Many parents of babies begin to worry when a neurologist, at a scheduled appointment, makes the baby a diagnosis of hypotension. Of course, this is not pleasant enough, but you should not panic too soon. You should find out the possible causes of this condition, undergo the necessary examinations, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, develop the optimal treatment option and strictly adhere to this plan. Many doctors believe that such a phenomenon can be a feature of physiological development, and the sooner the parents begin to correct, the faster they will get rid of this problem.
What is hypotension in a young child?
Muscle hypotension in infants is a weakened muscle condition when tension should occur. The neurologist makes this diagnosis for those babies who do not have a response when exposed to muscles. For example, when a doctor in a baby bends his arms, then with normal muscle tone, they straighten in response and return to a position that is comfortable for the newborn. If the baby has hypotension, then there will be no such reaction, or it appears only after a while. This muscle weakness is explained by the fact that they cannot contract normally.
How is hypotonicity detected?
When visiting a neurologist, hypotension in the baby is easily diagnosed with the help of certain manipulations with the baby. The following actions of the doctor are aimed at identifying deviations of congenital physiological reflexes:
- Step reflex and foot support reaction . A neurologist takes a child and puts it on a hard surface. The baby, resting on a full foot, should straighten on her legs and take steps, as when walking. With hypotension, the baby is not able to straighten his legs and perform walking, he is likely to bend them. Normally, such a reflex exists for up to two months, after which it fades away.
- Sitting by the handles. The baby is laid with its back on a hard surface, and, holding the wrists, they try to raise it to the "sitting" position. The kid himself will begin to pull himself up with the help of muscle contraction, and the doctor feels this resistance. With hypotension, muscle weakness occurs, and the baby sags on the arms, his stomach begins to protrude forward, the head is weakly held on the neck, and the back is rounded.
Self hypotonus detection
Parents themselves can figure out whether there is hypotension in the baby. To do this, it is enough to carefully watch your child. This pathology affects the general condition of the baby. You may notice that the baby is very calm, quiet and quite rarely comes into an excited state. At the same time, he sleeps a lot, and during wakefulness is characterized by slow and sluggish activity.
Also, parents should pay attention to the child’s posture during sleep. If there is a suspicion of hypotension in the baby, its signs in this case will manifest as follows: arms and legs are straightened and relaxed, the palms are wide open, and should be collected in a fist. Straightening his legs to an angle of 180 degrees does not cause him any discomfort. With normal tone, the palms and limbs of the child are slightly bent, because muscle activity contributes to this.
With a pathological condition of the muscles, a baby who is breastfed may not take a breast well or refuse it altogether. A child with such a diagnosis hardly strains his neck to fix his head, it is difficult for him to learn to crawl and hold objects, and it is also almost impossible to turn over and be in a sitting position.
If parents noticed such signs of hypotension, then in this case you need to contact a local therapist. The consultation received and the exclusion of a serious pathology will allow them to calm down and take the necessary measures to improve this condition in the baby.
Causes of occurrence
Hypotonicity in infants is much less common than hypertonicity, and the reasons for this can be different. Weak muscle tone is directly related to the functioning of the central nervous system, as well as the blood supply to the body. This pathological condition occurs for the following reasons:
- complicated birth with asphyxia, hypoxia and injuries;
- severe pregnancy during a woman’s illness;
- emergency birth;
- the presence of bad habits in the mother;
- low birth weight;
- malformations;
- improperly organized nutrition of the newborn;
- loss of body weight in infants after viral and infectious diseases;
- genetic diseases;
- high vitamin D intake
The effects of muscle weakness
The hypotone of the legs of the baby, like all other parts of the body, is manifested by weak tension in the muscles. It is necessary to start treatment of such a pathological condition in a timely manner, as serious violations can occur in the future. The development of the baby due to hypotension can be greatly inhibited, the likelihood of curvature of the spine and disturbance of posture is high. Those who have weakened muscle tone in childhood are characterized by increased plasticity and flexibility, and further progression of such an ailment leads to a strong weakening of the musculoskeletal system with the possibility of complete muscle degeneration.
Treatment methods
To correct a violation of muscle tone, a neurologist prescribes massage and special physical exercises. Usually, treatment of hypotension in infants involves a set of procedures that are selected individually, taking into account the degree of damage to muscle fibers. Thus, the methods of treatment of reduced tone in the baby are as follows:
- physiotherapy;
- Acupuncture, which helps to achieve a lasting positive effect;
- physiotherapy;
- herbal medicine, which is represented by herbal baths, rubbing, compresses on the joints.
If you strictly follow all medical recommendations, then after three months the baby’s health improves significantly. He begins to move his legs and arms more actively. Massage and gymnastic exercises for the baby at first should be carried out by a specialist in this field. Subsequently, parents themselves are able to master such procedures and carry them out at home.
Hypotonicity of the hands in the baby, as well as other parts of the body, helps to remove gymnastics performed in water. Swimming in the most favorable way affects weak muscles, because all muscle groups begin to be involved.
Massage technique
It is very useful for the child to conduct muscle massage, as each organ is stimulated. Thanks to this treatment procedure, a strong effect on the central nervous system is exerted . During it, it is imperative to change the position of the baby's body in order to use all available places. Performing massage with hypotension in the baby, it is necessary that it lies on the tummy and on the back.
The massage therapist should start from the fingers, and ends with an active study of the back. With the hands and phalanges of the fingers, the specialist slightly presses on certain areas of the muscles, thus conducting the stimulation of bioactive points. During the procedure, muscle tissue is worked out with the help of rubbing, stroking, tingling, tapping. An experienced massage therapist is able to carry out a point effect on each muscle.
The recommended course of massage is 10 procedures, but if necessary, their number increases. It is also important to monitor the reaction of the baby during its implementation. If he begins to be very worried, then, most likely, the massage gives him a very unpleasant sensation, and therefore it is better to postpone it indefinitely.
Gymnastic exercises
If hypotension of the baby has been diagnosed, exercises to restore muscle tone can strengthen the weakened muscles of the baby. In combination with massage, such gymnastics guarantees a positive effect. The following exercises are considered the most common:
- Crosswise - the hands of the baby should be spread apart and brought together, turning the right to the left and the left to the right.
- Boxing - it is necessary to take the crumbs into their own hands and alternately or simultaneously bend and straighten them in front of the baby. Thus, muscle strengthening occurs.
- Pulling up - you need to take the baby's hands and carefully move his sitting position. Movements must be slow so that muscle tension occurs and they begin to work.
- Bicycle - you should twist the legs of the baby, imitating riding a bicycle.
- Breeding legs - it is necessary to cross the lower limbs of the child and separate them to the sides, with a gradual increase in amplitude.
When performing the above actions, the condition of the child improves quite quickly.
Conclusion
Caring parents will definitely pay attention to the health problems of their baby. If there is a suspicion of hypotension in the baby, you should definitely show it to your doctor. Timely treatment started allows the child to catch up with his peers in psychomotor and physical development and in the future not to have any health problems.