper body slightly. Repeat several times;
• taking one handle by the fingers, gently shake it, slightly moving it to the side; repeat with the other hand, then with the legs;
• take the baby under the arms, put it on the table so that the whole leg touches the surface, and for a second, loosen the support so that he rests on his feet;
• put the child with his stomach on a large ball and swing it for a couple of minutes, holding it behind his back.

Hypertonicity is a violation of the muscle tone of the body, which is expressed in muscle overstrain. Almost all babies are born with severe muscle hypertonicity. Indeed, during the time inside the womb, the baby is constantly in the position of the embryo. The limbs and chin in this position are closely pressed to the body and the muscles of the fetus are constantly tense.

hypertonicity in children under one year old

Until about six months, the baby's nervous system “learns” to work in conditions different from intrauterine conditions. The baby gradually develops and slowly begins to control the movements of his muscles and skeleton. Have month old baby hypertonicity is very pronounced. This is reflected in clenched cams and bent legs, in tilting the head back. The tone of the extensor muscles in a month-old baby is higher than that of the flexor muscles.

With physiological hypertonicity, the child's legs move apart only 450 each. When moving the legs, a pronounced resistance to movement is felt. By three months, muscle hypertonicity in a child without pathologies practically disappears. If, after the child reaches six months, muscle tension persists, an urgent need to consult a doctor.

Symptoms of hypertension

Complications during pregnancy, birth trauma, Rh-conflict, incompatibility of the parents' blood, a place of residence with a poor environmental situation and many other factors will cause hypertension. It is worth paying close attention to the symptoms of hypertension, because it can be an expression of a serious neurological disease.

Signs of severe hypertonicity:

1. Restless and short sleep.
2. In the prone position, the head is thrown back, and the arms and legs are tucked in.
3. When trying to spread the baby's legs or arms, strong resistance is felt. The child cries at the same time. Secondary dilution increases muscle resistance.
4. Vertically on a hard surface, the child tries to stand on the front of the foot, that is, stands on tiptoe (Information: if the child walks on tiptoe).
5. When crying, the child throws his head back, bends over and at the same time his chin muscles tremble (See the article on chin tremors).
6. Frequent regurgitation.
7. Painful reaction to various stimuli: light, sound.
8. From birth, the baby "holds" his head due to constant tension of the neck muscles.

It is important to determine as early as possible that the child has hypertonicity. Finding at least one of the above symptoms in a baby is a good reason to contact a pediatric neurologist. The diagnosis of hypertonicity will be made if the flexion tone is higher than it should be at a given age.

Muscle hypertonicity is determined by several reflex tests:

• Sitting on the hands: it is impossible to take the baby's hands off the chest.
• Step reflex. In an upright position, the child seems to be trying to take a step. It persists after two months.
• Support reflex: while standing, the child leans on the toes.
• Preservation after three months of asymmetric and symmetrical reflexes. When the head is tilted to the chest while lying on the back, the child's arms and legs are bent. When turning the head to the left in the same position, the left arm is extended forward, the left leg is extended, and the right is bent. When tilted to the right, everything is repeated in a mirror image.
• Preservation after three months of the tonic reflex: lying on his back, the child straightens the limbs, and bends them on the stomach.

If by a certain age these reflexes do not weaken, and do not disappear in the future, then the child has pronounced muscle hypertonicity. Therefore, it is necessary to see a doctor.

Reflexes in newborns in detail

Consequences and danger

Why is hypertonicity so dangerous if its occurrence is due to the very position of the fetus? Physiological hypertonia disappears without a trace after three months. Pathological hypertonia is caused by damage to the brain tissues that are responsible for the condition of the muscles. Such violations occur with increased intracranial pressure, perinatal encephalopathy, increased excitability and other pathologies.

muscle hypertonicity

If, after three months, hypertonicity in children persists, the consequences, if untreated, are deplorable. The lack of regulation of muscle tone will affect the further development of the child:

• Impaired coordination of movements;
• Formation of an irregular gait;
• Incorrect posture formation;
• Developmental delays, especially motor skills;
• Impaired speech.

Hypertonicity of the legs

It is especially dangerous if the child has severe leg hypertonicity. It affects the speed of development of motor activity. Babies with this diagnosis later begin to crawl and walk. For babies with hypertonicity of the legs, the use of walkers and jumpers is especially contraindicated. These devices increase the state of tension in the muscles of the legs and spine due to the uneven distribution of gravity. The load increases precisely on the muscles of the pelvis and spine.

Hypertonicity of hands

Hypertonicity of the hands is expressed in muscle resistance when the arms are removed from the chest, strongly clenched fists. This condition is most often observed with physiological hypertonia. However, the prolonged maintenance of muscle tension should be of concern to the parents of the child.

See video:

Treatment

Correct and timely treatment of hypertonicity is carried out exclusively by a specialist doctor - a pediatric neurologist. All procedures are prescribed only by the attending physician. The earlier treatment is started, the better and faster the positive results will appear.

There are several techniques and directions in medicine that allow you to relieve hypertonicity:

1. Relaxing massage.
2. Physiotherapy.
3. Electrophoresis.
4. Paraffin applications (thermotherapy).
5. Swimming.
6. Medical treatment.

As you can see from the list, to remove hypertonicity, drugs are used last. These are drugs that relax muscles, reduce muscle tone, and diuretics to reduce the level of brain fluid. In addition to massage, dibazol and B vitamins can be prescribed.

Massage

Massage for hypertonicity can be performed independently at home starting from two weeks of age. Naturally, you first need to consult with a baby massage specialist and get instructions and recommendations for the massage from him. In total, ten sessions are carried out, which are best repeated six months later.

Massage consists of three types of methods of influence: stroking, rubbing and wiggling:

1. With the back of your hand, stroke the surface of the arms, legs and back. You can alternate shallow finger stroking with wraparound stroking with the entire brush.
2. Circular rubbing of the skin. The baby is placed on the tummy and the fingers are rubbed in circular strokes from the bottom up. Then the same is done with the limbs, turning the child over onto his back.
3. Take the baby by the hand and shake it slightly. In this case, you should definitely hold your hand in the forearm area. Carry out the procedure with both arms and legs.
4. Take the baby by the handles above the wrist and rhythmically swing your arms in different directions.
5. Grasp the child's legs by the shins and shake.
6. Finish the massage with smooth stroking of the hands and feet.

With hypertonicity, deep kneading of muscles, patting and chopping techniques cannot be used. All movements should be smooth and relaxing, but rhythmic.

Video: how to do massage for hypertonicity

Baths

An excellent remedy for relieving hypertonicity is herbal baths. Water itself has a relaxing property, and in combination with herbs it becomes an excellent remedy for hypertonicity. Warm baths with valerian root, lingonberry leaf, motherwort and sage are carried out in turn for four days. A break is taken for one day, the procedures are repeated again and so on for 10 days. Coniferous baths also have an excellent relaxing effect.

• Torticollis in newborns: treatment
• A nursing baby arches his back and cries

Pediatricians diagnose nine out of ten newborns with muscle hypertonicity. Is this a pathology or a norm? And how dangerous is it for the further development of the baby? Let's try to figure it out together.

What if your baby is diagnosed with increased muscle tone?

What is tonus? The mechanism of muscle tone

Tonus (from the Greek τόνος - tension) is a state of persistent excitement of muscle tissue and nerve centers. Thanks to him, we maintain a certain posture, body position in space, pressure in the cavity internal organs (Perhaps, during pregnancy, you came across the concept of "uterus in hypertonicity", that is, excessively tense).

Natural muscle tension is maintained by impulses from our central nervous system, even at rest.

The most comfortable and safe position in the womb is the “embryo position”.

And if during pregnancy, the increased tension of the muscle fibers of the uterus is dangerous for the crumbs in it, then his own hypertonicity is absolutely physiological... All muscles of the unborn child are contracted for greater compactness, arms, legs and chin are pressed to the body. This is the classic "embryo pose".

Hypertonicity of muscles in newborns

Almost all babies are born with physiologically increased muscle tone. This is due to the fact that the newborn has not yet managed to reorganize into "autonomous existence".

In the extensors of the muscles of the child's neck, the tone is higher, so his head is slightly thrown back. In the adductor muscles of the thighs, their increased tension resists the attempt to spread the legs of a newborn baby. Normally, they can be moved apart 90 degrees - 45 degrees to each side.

Very small crumbs are not yet ready to hold the head on their own.

What should be alarming in the behavior of a baby?

The reason to consult a neurologist should be the absence of a decrease in muscle tone after the six-month-old baby.

Also, according to a number of signs, you can determine that a visit to the doctor should not be postponed:

• The child is restless, sleeps little and shallowly.

  The increased nervousness of the baby is a wake-up call for parents.

• It reacts nervously even to dim light and quiet sounds.
• Spits up constantly after feeding.
• The chin trembles when crying.

  "Unconventional" crying with a twitching chin is a distinctive feature of increased muscle tone in an infant.

• Throws back the head, arching the whole body.
• During sleep, the baby's arms and legs are tucked in and tightly closed together, when trying to separate them, the baby resists and cries.

Sleeping posture can say a lot about your baby's health.

Hypertonicity in the muscles of the legs of the child

One of the classic reliable signs of increased muscle tension in the legs of the baby is the so-called "tiptoe gait". If you take the baby's armpits and, slightly tilting forward, holding his legs on a flat surface, a conditioned reflex of automatic gait should work. The child begins to touch his legs, as if making steps.

Normally, the baby tries to put his foot on a full foot, like an adult. If he stands on tiptoe, or bends his fingers inward, most likely, the tone in the feet and flexor muscles of the legs is increased.

Another test to check the tone of the lower extremities is to take the baby's leg in your hands and align the foot perpendicular to the lower leg. After that, carefully try to straighten the crumb's leg at the knee. With hypertonicity, you will feel quite serious resistance to your initiative.

Even if your baby “doesn’t walk”, do not worry, everything is fixable!

Increased tone of the neck muscles in infants

The so-called false torticollis is also caused by the general tension of the muscles of the newborn. Often, the baby keeps his head tilted to one side, but there are no organic disorders in the ligaments and muscles, in contrast to the true torticollis.

Some tricks undertaken by mommy will help the baby gradually get rid of the annoying ailment.

In a number of general therapeutic procedures (about which below), to correct this disorder, from two to three weeks of age, you can use special styling. When the baby lies on the "sick" side - we put a pillow, on the "healthy" - we do without it.

Quite convenient for use "bagels" and other orthopedic pillows are not always suitable for such babies because of the danger of regurgitation.

Low hemoglobin

This is quite common among infants. There may be many reasons for this: late feeding, lack of folic acid, low physical activity. In any case, when your baby is 6 months old, take a control blood test.

Many mothers get scared if their children are diagnosed with "obstruction of the lacrimal canal" and insist on surgery. Absolutely in vain. This article will help you to dispel unfounded fears.

The opinion of Dr. E.O. Komarovsky on the "problem" of muscle hypertonicity in newborns

Let's agree right away that, with all due respect to Yevgeny Olegovich's professionalism, many pediatricians do not share his opinion on one reason or another. Therefore, we will consider this section as introductory, for general development. After all, in any case, mom is you, and only you can decide to whom you will entrust the health of your baby. Agree? So…

The main problem for moms is premature panic.

In his numerous articles and comments, the doctor has repeatedly emphasized that increased muscle tone in children under one year old is the norm. Komarovsky also believes that the concept of the standard norm of muscle tone is fundamentally wrong. Each child has their own personal muscle tone, and what is physiological for one baby may be a sign of developmental pathology in another.

The doctor's call in advance not to dramatize the situation seems quite reasonable. “Is hypertonicity dangerous in children under one year old? The analogy is with a briefcase left by someone in a subway car. There may be a bomb, or maybe the wrapped engineer just forgot it. And having found a find, they call specialists. Let them figure out how serious this is. Or maybe complete nonsense! "(C)

What is the danger of increased muscle tone?

In most cases, and even with your baby (spitting over your shoulder three times!) - moreover, excessive muscle tension is really not an organic violation. The danger of hypertension, first of all, is that it can be indicative of damage to the infant's brain and nervous system.

There can be many reasons - birth trauma, hemorrhage, fetal hypoxia during pregnancy and childbirth, meningitis. That is why doctors pay so much attention to the early diagnosis of increased muscle tone in infants.

Increased muscle tone can be the reason for the delayed motor activity of the child.

Also, in the future, it can have a bad effect on the timely development of the baby, affect his ability to crawl, sit down, get up, walk.

Excessive tone treatment methods

To normalize the muscle tone in your baby, the doctor will select a comprehensive treatment. Physiotherapy (ultrasound, electrophoresis, heat and hydrotherapy) and various types of gymnastics with massage are usually used.

The attending physician will prescribe a set of necessary procedures.

Of course, everything related to physiotherapy will be carried out by specialists, but try to learn the techniques of massage and gymnastics yourself. Do you know why?

When it comes to treating a newborn baby, one of the main keys to a successful recovery is the psycho-emotional component.

Doctors working in orphanages can tell you how difficult it is to heal "refuseniks". Without the warm hands of the mother, without a dear, soothing voice, a familiar smell, it is difficult for a baby to endure unpleasant influences. He is tense, nervous, crying, overexcited. But we are treating him exactly from this!

Mother's care, tenderness and love will ensure a healthy future for the child.

Your doctor will probably teach you the basic massage techniques. Its main purpose is muscle relaxation. Begin the impact with smooth stroking of the arms, legs, back. After that, you can move on to circular, rubbing movements along the back of the crumbs lying on the tummy. Then, turning it over, gently shake the limbs (legs, holding the lower leg, hands - just above the wrist). Finish the massage, again with gentle strokes.

With your love, patience and perseverance, you will definitely succeed.

Umbilical hernia

common among infants. It may go away on its own, but surgery may also be required. What do doctors and experienced mothers say about an umbilical hernia?

What to do if a white coating appears on the baby's gums? First, stay calm. Secondly, to identify the reasons for its appearance. Thirdly, seek the advice of a specialist. Fourth, read our article.

Why does the butt blush in children? Is this a signal of an allergic disease? Look for all the answers on this page www.o-my-baby.ru/razvitie/kozha/krasnaya-popa.htm.

Mom reviews

Tatiana (mother of Arishka, 3 months):

“Girls, we were diagnosed with hypertension a month ago. I read something, in confusion ... It seems, for our age - this is the norm? And the district police frightens everyone with all sorts of passions. Insists on medication and finding a professional massage therapist (I'm doing it myself). And yet, he advises to take a course of "paraffin boots". Has anyone done? What are the results? "

Vera (mother of Peter, 6 years old and Sergey, 1.5 years old):

“Tan, the junior and I made boots, but, in my opinion, we were already older than you. Not a bad thing for hypertonicity in the legs. This is a thermal, relaxing procedure - several layers of gauze soaked in ozokerite or paraffin. The session starts from 10 minutes, in my opinion. Children, they say, react differently, but Seryozha liked it, even fell asleep a couple of times. The only thing you need to do is to undergo a preliminary examination by a pediatrician. In case of heart murmurs it is impossible, in case of diabetes, in general, there are contraindications. "

Galina Semyonovna (Lalechka's grandmother, 11 months):

“Tatyana, don't listen to anyone about these masseurs! Obviously, "a hand washes a hand", they are looking for clients for each other. Well, who is better than his own mother, to stroke and calm his blood? Who will feel better, where is it more gentle to massage, where is it more energetic? "

Well, if you doubt your skills, it’s better, go through the courses of children's massage for this money. And for myself - knowledge, and for the baby - joy.

Subscribe to our website updates and you will receive them by email.

You can also join our groups on social networks:

VKontakteFacebookOdnoklassnikiGoogle + Twitter

Well, don't forget to like us by clicking on the buttons on the left. 🙂

Increased muscle tone in infants and newborns

With the advent of the first-born child in every modern family, a lot of questions arise. And the most important question is the baby's health (whether he is healthy or not), will walk, run, jump, in what condition his muscles are. And what is muscle tone in babies and how dangerous is it in general? And with these questions, young parents often come to the pediatrician for a consultation. The simple concept of "muscle tone" is the natural state of the muscles that maintains the position of the whole body and takes on a large role in the movement process. Muscle tone, both in adults and in infants, should be physiologically correct.

The child, while still in the womb, makes its own unique movements. He does it chaotically, reflexively, with muscle contraction. When a child is born, muscle tone helps his overall development. The most obvious muscle tone can be attributed to the baby's holding of the head, turning it in different directions. Later he learns exactly: to sit, crawl, walk, jump, run, dance ... And a certain muscle tone is responsible for all this. Depending on the action of the child, the muscles can be in strong average and minimum tension. In the sleep camp, the muscles completely relax.

• Massage for newborns
• Baby development at 3 months
• Baby development at 4 months

You can observe a child (with healthy development) such an interesting situation: if the baby, at first glance, is in a recumbent relaxed state, then his muscles, in sequence or in pairs, simultaneously experience tension. This tension allows you to hold the whole body or parts of the body. All muscles are not equally tense. It depends on the level of the task that the child has to do.

Children, in the first months of their unconscious life, have a higher muscle tone compared to older children. All this is due to the fact that, being in the womb, as an embryo, the future child grows and develops every day, and there is very little room for active action every day. And this continues throughout the pregnancy until the baby is born. At birth, all of the baby's muscles are tense. And certain muscle groups can be in hypertonicity. Moreover, the strength of tension in different muscle groups, at the same time, is different. The peculiarity is that they have a strong tension when flexing the limbs than when extending. When examining the baby, you can see how the arms and legs are pressed against the body, and the head is tilted back. The muscles of the thighs are also in good shape, and perform a resisting function when, in the first months, the baby is doing wellness, daily gymnastics for the legs (each leg can be tilted 45 degrees from the thigh, as a result a right angle can form between the thighs). Pediatricians recommend gymnastics to be carried out several times a day.

After 3-4 months of a baby's life, muscle tone decreases (with healthy physiological development). From the beginning, this is noticeable on the limbs of the arms and legs, the muscles of which perform flexion and extension functions. And in a 5-6 month old baby, the tone decreases in all other muscle groups. And up to a year or a half, the muscle tone of a child is identical to that of adults.

Examination of the baby

There is muscle tone in the child, or it can normally be determined during sleep. The work of individual muscle groups is determined only in movement. An important factor is how the baby was born: natural or surgical (through a cesarean section) way. It is also necessary to know the posture of the child, how it was placed in the womb, in what presentation the child was all these 9 months. Facial presentation is characterized by a strong tone of the cervical muscles, as a result of which the head is thrown back. In breech presentation, the baby can keep the legs extended for a long time.

There is also a physiological muscle tone (fetal posture), which manifests itself during the baby's sleep. The arms are bent and clenched into fists (the thumb is always in the middle of the fist) and lie firmly in the chest area. The legs, like the arms, are bent at the joints and pressed against the tummy. The thighs are slightly apart to the side, and the feet are raised up. Hypertonia slows down the movements of the child. He can actively move his legs: bend, unbend, push off from a hard surface. And the handles have their own rhythm and remain for a long time in the chest area, while they are made of clenched fists, into which the thumb is bent. A thrown back head indicates that the baby has hypertonicity of the neck muscles.

Muscle tone depends on: the nervous system, genetic disorders, the physical condition of the child. When crying and screaming, muscle tone increases. Excessive tone occurs in excitable guys.

How to determine if the tone is normal?

Each baby, after birth in the hospital, should be examined by a neurologist to determine at an early stage whether the baby is healthy or has any abnormalities. With a physiological tone, at an early stage, it is difficult to see large nervous deviations. The period of physiological tone can last more than 4-6 months. After six months of the baby's life, you need to go back to the doctors: a pediatrician or a neurologist. At the doctor's appointment, the child undergoes a thorough examination (checking reflexes for age criteria), as a result of which the doctor makes a diagnosis, which shows: the child is healthy or has pathological disorders. In any case, the doctor should inform the parents or relatives of the baby about this. Observant parents themselves can see serious deviations by comparing their baby and another healthy child of the same age.

The health of the child and his muscle tone could be influenced by many extraneous factors independent of the baby himself: the regime of the pregnant mother and her stress state, experienced during pregnancy, medications taken, natural or piece delivery (with cesarean section). The period and the postpartum period is of great importance. With the development of the baby, his nervous system continues to form. You need to constantly observe how the child reacts to: objects around him, words, silence and screaming, music. You need to determine in time how the baby's new skills are formed and consolidated, having learned about this, you can decide how to further develop your child.

If you identify a deviation from the norm in a separate muscle tone in time and begin to correct it correctly (correct according to the doctor's recommendations), then the result will soon please the parents. Don't expect it to pass by itself. Go to your doctor for professional help. The main thing is to prevent the lag in the general development of the child. The first year of a baby's life is conventionally divided into five uneven periods of its development. And in each period of time, he must learn certain skills. If everything is good in development, then up to a year the baby will be able to walk. And if there is a deviation, then you need to see a doctor.

Period from birth to one month

In the first conditional period, the lying child has a “fetal position”, in which the arms are constantly bent and are all the time in the chest area. The hands are mobile and are constantly squeezed into a cam, the thumb is always bent, in the middle of the cam. The legs are also bent and slightly spread apart. The head, for a little crumb, is heavy. The right and left halves of the body should be symmetrical.

With the correct laying out of the baby, lie on his tummy, you can watch how he turns his head in any direction. You can help him a little: turn it one by one to the left side, and then to the right side. He holds the arms under his chest, squeezes the legs under him, as if he wants to crawl. Until the end of the first month, the baby can keep his head at the level of the spine for a few seconds.

Period from one month to three

During this period, the child makes more movements: lying on his back, he bends the arms less, can move them to the sides and up, and reach his face, lips, eyes. Turns her head to sound, to light, to finger games near the eyes. Holding the baby by the hands, he can already pull himself up. By the end of this period, he already holds his head well. Legs, with the help of adults, can do gymnastic exercises.

Lying on his tummy, the child raises his head confidently, holds it for a long time and independently turns in any direction. Legs and handles are also gaining strength, and the baby can already imitate the movements that crawling children make.

Period from three to six months

This period of the baby is more active. Lying on his back, he can already: open his fists, open his palms, put his hands together, take and throw toys that are nearby. Makes attempts to sit on his own (sits well in pillows). Until the end of this period, she can pull herself up well on the arms, keep her head straight, and have bent legs

Lying on his tummy, the child keeps his head well at the level of the spine, resting on the forearms, the palms of the hands are open. By the end of this period, a 6-month-old baby begins to rise with outstretched arms, while keeping his back straight and legs straight. From the 4th month, he manages to roll over from his back onto his side. And by 6 months he freely rolls from side to back, rolls over on his stomach, on his back. Can sit easily and hold his body with his hands for balance. At the end of the period, he can actively crawl on all fours, on his stomach, on his side, on his butt and tries to stand on his legs (there are children who jump on their legs, pumping up muscles for walking). In the period from 8 to 9 months, the child can already stand, leaning against any support, no matter what it will be: a wall or a crib, a parent's hand or a chair - everything will suit the baby.

Period from nine months to a year

This period of the baby differs from the previous ones in that he crawls well, gets up on his own, and no longer wants to sit, walk, holding on to the support. By about a year, the child starts to walk on his own and pick up toys.

What are the tone disorders?

In medicine, there are three types of tone disorders: hypertonicity, hypotension and dystonia. Hypertonia is a great muscle tension, it can come from damage to the nervous system or the brain. The harbinger can be: birth trauma, meningitis, various hemorrhages. The reason for hypertonicity is that the baby has not yet asked to be born, he is not ready to appear, but he is artificially adjusted, stimulation drugs are injected, in cases with long bearing of children, or with great excitability of the child. Violation of muscle tone does not go unnoticed. If it is violated, the child is all squeezed and his movements are constrained. Even in sleep, his body does not relax. Hands are pressed tightly to the chest, and the legs to the tummy. A child in such a situation often screams, cannot sleep, and frequent bouts of colic begin. In such children, there is profuse regurgitation, and with a little irritation, the chin may tremble.

On examination, if you repeat the same movement several times: dilution of the arms and legs, in different directions, then with each repetition the muscle tone increases. When they put the child on their feet, he shows with his whole body how painful it is for him to complete this task. When they want to pull him up by the arms, he tries to pull himself up with his whole body. This is a pronounced pathological hypertonia. If the cervical spine was injured at birth, then such children can wear their head by one side, and the process of universal development will slow down. They do everything later, for healthy children: crawl, sit, walk.

Hypotonicity in infants

Hypotension is insufficient muscle tension. It occurs less hypertonia and usually occurs in premature babies who have suffered endocrine or infectious diseases and with brain disorders. Babies born with an intracranial hematoma may suffer from diffuse muscle hypotension. In severe cases, children simply do not survive: their muscles are weakened so that they cannot suck, swallow, or breathe. But in cases where hypotension has touched individual muscle groups or only limbs, the doctor fixes nerve damage.

Children who live and are diagnosed with muscle hypotonia are very quiet, sleepy, lethargic, eat poorly and gain little weight, do not hold their heads for a long time. And whatever is done to them, they just look very tired crumbs. The body of such people is not adapted to an active life. Dystonia is tension in some muscle groups and relaxation in other muscle groups. Children with dystonia are doomed to take a posture independent of them all their lives, in one part of the body to be in an increased tone, and in another part of the body - to be low.

What are the consequences of muscle hypertonia?

If in the early stages you notice a violation of muscle tone, and immediately, do not postpone, for later, a visit to the doctor, and full treatment, the violations both imperceptibly came, so imperceptibly go away. It is better to treat hypertonicity at an early stage. If the child, on time, was not examined, and the parents themselves did not reveal that he has hypertonicity, this as a result can lead to serious violations: posture, gait, scoliosis of torticollis and clubfoot. And on a global scale, hypertonicity can provoke a serious illness - incurable cerebral palsy.

Methods for the treatment of muscle tone disorders

When muscle tone is detected, a neurologist writes a prescription exclusively for this diagnosis, with the help of which muscle tone is stabilized. The doctor can offer a complex treatment using kinesitherapy - treatment through movement. Active complex: swimming and remedial gymnastics. The passive complex includes: massage and various assisting procedures. For the purpose of treatment, children are prescribed to undergo several physiotherapeutic procedures, such as: treatment with water, heat, mud, magnetotherapy, and ultrasound. Electrophoresis with certain drugs is very useful. In a more difficult situation, violations are corrected with the help of medicines. They use medications that normalize intracranial pressure, these are: B vitamins, midocalm. Dibazol is used to relieve spasms and vasodilation. Quiet, soothing music and healing, herbal baths help a lot. Homeopathic and osteopathic preparations are no exception.

To get rid of hypertonicity, you need to remove excessive muscle tension. You can prepare a healing bath for your child with relaxing medicinal herbs or go for a comprehensive massage at the clinic. But parents should also take a closer look at the movements that the massage therapist makes and make it exactly at home. Usually, with hypertonia, a soothing massage is needed, which is done with light hand movements throughout the child's problem body. You can alternate stroking the limbs of the arms and legs with stroking the baby's tummy and back. Doctors also allow light rubbing. The baby experiences a relaxing effect when he is swayed in his arms and pressed against his body, and in addition, a quiet lullaby is played.

With hypertonicity of muscles, chopping, clapping movements cannot be used in massage, they will only increase the tension. Doctors prohibit the use of walkers, which place undue stress on the spine and unevenly distribute muscle tension. In case of hypotonia, a stimulating massage is necessary, with chopping and clapping movements, activating the natural work of the muscles. It normalizes tone well: swimming, various active exercises, medical gymnastics. And if physiotherapy methods do not give a special effect, the doctor uses medication. In most cases, the violation of muscle tone is corrected by a neurologist and, as a result, disappears without a trace. And if, having noticed a strong tension in your baby, you definitely need a doctor's consultation.

Video: muscle tone in a child.

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 impaired general metabolism;
• chronic diseases future motherassociated with the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver, organs of internal secretion;
• non-compliance by a pregnant woman with recommendations for proper and nutritious nutrition, the necessary lifestyle during gestation, 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 the drug 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, baby is not getting normal physical development, does not normally rest, being in constant overexcitation, which further 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.

However 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, to evaluate the position 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, a 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 therapeutic 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 therapeutic exercises. 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

---