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

So, it can lead to:

• acute infectious pathologies suffered by the mother during pregnancy, 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 of the expectant mother associated with the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver, and internal secretion organs;
• non-compliance by a pregnant woman with recommendations for proper and nutritious nutrition, the necessary lifestyle during pregnancy, her addiction to smoking, even occasional drinking of alcohol.

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

• labor is too fast or, on the contrary, difficult, when the mother’s labor is weakened, when the birth canal is not fully opened, when the baby is very large, when it is necessary to resort to the application of forceps or the use of a vacuum extractor;
• even if the risk remains, in the case when, at the patient’s request, a minimal cosmetic incision is made;
• Another cause of impaired muscle tone may be hemolytic disease caused by incompatibility of the blood of a woman and her child.

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

This article is about the use of the drug Curantil in late pregnancy.

How is hypertonicity dangerous (and is it dangerous?) for newborns?

The danger of hypertonicity cannot be underestimated. Firstly, it in itself 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 rest normally, being in constant overstimulation, which subsequently affects mental abilities.

Sometimes advanced forms lead to disturbances in 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 should return to normal by the age of six months.

However there are a number of signs which indicate pathological hypertonicity requiring action:

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

These signs- a signal for mandatory contact with a pediatrician, who will conduct a thorough examination and assess the level of hypertonicity and the degree of health risk.

However, if such alarming symptoms are not observed, this does not at all indicate the absolute absence of pathology. You can conduct a “home examination”, allowing you to determine the presence of increased tone.

For example, evaluate the placement of his foot on a flat surface when holding him by the armpits. If he touches the surface only with his toes, without placing his feet on his feet, this is a known sign of hypertonicity.

Treatment of hypertension in newborns

Medications

In severe forms of hypertonicity caused by perinatal encephalopathy, a doctor may prescribe medicinal treatments– vitamin-containing preparations, relaxants– Dibazol, Pantogam, Elkar, and others.

Parents should know that Absolutely forbidden independent use of any medications or unauthorized changes in the schedule and dosage of their intake!

By non-drug means

Experienced children's professional massage therapists know their job well, but a child may be afraid of someone else's hands, tense up, cry, and the therapeutic effect will come to naught. Exactly That's why mom's participation is so important, which can independently carry out some procedures, especially in the very early age baby.

It would be good if she listened to the advice of doctors and, even during pregnancy, took a short training course in massage procedures and therapeutic exercises. If not, then a pediatric neurologist should show her the basic techniques of manual therapy for hypertension. They are simple, but require systematic implementation.

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

Never massage cannot be performed if the child sleeps, is capricious if he shows obvious displeasure from the manipulations performed with him. It will instinctively shrink, and a relaxing effect will not be achieved.

Procedures begin always with gentle gentle stroking, which will speed up blood circulation and relieve pain. Then they massage the baby's arms - from hand to shoulder, legs, paying special attention to the feet, then the back.

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

Water procedures are very important

Tone is a long-lasting and persistent state of excitation of nerve centers and muscles in which fatigue is not felt. Accordingly, hypertonicity is an increased, excessive tone of muscles or nerve endings. This phenomenon occurs in almost everyone under the age of 3 years. But not in all cases this is evidence of serious illnesses.

Causes

The causes of hypertension in children under one year old can be:

• Physiology. Children are characterized by such a phenomenon as physiological hypertonicity. This is due to the fact that inside the uterus the baby is in a certain position: the legs are bent and pressed to the tummy, the arms are also bent, the chin is pressed to chest. After birth, babies often remain in this position for up to six months. Some sources claim that the norm will be that the baby will not straighten his skeleton until he is a year old.
• Individuality. Doctors operate with such a concept as individual hypertonicity. The phenomenon is general, but it manifests itself to varying degrees in everyone. For some, high muscle tone may be the absolute norm, while for others, even lower levels may indicate the presence of serious problems with.

Important! Only a doctor can make a specific diagnosis after conducting a series of examinations. It is better to seek help from several specialists.

• Trauma during childbirth. It is the most common cause of hypertension in a newborn. If birth process complex and protracted, there is a high probability that the child will develop asphyxia (oxygen starvation).
• Violation of intrauterine development. This is influenced by the state of health of the mother in labor and her lifestyle during the period of bearing the baby. Alcohol and tobacco have a bad effect.

Symptoms

Symptoms of muscle tone in infants are:

• restlessness, regular whims, crying;
• trembling in the chin area;
• throwing back the head;
• the desire to tilt your head in the same direction under any circumstances;
  
• deterioration of joint mobility;
• arching of the back;
• the baby keeps his arms bent and clenches his fists tightly;
• keeps thumbs pressed to palm;
• if you try to straighten your limbs, he resists and cries;
• if you try to put the baby on his feet, he begins to curl his toes or stands on tiptoes;
• crying as a reaction to sound and light stimuli;
• flinches at noise.

Important! If you notice the listed symptoms in your baby and their repeated repetition, contact a neurologist immediately.

They also distinguish between symmetrical, asymmetrical and dystonic hypertonicity in a child. The first is characterized by physiological muscle tone, that is, the arms and legs are bent symmetrically, as at birth. The second is characterized by uneven muscle tension in different parts bodies.

In this case, the baby may fall slightly onto one side, or make movements only on one side. This type refers to pathological hypertonicity. The latter, dystonic, manifests itself as a combination of weakened and overly tense muscles.
Also is . In children, muscle tone in the arms or legs is observed separately. Symptoms of hypertonicity of the arms in an infant will be clenching of the fists and resistance when you try to spread the limbs to the sides.

To check if your child has muscle problems with his legs, you need to stand him upright, holding him by the armpit area. When the baby tries to step and puts his foot completely on his foot, everything is normal, there is no need to worry.

If he tries to stand only on the pads, then there are deviations. Such tests are effective only at the age of months.

Treatment methods

If you find the above signs of hypertonicity in your baby, you should immediately go to the doctor. You cannot carry out treatment on your own. If it turns out that increased muscle tone is a symptom of a more serious disease, then massage and water treatments will be prescribed.


Massage

With increased muscle tone, several types of massage are used. Their main task is to relieve tension from the muscles and remove spasms. You need to act extremely carefully, since the baby’s skeleton is still developing.

Typically, massage is performed by pediatric specialists, but mothers must master all the intricacies, since for some diseases massage must be done many times a day.

We do a massage:

1. Gently knead the baby's fingers. We perform stroking movements as if you were going to put gloves on his hands.
2. We stroke the arms, starting from the shoulder area and ending with the palms, while going around the elbow area.
3. We stroke the thighs, then smoothly move to the lower legs and feet. Movements should be smooth and gentle, especially around the knees, groin area and inner thighs.
4. We gradually move from stroking to rubbing the legs, arms, back, and tummy. We make circular movements.
5. We stroke the feet from heels to toes. We stretch our fingers separately.

Under no circumstances should you strongly stretch your muscles, press on them, knock or slap them.

Important! Massage is effective only if there is a specific diagnosis made by a doctor. Hypertonicity in itself is not a diagnosis.

Gymnastic exercises can improve motor activity and develop muscles.

We perform the following exercises:

Did you know? 2% of children with muscle hypertonicity remain with this problem forever.

Swimming

Water is an excellent healer. It not only allows the body to relax, evenly distributing the load throughout the spine, but also helps the baby learn to coordinate its movements.

The main thing is that the water is warm, since cool water can, on the contrary, increase muscle tone. You can make aromatic baths by adding a few drops of valerian, motherwort, sage, pine needles, and lingonberry leaves.

What is the danger

Pathological muscle hypertonicity in a child can negatively affect the intensity of the child’s development as a person. He may begin to develop improper motor skills in his arms and legs.

Did you know? According to statistics, in 6% of children, hypertonicity persists until school age.

Most likely, in older age, problems with gait may appear. In addition, hypertonicity may indicate the presence of diseases such as cerebral palsy, impaired brain function, and serious metabolic problems.

If you notice excessive muscle tone in your child, compare the symptoms with the nature of his development. If there are deviations, we go to the doctor. If he detects a certain disease, then we carry out a course of treatment.

There is nothing - there is no need to worry, we breathe out a sigh of relief, but we carefully monitor the baby’s development.

To talk about increased tone in a child as a disease, you first need to understand what hypertonicity is and at what age it is a problem, and at what is the norm. Increased muscle tension, expressed in their overstrain, is hypertonicity. If we look at the statistics, 90% of children have increased muscle tone. This condition is quite normal for a child in the womb. In the position inside the uterus, the baby is in a compressed state, where the arms and legs are bent and pressed tightly against the body. Once born, the baby gains freedom of movement, so the baby’s muscle tone should return to normal.

This condition does not go away immediately, gradually, and as the baby grows and acquires certain motor skills, hypertonicity disappears.

Hypertonicity in a baby in the first month of life is most pronounced, which is clearly manifested in the general “tight state” of the child. The fists are clenched, the legs are pressed to the body, if you try to spread the legs, the baby will resist. In the supine position, the baby presses his arms to himself and lies in a position very similar to the fetal position. The folds on the legs should be symmetrical and, if you bring the legs together, form a smile. If, while lying on his stomach, the baby turns his head left and right, and seems to be trying to crawl with his legs, this is not a pathology and indicates normal development and moderate muscle tone of the baby. If, under the age of one month, a child often holds his head, this is most likely not a sign of his uniqueness and rapid development, but overexertion neck muscles. Massage is effective for treating hypertension in a 1-month-old child.

A three-month-old child who confidently holds his head is characterized by the absence of hypertonicity. A baby at this age already reacts to toys, reaches out to them, and is able to grasp and hold objects in his hand. However, if some signs of increased muscle tone persist, do not be alarmed; each child is individual and you should wait a little and observe.

Increased muscle tone in a child should disappear by 6 months; if this does not happen at this age, you should see a specialist. Six month old baby He is no longer the clumsy man he used to be, his movements are more conscious and purposeful. The fists unclench, the baby tries to crawl, rolls over on his back and from back to stomach, sits or tries to sit.

At nine months the baby is especially active, he stands near a support, crawls, and sits down. If a baby has hypertension at this age, massage is especially effective in eliminating it, since the main goal of massage is to relieve muscle tone.

The one-year-old baby is already trying to take his first steps. If hypertonicity is diagnosed in a child at this age, treatment in the form of massage and baths remains the same; if positive dynamics are not observed by one and a half years, additional diagnostics are prescribed and the treatment method is revised.

By the age of three, hypertonicity can manifest itself in walking not on the feet, but on tiptoes (in the case of increased tone of the legs) and impaired fine motor skills of the hands (in the case of increased tone of the hands).

By the age of five, increased muscle tone can become a real problem. Child preschool age begins to lag behind peers in development, in some cases may become the basis for establishing disability. Studying at school with peers becomes difficult and often these children have to study in special educational institutions.

Thus, early detection of muscle hypertonicity allows you to effectively select health measures and eliminate increased tone. Therefore, it is especially important to pay attention to the symptoms of hypertension in a timely manner, which significantly increases the chances of recovery.

The causes of hypertension in a child can be very different, ranging from genetic predisposition to birth injuries. However, despite the individuality of each case, there are a certain number of factors that often cause increased muscle tone. These include:

• the presence of Rh conflict;
• bad ecology;
• severe pregnancy (infections and acute illnesses);
• fetal hypoxia during pregnancy or childbirth;
• hemolytic disease of the child;
• difficult childbirth and birth injuries;
• Availability bad habits in a pregnant woman;
• excessive nervous excitability;
• severe toxicosis of the mother in the first or last trimester of pregnancy;
• chronic diseases of the mother.

One way or another, increased muscle tone in a child is not a pathology at birth, but in the presence of any of the above factors, muscle tone may not return to normal over a long period of time.

Depending on whether the tension in all the muscles of the child is increased, or whether the increased tone in the child affects only the limbs, or only the arms or legs, symptoms of hypertonicity are also distinguished. It is characterized by the following general symptoms:

Hypertonicity of the legs is characterized by slow motor development: the child does not crawl, does not begin to attempt to walk. In a standing position with your support, the child tries to walk on tiptoes without placing emphasis on the entire foot.

Clenched fists and difficulty in moving your arms to the sides when lying on your back indicate increased tone of the arm muscles. These symptoms serve as a basis for immediate appeal see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Another important method for diagnosing increased tone in a child is assessing reflexes. The results of this test can most accurately be assessed by a doctor. When visiting a local therapist, you can often notice testing based on the presence or absence of the following reflexes at a certain age of the baby:

1. The tonic reflex should fade by three months, but if this does not happen, then this may indicate the presence of hypertonicity. So the child, lying on his stomach, will bend his legs, and on his back, straighten them.
2. Upon reaching two months of age, the child may try to walk on his toes rather than on his entire leg (stepping reflex).
3. Symmetrical and asymmetrical reflexes should fade by three months. When lying on your back, if you turn your head to the left, left hand and the leg will straighten, and the right arm, on the contrary, will bend. When pressing your chin to your chest, lying on your back, bend your arms and straighten your legs.
4. When trying to sit the baby down, he won't let you move his arms away from his chest.

What to do if a child has increased tone? If, upon reaching the age of six months, the symptoms of increased muscle tone persist and a neurologist has diagnosed muscle hypertonicity, if the correct treatment is prescribed, the hypertonicity may disappear completely.

The main direction in the fight against hypertension is massage. The main purpose of massage is to gently relax tense muscles. Its significant advantage is accessibility. So, for preventive purposes, massage can be started as early as 2 weeks of age. Mom can act as a massage therapist, and massage is turned into an interesting exciting game with mandatory communication with a loved one. In the case of prescribing massage to children in medicinal purposes It is better to entrust the procedure to a competent specialist. But do not forget about the very big advantage of a mother’s massage - this is a person close and dear, and it will be much easier for the mother to achieve relaxation and comfort for the baby. Therapeutic massage for a child aged 1 month and older is usually prescribed in a course; after completion of the course, the dynamics of the disease are assessed and, if necessary, the courses are repeated after a short rest.

Considering the small age of the patient, before the massage it is necessary to lubricate your hands with oil, since the skin of babies is very delicate and it is not difficult to damage it. Massage should not be done immediately after eating or after waking up; the child must come to his senses and be in a good mood. It is important to establish contact with the child, since massage against the will and with the child’s periodic crying loses its healing properties. All movements should be done smoothly, not abruptly, softly and gently. Minimal effort is enough; patting and deep kneading are unacceptable. In case of a negative reaction to your actions, it is better to stop massaging children and eliminate the cause of dissatisfaction (this could be the cold hands of a massage therapist or low temperature in room).

They can be divided into:

1. Stroking and rubbing. It is better to start with stroking movements of the arms and legs, moving to the back. As a rule, babies are more willing to let their legs be massaged than their arms. Therefore, it is important to determine the order for effective continuation of the massage. You need to be very careful with rubbing and not overdo it.
2. Using gentle rubbing movements, touch parts of the body from bottom to top. First, do this massage while lying on your tummy, then turn it over onto your back.
3. Shaking and rocking:

• Lightly shake your hands, be sure to hold your forearm, and shake your legs. If the baby is reluctant to do some exercises or resists, you can try to shake the limbs slightly and do this exercise; if the resistance does not decrease, move on to another exercise.
• Swing the arms in different directions, do the same with the legs, swinging the legs while holding them by the shins.

It is better to end the massage with light strokes to calm the excited baby. It is important to maintain contact with the child, talk kindly and encourage every successful exercise, step towards you, and in no case raise your voice.

Special attention You should massage your legs if you notice increased muscle tone in your legs, since worsening the problem has a very negative effect on the acquisition of such an important skill as walking.

When massaging your legs, you should hold them by the shins and start stroking them from bottom to top, repeating the movements about eight times, then move to the back of the thigh. This is followed by soft rubbing with the fingertips in the same direction - from bottom to top. Lightly stroke the feet, moving from the toes to the heel. At the base of the big toe, you should press lightly, the fingers close together, then move along the outer part of the foot, the fingers spread out like a fan, repeat this several times. Next, you can “draw a figure eight” on the foot with your thumb. You can gently stretch your foot by applying gentle pressure with your thumb. Then you should stroke the area from the toes to the ankle joint, continue to gently rub this area, lightly pressing and touching.

After performing a foot massage, you can do simple exercises. Taking the legs by the knees, bend them one by one, gently pressing on the tummy. This exercise is also useful for babies who are still bothered by gas. Having bent the legs at the knee joint, the knees are spread in opposite directions, and the feet are folded together, gently rubbing against each other. If the exercises are done correctly and gently, you will not only make progress in solving the problem of hypertension, but also give your baby much-needed communication with a loved one.

A bath, like a massage, has a relaxing effect on the muscles; with the addition of herbs such as eucalyptus, lavender, motherwort, sage, valerian, conifers, the relaxing effect of the bath is enhanced. As a rule, a bath is prescribed by a doctor with the addition of an ingredient suitable for a particular baby in a course. If necessary, the bath cycle is repeated. In some cases, the herbs are alternated. An important aspect when prescribing a particular medicinal plant is the child’s individual tolerance.

Also, for the treatment of muscle hypertonicity in children, the following measures aimed at relaxing and reducing muscle tone can be effective:

1. Taking vitamin B, diuretics.
2. Therapeutic exercise, exercise using a fitball.
3. Heat therapy.
4. Mud therapy.
5. Electrophoresis.

Drug treatment is prescribed only in cases where more gentle measures do not lead to positive dynamics. In most cases, a timely diagnosis and following the doctor’s instructions give positive results without the need for drug intervention.

In addition to the treatment prescribed by a competent specialist, correct organized by parents leave psychological climate. Providing comfort in moral and everyday terms is the primary concern and task of parents.

• It is important to exclude physical activity that creates additional tension in muscles that are in increased tone.
• The psychological climate in the family, a favorable and friendly environment allows the child to be relaxed, calm and does not lead to nervous tension.
• It is important to create a favorable atmosphere in the child’s rest room, the absence of irritants in the form of loud sounds, bright light, acceptable air temperature and acceptable air humidity.

In any case, no matter what method of treating hypertonicity is chosen, it is important to ensure comfortable treatment for the baby, since hypertonicity is increased muscle tension, therefore, in order to avoid it, you need to achieve relaxation.

The main problem in eliminating hypertension in infants is the initially incorrect approach of parents to this problem. Due to the fact that hypertonicity is the norm in newborns (due to being in a tight position in the womb), many parents do not pay due attention if this condition persists and consider it completely normal and physiological. We remind you that the state of increased muscle tone should normally go away by three months, but if this does not happen by six months, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

If, nevertheless, a child is diagnosed with hypertonicity, and appropriate measures were taken untimely or not taken at all, this can lead to serious developmental deviations:

1. Delay in the child's motor activity. He starts crawling and walking late. Coordination of movements is impaired, incorrect gait and posture are formed.
2. With hypertonicity of the hands, fine motor skills suffer; the child is unable to grasp objects with his hands and cannot fully manipulate them.
3. Rachiocampsis.
4. Delay in general development (speech impairment), mental development.
5. Disruption internal organs child.

In the alternation of feeding, sleeping and playing the baby should not be much different from a healthy child. Moreover, the important task of parents is not to create additional tension and stress for him. You should not force your baby to a certain regime that is inconvenient for him. The child’s body itself is able to determine when it wants to sleep, when to eat, when to play, so be careful and it will tell you what it needs specifically now. If you force someone to stay awake or put you to sleep while crying, these actions will lead to aggravation of the problem, since any tension, including nervous tension, in this case is extremely undesirable. Also, you should not set a feeding schedule at a certain interval, because for a baby, mother’s breasts are not only nutrition, but also a way to relax, calm down and even fall asleep.

The most important tool in the fight against hypertension is the attention of parents. No doctor spends as much time with your child as mom or dad, who are able to detect alarming symptoms almost immediately and take action. After all, the sooner you address this issue, the faster and more effectively the results will be noticeable.

I hope that in this article you found all the information you were interested in and learned what hypertonicity is.

• Age characteristics
• Symptoms
• Reflex tests
• Causes
• Therapeutic measures
• Complications

Hypertonicity is increased muscle tone of the body, which is expressed in excessive muscle tension. Almost all children are born with this pathology. This is explained by the fact that inside the womb they are constantly in an unnatural and uncomfortable fetal position, when the limbs and chin are closely pressed to the body. However, during the first months of life, hypertonicity in a child goes away with normal development.

Problems begin in cases where it persists for six months, a year, and even at an older age. To resolve them safely, parents must be aware of this pathology and know how to cope with it.

Each age has its own development norms and deviations from them. There are such parameters for muscle tone. They should be monitored by the local pediatrician who monitors the baby.

Sometimes parents themselves may notice that something is wrong with their child’s body. But in order not to guess from the tea leaves, you need to know at what stage hypertonicity is normal, and from what moment it becomes a pathology.

• 1 month

Hypertonicity is most pronounced in one month old baby, whose body is not yet at all adapted to the new conditions of existence. It can be seen in clenched fists, a thrown back head, and bent legs. The tone of the extensor muscles is much higher than the flexor muscles. When you try to spread the legs (this is only possible by 45°), resistance will be felt.

Normal: if a month-old baby, lying on his back, takes the fetal position - presses his bent arms to his chest, the skin folds on his legs, spread apart, are symmetrical. When he lies on his stomach, he does not raise his head, but turns it to the sides, and also imitates crawling movements with bent legs.

• 3 months

If the child’s body and muscles develop without pathologies, hypertonicity disappears in 3-4 months. However, if there are still any deviations, there is no need to panic: give the little organism a little more time.

Normal: the child holds the head, turns it easily in different directions, stretches out his arms, grabs the toy with his palm and holds it.

• 6 months

Up to six months, the nervous system adapts to the conditions of the surrounding world, which are so different from those in the womb. A child only at 6 months learns to more or less control the movements of his skeleton and muscles. If by this time hypertonicity persists, immediate consultation with a doctor and timely treatment is required.

Normal: when the baby lies on his back, his arms and legs are in a semi-bent state, his palm opens completely and actively reaches for the toy. He turns over on his stomach and back, sits down, tries to crawl, leaning on his outstretched arms, while opening his palms.

• 9 months

It is at this age that hypertension can be treated so well with baths and massage. If your baby is not even trying to crawl yet, and his motor activity leaves much to be desired (provided that he does not suffer from obesity or other serious diseases), be sure to make an appointment with a neurologist.

Normal: the baby has high motor activity, he sits down, crawls, and begins to stand up if there is support.

When hypertension in children persists after a year, treatment procedures continue to be carried out. But if the situation has not improved by 1.5 years, the doctor is obliged to conduct additional laboratory tests and, possibly, prescribe another treatment.

Normal: the baby crawls, stands up independently, takes the first steps with support and independently.

• 2-3 years

The situation becomes more complicated if hypertension persists for 2-3 years. It can manifest itself in walking on tiptoes (hypertonicity of the legs) and impaired fine motor skills (hypertonicity of the arms). Treatment and constant monitoring by doctors continue. Despite the fact that this prevents the child from fully developing, baths and massage can do their good work and eliminate this pathology.

• 4-5 years

If a child continues to tiptoe or cannot hold a pencil in his hands at 4-5 years old, literally on the eve of school, this can become a serious problem. He will not be able to master the curriculum with his peers and fully develop. In some cases, they give a disability, someone places the child in a special educational institution. In any case, you cannot do without the help of neurologists.

If hypertension is diagnosed in children under one year of age, there is a chance to correct the situation through therapeutic measures. If no help was provided at this time or the cause of the pathology is a serious problem (genetics, for example), the risk of disability in the future is very high. To prevent this, you need to pay attention to the main symptoms of hypertension, which can persist from the moment of birth for too long.

According to statistics. As practice shows, in 6% of children, hypertonicity never goes away. school age. Despite this, with constant treatment procedures, 4% manage to go to a regular school, keep up with their peers in development, and by puberty (12 years) completely get rid of this disease. The remaining 2%, alas, are deprived of the joy of life, most often becoming disabled and students of specialized schools.

To determine hypertension in a child, parents must be extremely attentive. There are general symptoms that indicate the presence of pathology - they can be seen with the naked eye. They concern the general condition of the child. If the muscle activity of certain limbs is impaired, the signs of pathology will be associated specifically with them.

Hypertonicity of the legs

To see hypertonicity of the leg muscles in a child, place him in an upright position, supporting him by the armpits. He will try to take a step, and at this time you watch how he places his foot. If it’s on the whole foot, there’s nothing to worry about, everything is normal. If it’s on the tips of the toes, on the forefoot, there may be problems. This symptom is recognized only after 4-6 months. Previously, such experiments are not recommended.

If the child does not begin to crawl or walk, perhaps it is all about hypertonicity of the legs, but this is more likely a consequence of the disease, and not its symptom.

It is very easy to recognize hand hypertonicity in a child. Lay him on his back and try to spread his arms in different directions. You will feel resistance and your fists will be clenched tightly.

In addition to these main symptoms of hypertension in a child, a number of reflex tests can be performed. It is better if this happens under the supervision of a doctor, but if necessary, parents themselves can use them at home so that before going to the hospital they can be sure that there are problems with the baby’s muscles.

Medical terminology. Neurologists have such a concept as hemite hypertonicity - this is when the disease affects only one limb, and not the whole body.

To carry out reflex tests, no special knowledge is required, however, if this does not happen in the presence of a doctor, adults should perform each movement as carefully as possible, without causing pain to the baby.

Still, only a qualified doctor can evaluate the results and draw the right conclusions. With the help of these manipulations, parents can only confirm or dispel their doubts.

1. Sitting down by hands. The arms cannot be moved away from the chest.
2. Step reflex. In an upright position, the baby tries, staggering, to take a step on tiptoe. If this is normal before 2 months, after that it is already a symptom of hypertonicity.
3. Support reflex. When a child stands, he rests only on his fingers. Many people are interested in when hypertonicity of the feet goes away in children: it depends on the individual characteristics of the baby, but by the age of 2 it should no longer be there (normal).
4. Asymmetric and symmetric reflexes. They are considered symptoms of hypertension if they persist after 3 months. The child should lie on his back. If you start pressing his head with his chin to his chest, his arms will automatically bend and his legs will straighten. Try to turn his head to the left - his left arm will involuntarily stretch forward, his left leg will straighten, and his right leg will bend. If you bend the head to the right, all his actions will be the same, but in a mirror image.
5. Tonic reflex. Indicates pathology if it still appears even after 3 months. When lying on his back, the child straightens his limbs, while lying on his stomach, he bends them.

Data from reflex tests form the basis for confirming or refuting the diagnosis of hypertonicity in a child. It’s good if it goes away with age, according to the norm. But why do annoying complications happen? Who is to blame for the fact that your baby’s peers have been holding their head level and straight for a long time, while yours still tilts it back? Why does someone start walking at 10 months, while others continue to sit in a stroller at 1.5 years? There are reasons for everything.

About diagnostics. The diagnosis of “hypertonicity” can only be made by a neurologist.

The causes of pathological hypertonicity can be a variety of factors. Here you need to blame ecology, genetics, accidents, doctors and even the parents themselves. This pathology persists in the child for too long a time due to:

• complications during pregnancy (intoxication, infection of the mother’s body);
• birth injuries and prolonged labor;
• Rhesus conflict;
• threats of miscarriage;
• incompatibility of parental blood;
• hypoxia;
• residence in a poor ecological area;
• alcohol, nicotine, drug addiction in a pregnant woman;
• increased intracranial pressure;
• increased excitability;
• perinatal encephalopathy.

Which of these factors played a decisive role in a particular case - only the parents or doctors themselves can know. In any case, you need to try so that all this does not affect the fetus, from conception to birth. This is the only way the pathology goes away on its own, according to the norms, during the first 6 months of his life. If a miracle does not happen, you need to treat hypertension with all the methods known to modern medicine.

Be careful. Hypertonicity in a child can be a symptom of a serious neurological disease (including cerebral palsy), which is why it is so important to identify it in a timely manner.

When the diagnosis is confirmed after 6 months, the neurologist prescribes treatment for hypertension in children, which can be carried out in several directions at once:

• relaxing massage;
• electrophoresis, magnetic therapy;
• mud therapy;
• physical therapy, fitball;
• heat therapy - paraffin baths and applications;
• swimming;
• aromatherapy: essential oils lavender, mint, rosemary are used as an additive to bath water or in aroma lamps;
• drug treatment is prescribed last, if all else fails.

Usually, for hypertonicity in children, medications are prescribed to relax muscles, reduce their tone, and diuretics that reduce fluid levels in the brain. Dibazole and/or B vitamins can be prescribed as additional therapy to massage.

It would be better if the massage for hypertonicity of the child’s muscles is performed by a specialist. Although this procedure can be carried out at home. It is recommended from 2 weeks for the prevention of this pathology, and from 6 months - for its treatment. Usually 10 sessions are prescribed, which are repeated after a while.

Therapeutic massage involves 3 types of influence: rubbing, stroking, rocking. Below is one technique for doing it.

1. Use your palm (preferably the back) to stroke your arms, legs, and back. Alternate stroking with your fingers and grasping strokes with the whole brush.
2. Rub the skin in a circular manner. Place the baby on his tummy and rub with your fingers using stroke movements from bottom to top. Do the same with the limbs, first turning the baby over onto his back.
3. Take the child by the hand and shake it slightly. In this case, be sure to hold your hand in the forearm area. Repeat the same with your legs.
4. Take the handles just above the wrist and rhythmically swing them in different directions.
5. Grab your legs by the shins and rock them.
6. Gently stroke your arms and legs.

Parents mastering the art of such massage should keep in mind that in case of hypertonicity, deep kneading, patting, and chopping techniques are contraindicated. The movements should be rhythmic, but at the same time smooth and relaxing.

Particular attention should be paid to foot massage, which, if hypertonicity is detected in a timely manner, will help the baby quickly learn to walk with the correct gait - not on tiptoe, but with support on the entire foot.

Water has a relaxing effect on muscles, and together with herbs it becomes an excellent remedy from hypertension. Therefore, the doctor often prescribes for children with this diagnosis medicinal baths with medicinal plants:

• lingonberries;
• valerian;
• sage;
• motherwort;
• lavender;
• eucalyptus;
• oregano.

Pine baths have also proven effective in treating hypertension in children. The course of therapy is selected by the attending physician. This can be a daily alternation of herbs with a break of 1 day and a total of 10 baths, or only one medicinal plant can be prescribed. Everything will depend on the age of the baby and his individual characteristics.

Sometimes it is not enough to give a massage for hypertension or take the baby to medicinal baths. Often, competent care plays an equally important role in recovery and the success of therapy. But parents need to know the basics:

1. If the child has hypertonicity in his legs, walkers and jumpers are contraindicated, as they increase tension on the muscles of the pelvis and legs.
2. Creating and maintaining a favorable psychological climate.
3. Calm, friendly communication not only with the child, but also with adults.
4. The baby's room should have soft lighting and no irritants ( loud sounds, too bright toys) comfortable temperature, normal humidity, clean air.

Lately, for some reason, it has been considered normal for a child to start crawling and walking too late. To reassure themselves, parents attribute everything to the individual development of the baby. The result is advanced hypertension, which had to be eliminated after six months. Lack of timely measures leads to serious complications and dangerous consequences.

This is interesting. Paraffin applications for hypertonic legs are called “paraffin boots”.

Many parents mistakenly believe that hypertonicity is not dangerous, as it is caused by the embryonic position of the fetus in the womb. This is the command of Mother Nature herself. However, this is not quite true.

There is physiological hypertonicity, which disappears without a trace after 3 months. It does not entail any consequences or complications. But the causes of pathological hypertonicity are serious internal deviations, which over time can affect the development of the baby as follows:

• impaired coordination of movements;
• if hypertonicity of the legs is not removed in time, an abnormal gait will develop;
• poor posture;
• problems with fine motor skills: awkwardness, inability to make precise movements;
• rachiocampsis;
• speech disorders;
• delay in the development of motor skills;
• If you do not relieve hypertonicity in the legs of a child under one year old, he will begin to crawl and walk much later than his peers.

The full development of a child in the first year of his life is one of the most important stages. Hypertonicity can seriously disturb it, which will lead to Negative consequences in future.

The sooner parents notice the symptoms of pathology and take the baby to a neurologist, the greater the chance of a quick recovery without consequences. Posture, gait, academic performance, and even speech skills can all be affected by increased muscle tone. Don't let this happen.

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. After all, while inside the womb, the baby is constantly in the fetal position. The limbs and chin in this position are pressed closely to the body and the muscles of the fetus are constantly tense.

hypertension in children under one year old

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

With physiological hypertonicity, the child’s legs move apart only 450 degrees each. When moving your legs away, you feel a pronounced resistance to movement. By three months, muscle hypertonicity in a child without pathologies practically disappears. If muscle tension persists after your child reaches six months, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Video:

Complications during pregnancy, birth injuries, Rh conflict, incompatibility of the blood of parents, residence in a poor environmental situation and many other factors will cause hypertension. It is worth paying close attention to the symptoms of hypertonicity, because this may be an expression of a serious neurological disease.

Signs of severe hypertension:

1. Restless and short sleep.
2. In the lying position, the head is thrown back, and the arms and legs are tucked.
3. When trying to separate 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 part of the foot, that is, stands on tiptoes (Information: if the child walks on tiptoes).
5. When crying, the child throws his head back, arches, and at the same time his chin muscles tremble (See the article on chin tremor).
6. Frequent regurgitation.
7. Painful reaction to various stimuli: light, sound.
8. From birth, the baby “holds” his head due to constant tension in the neck muscles.

It is important to determine as early as possible that a child has hypertension. If your baby detects at least one of the above symptoms, there is a good reason to contact pediatric neurologist. The diagnosis of “hypertonicity” will be made if the flexion tone is higher than expected at a given age.

Muscle hypertonicity is determined by several reflex tests:

• Sitting by the hands: it is impossible to take the baby's hands away from the breast.
• Step reflex. When in an upright position, the child seems to be trying to take a step. Lasts after two months.
• Support reflex: a standing child rests on his toes.
• Preservation of asymmetric and symmetric reflexes after three months. When the child tilts his head to his chest while lying on his back, his arms bend and his legs straighten. 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 leg is bent. When tilted at right side everything is repeated in a mirror image.
• Preservation of the tonic reflex after three months: lying on his back, the child straightens his limbs, and bends them on his stomach.

If by a certain age these reflexes do not weaken and do not disappear later, it means that the child has severe muscle hypertonicity. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

More about newborn reflexes

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

muscle hypertonicity

If, after three months, hypertension persists in children, the consequences, if left untreated, are disastrous. Lack of regulation of muscle tone will affect the further development of the child:

• Impaired coordination of movements;
• Formation of abnormal gait;
• Incorrect formation of posture;
• Developmental delays, especially motor skills;
• Speech impairment.

It is especially dangerous if the child develops severe hypertonicity in the legs. It affects the rate of development of motor activity. Babies with this diagnosis later begin to crawl and walk. For children with hypertonic 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 specifically on the muscles of the pelvis and spine.

Hypertonicity of the arms is expressed in muscle resistance when moving the arms away from the chest and tightly clenched fists. This condition is most often observed with physiological hypertonicity. However, prolonged persistence of muscle tension should concern the child’s parents.

See video:

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

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

1. Relaxing massage.
2. Physiotherapy.
3. Electrophoresis.
4. Paraffin applications (heat therapy).
5. Swimming.
6. Drug treatment.

As can be seen from the list, to remove hypertension, medications are used last. These are drugs that relax muscles, reduce muscle tone and diuretics to reduce brain fluid levels. In addition to the massage, dibazole and B vitamins may be prescribed.

Massage for hypertonicity can be done independently at home starting from two weeks of age. Naturally, you first need to consult with a specialist in children's massage and get instructions and recommendations for massage from him. A total of ten sessions are carried out, which are best repeated again after six months.

The massage consists of three types of influence techniques: stroking, rubbing and rocking:

1. With the back of your hand we stroke the surface of your arms, legs and back. You can alternate superficial stroking with your fingers with grasping stroking with the whole brush.
2. Circular rubbing of the skin. The baby is placed on his tummy and rubbed in a circular motion with his fingers using stroke movements from bottom to top. Then the same is done with the limbs, turning the child onto his back.
3. Take the baby's 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 arms above the wrist and rhythmically swing his arms in different directions.
5. Grab the child's legs by the shins and rock them.
6. Finish the massage by gently stroking your arms and legs.

If you have hypertonicity, you should not use deep muscle kneading, patting or chopping techniques. All movements should be smooth and relaxing, but rhythmic.

An excellent remedy for relieving hypertension are herbal baths. Water itself has a relaxing property, and in combination with herbs it becomes an excellent remedy for hypertension. Take turns for four days to take warm baths with valerian root, lingonberry leaf, motherwort and sage. A break is taken for one day, the procedures are repeated again, and so on for 10 days. Pine baths also have an excellent relaxing effect.

• Torticollis in newborns: treatment
• An infant arches his back and cries

What is tone?

The Latin term used was tonus, meaning tension. Muscle tone at rest, both in children and adults, is physiological muscle tension, which is under the control of the reflex apparatus.

You can distinguish the muscle tone itself, which depends on the processes in them themselves. These are, for example, stretching, compression and the presence of the necessary “nutrient” ions - potassium, chlorine, calcium. Neuromuscular tone is also distinguished, depending on the impulses sent by nerve cells.

At rest, any muscle in the body is not completely relaxed, because not only the rapid response to various external and internal stimuli, but also the impact on the vital functions of the body depends on this tension. Let's take breathing for example. This act involves not only the lungs, but also the muscular frame of the chest and the diaphragm, which, by the way, is also a muscle.

Parents are told that the child has increased muscle tone, muscle hypertension, or muscle hypertonicity. But, unfortunately, no one explains what it is and what to do. All these terms denote the muscle tension that the doctor will feel when he takes the baby’s hand or leg and makes passive movements (flexion and extension).

Correctly distracting the child from the doctor’s actions, timely switching the baby’s attention, his eyes without tears - all this will only help the doctor more accurately determine muscle tone and help the baby.

It is passive movements that will allow us to identify and differentiate one of the types of hypertonicity:

1. Spastic hypertension.

It is characterized by an increase in the tone of the muscles responsible for flexing the arm and/or extending the leg. For example, if we bend and straighten a child’s legs for a long time, the tone in the legs will not change at all. That is, no matter how elevated it was, it remains so. The severity can be completely different: from slight resistance at the beginning of the movement to a complete obstacle to the beginning of passive movement.

2. Plastic hypertension or rigidity.

This is a uniform increase in tone for both extensor and flexor muscles. During the entire passive flexion, the examiner detects a jerk-like, uniform resistance. If we repeat these movements for a long time, then most likely we will experience, for example, an additional increase in the tone of the legs.

3. Some doctors distinguish physiological hypertonicity.

By this term I mean the condition inherent in children during the first weeks after their birth - “fetal position”. It is believed that the baby has become “accustomed” to this position during its stay in the mother’s womb and should not be treated.

In this case, it is better to prevent pathology. Competent consultation with obstetricians and gynecologists is necessary. Especially if this is the second or third pregnancy with Rh incompatibility between the fetus and the mother;

intrauterine infection; the presence of neuropsychic stress during the entire period of pregnancy and poor environmental conditions; infectious diseases (meningitis, encephalitis) and injuries suffered by the baby after birth.

How can parents determine hypertension? Increased muscle tone in a baby can be determined by looking at your child. The newborn lies in the “fetal position” after birth. His arms are pressed to his chest, bent at the elbows, the baby’s fingers are “hidden” in his fists, and his legs are bent at the knees. In this case, the child’s head is positioned straight, does not deviate to the side, the left and right halves of the body are symmetrical to each other.

And if you turn a month-old baby on his tummy, he will turn his head to one side and his legs will create movements similar to crawling. This pose is created by slightly increasing the tone of the flexors. More often it lasts up to one to one and a half months.

Pay attention to your child, watch him. If he is lying in an unnatural position, one arm or leg is pressed tightly against the body and is difficult to move to the side, the baby is squeezed into one lump, or, conversely, the legs are extended and the arms are at the seams, he should be shown to a pediatric neurologist.

From 1.5 to 3 months, the baby brings his hands to his mouth, a little later (by three months) he tries to pull his hands towards the hanging toy. During these two months, the baby learns to manipulate his hands, makes movements towards an object or an adult’s hand, and grabs a toy. At this moment, he is already holding the head, not throwing it back.

Also, the baby must respond adequately to sounds, that is, turn his head towards the source. When the child pulls himself up to your arms, he simultaneously moves his legs - bends them.

When turning over onto his stomach, the child raises his head, rests on his forearms and rises slightly, and his legs make crawling movements.

Mastery of his body and control over seemingly simple movements is not easy for a baby, but gradually, by the age of three months, he performs the above manipulations.

From three months of age onwards, your baby can make small, purposeful movements: bringing a hand to his mouth, grabbing and pulling a toy. When the baby lies on his back, he opens his palms. They are no longer clenched into fists; the legs and arms are in a half-bent position. While on his stomach, the child holds his head confidently, independently changes his position, and begins to crawl. Learns to shift the center of gravity and find balance.

From this period, an increase in muscle tone should not be observed. The exception is for children born earlier due date and recognized as premature. Babies after six months should not stand on tiptoes. If this happens, there is persistent hypertonicity of the legs.

Hypertonicity in a child that was not identified and treated before one year of age can affect the development of motor skills:

• Proper coordination of arms and legs is disrupted, therefore, such children later begin to crawl, hold objects, and walk;
• the coordination of the baby’s general movements is impaired. Due to lack of training of the vestibular apparatus, frequent “motion sickness” is observed when traveling in transport, which can persist into adulthood;
• The child develops incorrect posture. After a year, lordosis does not form; the cervical region suffers mainly in this regard. Against this background, the child begins to suffer from headaches, the baby becomes hyperexcitable and aggressive;
• Hypertonicity in infants affects speech development. The baby, as a rule, does not babble. At an older age, this is expressed in difficulties in social adaptation in a children's group and poor performance at school.

Firstly, if you are worried about the child’s behavior, expressed in poor sleep with an unnatural posture (the head is thrown back, and the arms and legs are pressed to the body and do not relax when he is deeply asleep), restless mood with crying, accompanied by cramps and increased tension in the baby’s muscles , then you should consult a doctor.

The neurologist will examine the baby, analyze clinical studies and be sure to look at the results of neurosonography. Only after this the doctor will prescribe the necessary adequate therapy.

Parents need to learn to trust their child’s doctor. Only collaboration will help the baby become healthy. Trying on your own may lead to a deterioration in muscle tone.

Hypertonicity in children is treatable. Treatment for high muscle tone should be aimed not only at relieving it, but also at the cause that caused it.

Treatment of hypertension is always complex, consisting of massage, therapeutic exercises and physiotherapy.

The main condition for successful treatment of a child is his calmness. Manipulations that cause crying should not be carried out. It is necessary to initially relieve the overstrain of the nervous system.

To calm, normalize sleep and muscle tone, the child is prescribed baths with herbal infusions (valerian collection, pine oils). The water in the bath should be at a comfortable temperature, gently relaxing the baby. It is better to control the temperature of the water using special thermometers. Pre-brew packaged valerian or two tablespoons of loose herb in 1 liter of boiling water. Wait for it to cool and pour into the prepared bath. Give the baby a bath.

For children over 6 months old, local baths can be used - only for arms or legs with play elements. Calming herbs can also be used here.

It is advisable to give your baby Glycine thirty minutes before bedtime, but this only after consultation with a pediatric neurologist.

Together with the treatment of increased muscle tone in a child, it is necessary to prevent the development of rickets. To do this, do not forget about walks in the fresh air, especially in summer.

Massage for muscle hypertonicity in a child should follow the following rules:

1. A soothing massage is used to relax the muscles.
2. Smooth movements made without unnecessary effort will not cause protest from the baby.
3. Hands massaging the child should be warm and dry. You won't like the touch of cold people either. sticky hands to the skin. For better glide, you can use a cream without a strong odor.
4. The room should be warm and comfortable so that the baby does not strain his muscles in an attempt to retain body heat.
5. Try not to feed your baby for about an hour before a relaxing massage.
6. After the massage, the child needs warmth, do not overcool him.

Initially, it is advisable to take a course of massage for tone in combination with physiotherapy and aromatherapy in a neurological or rehabilitation department. Children should attend such treatment courses approximately once every three months. The rest of the time, correction is carried out at home and in clinics.

Dear parents, here are some examples massage movements and light gymnastic exercises that you can use during the period of home treatment:

• place the baby on his back. Warm your hands. Start stroking in the area where the tone is highest. Massage of the legs and arms must be carried out from top to bottom, that is, from the hips or shoulders to the toes. It is advisable to talk to your baby at this moment, explain what you are doing;
• If the child has his fingers hidden in his fists or clenches his toes, then it is also necessary to apply light strokes in these places, aimed at straightening the toes. Take the baby's foot and run your thumb along the plantar side of the foot from the heel to the toes. The baby will spread his fingers at this moment. On the hands, stroking will be directed from the wrist joint to the fingers;
• Prevention of clubfoot will consist of circular movements of the child’s feet inward and outward the same number of times. Do not forget to maintain positive emotional contact with your child;
• take the big ball. Place the baby with his tummy on it. Rock forward and backward, sideways. Even the most capricious baby should enjoy this exercise.

Hypertonicity in a newborn can be corrected with the following gymnastic exercises.

1. Your baby is lying on his back. The head must be in the center line so that it does not tip back and the neck does not bend. Take the baby's hands in your hands (most often they are pressed to the chest). With careful movements, without causing pain, straighten them to the sides. And let them return to their original position on their own, holding them so that the baby does not hit himself. Repeat several times.
2. Hypertonicity of the legs goes away when using similar movements: straighten them and allow them to return to their previous position. Don’t forget to turn the baby onto his tummy and help him position his head and limbs correctly.

All doctor's recommendations must be followed without interruption. Massage and gymnastics for children under one year of age are carried out over a long period of time, and individual exercises can be performed several times a day. By following these rules, the child’s tone will gradually return to normal.

Many people know what tone is. But only some parents ask the pediatrician whether the newborn’s muscle tone is okay. There are deviations from the norm both in the direction of relaxation and in the direction of muscle overstrain.

The baby begins to move while in the tummy. The joints and muscles of the formed fetus are designed so that it can roll over, push and feel itself in space due to the flexion and extension of its limbs.

As soon as the child is born, he tries to repeat the movements he makes in the womb. Naturally, this is not so easy for him outside the amniotic fluid. Therefore, the movements of newborns are always jerky, they lack smoothness and coordination. But newborns must have tone. Whether it's normal or not is another matter.

For physical and psychological development the infant must have adequate muscle tone. This means maintaining minimal muscle tension even in a state of complete rest of the body, for example, in sleep. This is called tone.

When inactive, muscles work (strain) differently. Their intensity depends on the task being performed and the workload. Moreover, than younger child, the more it depends on the tone. Many mothers note that the newborn constantly tightens his arms and legs - this is normal. In this way, he is trying to recreate his usual intrauterine position, which he occupied for 9 months.

Normal tone muscles in newborns are arms and legs slightly bent and pressed to the body, as well as a head tilted back. The fact is that the increased tone, which persists in a child up to 3-4 months, is higher in the flexor muscles. This is especially clearly expressed in the position of the legs - they are constantly spread apart and half-bent. When you try to straighten them, the muscles provide noticeable resistance. Usually by the age of six months, hypertonicity disappears. And by the age of 1.5–2 years, the child’s tone becomes the same as that of an adult,

A deviation from the norm is muscle relaxation (hypotonicity), increased tension - hypertonicity - persisting even in sleep, and muscle dystonia - uneven tone. Each of these conditions is expressed in its own way, but they all bring discomfort to the baby and require timely treatment.

Regular examinations with a pediatrician will allow you to timely detect symptoms of tone in newborns and take appropriate measures. The diagnosis must be confirmed by a neurologist, but parents can notice the first signs of abnormalities on their own.

1. Most common increased tone muscles in newborns. This pathology is expressed in the child’s constant restlessness, frequent crying for no reason, and lack or disturbance of sleep. In addition, babies with hypertonicity are extremely excitable, they wake up from every rustle, and can cry in bright light. When screaming, these children often have a chin that trembles. They also eat poorly, and after feedings they regurgitate almost all the milk they suck.

Increased muscle tone in newborns is easy to notice almost from the first days of life: these babies hold their heads well and press their limbs to their bodies. If you try to straighten an arm or leg, you may encounter serious muscle resistance. In addition, with such manipulations, the child often begins to cry. And if you repeat the procedure of extending the limb, the muscle resistance will increase each time. This is precisely the most striking sign of hypertonicity.

If hypertension is not treated in time, it will be noticeable in adulthood. For example, people with increased muscle tone often walk on tiptoes, leaning on their toes, which is why their shoes wear out in front.

Newborns with hypertonicity not only hold their heads well from the first days of life. At the same time, they may suffer from curvature of the neck muscles. This occurs if there was a trauma to the cervical spine during childbirth.

The pathogenesis of tone in newborns may have both physiological and viral nature. For example, if during pregnancy or childbirth the child’s cerebral cortex was damaged, resulting in an increase in intracranial pressure, then from the first days of life the baby may experience perinatal encephalopathy. It is this pathology that can provoke hypertension.

Also, a deviation from the norm can occur against the background of infection of a pregnant woman with various viral infections.

Hypertonicity is diagnosed if muscle tension does not correspond to the child’s age. That is, up to six months, such a picture is the norm, and at 7–8 months it is a pathology.

2. Much more should concern parents weak muscle tone in newborns, called hypotonia. Nevertheless, it is precisely this condition that arouses suspicion the least, but in vain. External calm and problem-free behavior of a child can be pathological.

Children with hypotension, at first glance, seem to be a gift from heaven - they rarely cry, sleep all night long, and don’t even bother during the day. special troubles, obediently allowing any manipulation to be carried out on himself - washing, feeding, dressing. They just have difficulty waking up on their own, do not breastfeed well, often fall asleep during feedings, and do not gain weight.

Hypotonia itself is not a disease. This is a symptom indicating any abnormalities:

• neurological (perinatal encephalopathy);
• neuromuscular (spinal amyotrophy);
• chromosomal (Down syndrome).

Also, decreased muscle tone, especially if it does not appear immediately, may indicate diabetes, polio, rickets and other diseases.

Still, don't panic. It is quite possible that what parents mistook for signs of hypotension is simply a feature of the child’s temperament. The character manifests itself from the first day of life, so it is possible that the baby simply inherited a phlegmatic disposition from one of his relatives.

3. Dystonia is called asymmetrical or uneven tone muscles in newborns. With this deviation, the baby has signs of both hypertonicity and hypotonicity.

The easiest way to identify muscle dystonia is to place the baby on the tummy. With asymmetric tone, the baby will roll over to the side where hypertonicity is observed. At the same time, his body will bend in an arc from the neck to the foot.

When lying on the back, a child with muscular dystonia will constantly bend the head and pelvis to one side. In addition, limbs with increased tone will be tightened, and those with decreased tone will be relaxed. Dystonia that affects all muscle groups is called generalized. In addition, there is focal dystonia, which develops in one part of the body, for example, the limbs.

In addition, muscular dystonia can be primary or secondary. The first develops against the background of chromosomal abnormalities or on its own, without affecting other organs.

The second is due to a genetic disease - Wilson-Konovalov syndrome, associated with a disorder of copper metabolism. In this case, dystonia is just the tip of the iceberg, hiding serious pathologies in the development of the central nervous system and internal organs.

All these facts once again confirm the need for regular monitoring of the newborn by a pediatrician, as well as postpartum examinations.

If you are concerned about something in your child’s behavior or condition, consult a doctor. If there are clear signs of increased, decreased or uneven muscle tone, insist on a full examination. It's better to be safe than to miss the moment when symptoms begin to progress. Moreover, muscle tone treatment is quite affordable and almost painless for a child if carried out on time.

The main therapy for any type of tone is massage and exercise. But sessions can only be carried out with the permission of a neurologist, otherwise there is a risk of harming the child and aggravating his condition.

For children with hypertonicity, a relaxing massage is recommended, which is carried out in a course of 10 procedures. After the full course, you need to take a six-month interval and then repeat the sessions.

Massage with increased muscle tone should be accompanied by various manipulations: electrophoresis, swimming, therapeutic exercises. The sooner therapy is carried out, the less likely it is that hypertension will leave consequences for the child’s health.

If the problem is not detected in a timely manner, the baby’s condition can become serious. In such cases, various drugs. For example, to relieve spasms and dilate blood vessels before a massage, the child is injected with Dibazol. In addition, B vitamins (B6, B12), most often prescribed by injection, become an auxiliary treatment.

Relaxing massage done through gentle stroking. Movements are carried out both with an open palm and with bent fingers. You can also stroke the baby’s limbs using a palm grip. All movements are upward.

First you need to gently rub the baby's body in a circular motion, gently moving his skin from bottom to top. At the end, you need to quickly but gently shake the baby's arms and legs, carefully moving them to the side. A relaxing massage eliminates patting and chopping movements with the edge of the palm.

Weak muscle tone in newborns can also be treated with massage, but the movements are of a different nature. Muscles need to be warmed up to activate their tone and stimulate growth. Such therapy necessarily involves chopping movements and patting. Almost all massages for hypotension are based on them.

The movements should be upward, quite intense, going from the periphery to the center. But it’s still worth remembering that there’s a baby in front of you and counting on your strength.

For dystonia muscles will have to combine two types of massage - relaxing and stimulating. Naturally, soft stroking should be done on the side where there are signs of hypertonicity, and patting on the side where there are symptoms of hypotonicity.

In addition to massage, it is worth doing exercises with your baby on an inflatable ball - fitball. It’s easier for parents to do them together - dad, for example, will press the baby’s legs with their feet folded together against the surface of the ball, and mom will simultaneously gently pull the baby’s arms.

It must be remembered that parents cannot diagnose and prescribe treatment on their own. Only a neurologist is able to identify areas of muscle tension and prescribe appropriate therapy. It is the doctor who decides whether to supplement the massage with special heating - azokyrite boots.

Signs of abnormal muscle tone can constantly change. Therefore, you need to regularly show your child to the doctor and monitor his condition not only during the treatment period, but also after it.

Many tips for treating tone in newborns belong to the legendary healer Vanga. Some of them are recognized official medicine. But it is up to parents to decide whether to put them into practice.

For example, the relaxing baths recommended by Vanga will be relevant when hypertonicity and now. They are made with sea ​​salt, pine needles, as well as valerian, motherwort, and sage. After such baths, a relaxing massage will be more effective. The concentration and frequency of baths must be agreed upon with the treating neurologist. It also makes sense to prescribe homeopathic medicines to your child.

At hypotension There are many more additional measures, since this condition is not normal. For example, you can follow Vanga’s advice and rub your child before the massage with a mixture of honey and sulfur (1 cup 10 g). In the spring, you can supplement therapy against muscle relaxation with baths with nut leaves.

For older children (from 2–3 years old), Vanga recommended bathing in sea water, as well as soda, arsenic, bitumen or sulfur hot springs. It is at this age that it is necessary to teach a child to walk barefoot and involve him in active games. Such measures will help eliminate passivity and apathy caused by weakened muscle tone.

Also, if there is hypotension, it is worth feeding the child liquid food, giving him more water, and giving him an oat decoction.

You need to understand that treatment for low or high muscle tone does not end with several courses of massage and medications. For several more years, right up to school, you need to monitor the child’s condition, show him to a neurologist, do preventive massage sessions, give him vitamins and develop him physically.

There are few preventive measures, but they exist. First of all, before conceiving, you need to undergo a full examination and, if necessary, get your health in order. During the gestation period, it is necessary to regularly visit a gynecologist, do an ultrasound, and monitor both your condition and the development of the fetus.

After giving birth, you should spend a lot of time physical development child: from the second week of life, conduct preventive massage sessions and do gymnastic exercises. In addition, do not ignore preventive examinations with a pediatrician.

And if a child has a violation of muscle tone, do not panic. It is worth remembering that timely treatment eliminates the problem without consequences.

Often, at an appointment with a pediatrician, parents ask a question about muscle tone, what kind of condition it is and whether it is dangerous. In fact, muscle tone is always present in a person, maintaining a given body position and helping to carry out movements. However, the muscle tone of both the baby and the adult must be physiological, that is, correct.

Where does tone come from and what is it for?

The very first movements of the child, even in the womb, occur due to the muscular-articular sense and muscle contraction, with the help of which the child can feel his position in space. After birth, muscle tone and movement enable the child to develop both physically and mentally. The baby learns to make its first movements - hold its head, reach for toys, roll over from side to side and from stomach to back, then sit down, crawl, stand up and walk. Adequate muscle tone is necessary for the timely implementation of these skills. This concept refers to the minimum tension in the skeletal muscles maintained by the body in a state of complete rest. The fact is that even if the child is completely relaxed, his muscles must still be in a certain tense state - in good shape, due to this, posture is achieved, maintaining health and performing movements. Not all muscles are equally tense; there are relaxed groups and some tense ones, depending on the task being performed and the load.

For children, there is a certain dependence of muscle tone on age (the smaller the baby, the more pronounced the tone), which determines the characteristic features of newborns and babies in the first months of life.

The peculiarities of tone are due to the fact that the baby spends the first 9 months of life in the cramped uterus, where his limbs and the whole body are located as compactly as possible, and the baby has practically no opportunity to actively move his body at the time of birth. All his muscles are in a state of tension. Therefore, most muscle groups of a newborn at the time of birth are in a state of physiological hypertonicity. Moreover, there is a peculiarity in the distribution of tone among muscle groups - in the flexors it is higher than in the extensors, so the child’s arms and legs are brought towards the body, but the head is usually slightly thrown back. In addition, tone prevails in the adductor muscles of the thighs. Therefore, when spreading the baby’s legs, muscle resistance may be felt, and the spreading of the legs is normally possible at an angle of approximately 45 degrees for each leg, which generally forms a right angle between the hips.

Muscle hypertonicity is maintained symmetrically until about 3-4 months, and then it gradually decreases - first, the tone in the flexor muscle group decreases, until about 5-6 months. And then the tone of all muscle groups decreases evenly. By the age of one and a half to two years, the child’s muscle tone should become approximately the same as that of an adult.

For inspection

The first features of muscle tone can be noted by visually assessing the baby’s posture at rest (for example, when he is sleeping) and the degree of work of individual muscle groups during movement. The doctor will definitely ask how the baby was born, since the method of birth (natural or CS) and the presentation of the baby (how it was located in the uterus) greatly influences its position in the first months after birth. If he was born in a breech position, his head may be tilted back due to the tone of the neck muscles. If he was born in a breech position, his legs will be straightened. In most babies, due to physiological tone, a characteristic fetal position is observed, which is well defined at rest or during sleep. The baby's arms are bent at all joints and brought to the chest, the palms are clenched into fists, and the thumb is covered with the rest, the legs are brought to the tummy, bent at the joints, the hips are slightly apart, and the feet are raised up. Due to hypertonicity, the range of movements produced by the baby is limited - he can quite actively move his legs, bend or straighten them, push them off from an adult’s hand or cross them. But the range of movements of the handles is less - they mainly move at chest level, bending at the elbows and wrists, rarely unclenching their fists. Due to hypertonicity of the neck muscles, the head is slightly thrown back.

Muscle tone largely depends on physical condition the child, his constitution and characteristics of the nervous system. When crying, worrying or screaming, the tone naturally increases. In addition, in excitable babies it will also differ from calmer peers due to a greater range of movements.

What if it’s not the norm?

Ideally, a neurologist should examine the baby in the maternity hospital in order to identify incipient abnormalities in time. However, the presence of physiological hypertonicity sometimes makes it difficult early diagnosis many nervous diseases. Physiological hypertonicity should be considered up to 4-6 months; if the tone persists longer, this is a reason to contact a specialist - a pediatrician or neurologist.

But how to determine the tone? To do this, the doctor examines the child and checks his reflexes, because muscle tone characterizes not only the functioning of the nervous system, but also the general development of the child, both physical and mental. However, some serious violations, without going into details, can be identified in time by parents.

Today there are not many healthy mothers and babies. The course of pregnancy affects tone disorders in the baby, placental insufficiency, stress and medication, the course of labor, benefits and stimulation of labor, C-section and the postpartum period. In addition, the nervous system and its various parts are actively developing after birth, so the baby needs to be carefully monitored, noting the time of formation of his basic skills.

If muscle tone disorders are not recognized in time, the child will begin to lag behind physically, and therefore naturally in mental development, since his motor skills are closely related to the development of the cortex.

I offer a small diagnostic algorithm, based on which parents can notice violations in a timely manner and consult a doctor. Conventionally, in the first year there are five age intervals in which the baby must master certain skills; if he deviates from the given values, it would not be superfluous to consult a neurologist.

Period 0-1, is examined from birth to one month; when the baby is positioned on his back, he should have a “fetal position” with his arms pressed to the chest, arms bent, hands clenched into a fist, and thumbs hidden inside the fist. The legs are spread and bent at the knees, the left and right halves of the body are symmetrical, the head is positioned evenly, without deviating to the sides.

If you turn the baby on his stomach, he will turn his head to the side, placing his arms under his chest and bending his legs, imitating crawling movements. By the end of the month, the baby tries to lift and hold his head for a few seconds, placing it parallel to the line of the spine.

Period 1-3, is studied from one month to three months. When positioned on the back, the flexion of the arms is less pronounced than in the first period, but is still preserved. The baby can push them forward and move them to the sides, and can bring their hands to their eyes or mouth. closer to three months, he tries to reach for the toy, and when he puts it in his hand, he holds it tightly. The child tries to lift and hold his head. By turning it towards a source of sound or light. When pulling by the arms, he tries to pull himself towards the adult’s arms, holds his head, especially confidently by the end of the third month. In parallel with pulling up, flexion in the legs is observed.

When the baby is placed on his stomach, the baby lifts his head, holds it in this position for a long time, and actively turns his head in different directions. When raising the head, support is placed on the forearms, and the arms are slightly extended at the elbows. The legs perform crawling movements, bending at the hip and knee joints.

Period 3-6 months. Lying on his back, the baby opens his palms, arms and legs are bent. The baby can put his hands together, making “palms”, bring it to his mouth, feel the diaper, the toy, the parents, finger it, purposefully reach for the toy and grab it. If in the initial period he can grab objects in front of his chest, then by the end of the period he can also grab objects on the side of himself or in front of his face. The child groups his limbs, making his first attempts to sit up. When pulling by the arms, by the fifth month the baby holds his head and body in the same plane, his legs bend slightly. By six months, the chin is brought to the chest, and the legs are bent and pressed towards the stomach.

When positioned on the stomach, the child confidently holds his head, positioning it exactly along the line of the spine, confidently resting on his forearms, and his palms are open. By six months, the baby rests on his palms, rising on outstretched arms, and his legs are straightened, his back is straight. At approximately four months of age, the child makes attempts to roll over from his back to his sides, and by the end of the stage he can freely turn from his stomach to his back and back.

Period 6-9 months. On his back, the child actively moves, changing postures, turning over onto his stomach or back onto his back, sitting down on his own, and while sitting he learns to maintain balance, supporting the body with his arms. When pulled up by the arms, the baby groups its limbs, and by the end of 8-9 months, stands on its feet. It crawls on its belly on its belly, rising on all fours or sideways. Shifts the center of gravity from hand to hand, pulling up to grab a toy, and by the end of the period stands at the support.

Period 9-12 months. At the beginning of the period, he crawls well and confidently on all fours, stands up and walks at the support, can squat and stand at the support for toys, then learns to stand without support. By the end of the period, the child walks independently and forms a pincer grip with 2 fingers. He points to the toys and takes them.

Violation of tone

There are several types of disorders - hypertonicity, excessive muscle tension, hypotonicity, insufficient muscle tension and dystonia, isolated tension of various muscle groups.

Hypertonicity occurs as a result of various damage to the brain and nervous system - hemorrhages, birth injuries, hypoxia during childbirth, meningitis. In addition, hypertonicity occurs in overly excitable children.

Usually, the baby is stiff and tight, excessive body tension is observed, the child does not relax during sleep, the limbs are bent, the arms are pressed to the chest, the legs are pulled up to the stomach, the fists are tightly clenched, sometimes forming a “bullet.” From birth, head retention is noted due to hypertonicity of the neck muscles. Parents note increased child anxiety, poor sleep, frequent screams, and colic. Such babies experience tremors (chin trembling) in response to any minor stimulus or at rest, and they often regurgitate profusely. When studying reflexes, repeated extension of the legs or arms increases muscle tone, which immediately makes it possible to distinguish physiology from pathological hypertonicity. When the support reflex is evoked, a position on “tiptoes” and tucking in the fingers occurs. When pulling by the arms, the child does not straighten his arms at all, raising his whole body completely. Hypertonicity can also manifest itself in the formation of torticollis, especially in response to a birth injury to the cervical spine - when assistance was provided during childbirth or a CS.

Hypertonicity reduces the rate of child development; such children later develop age-appropriate skills - crawling, sitting, walking.

Hypotonia or decreased muscle tone the opposite phenomenon occurs in babies less often, more often in premature babies or with brain pathologies, with endocrine diseases, infections. Diffuse muscle hypotonia can be a sign of intrauterine infection, severe birth trauma, intracranial hematomas, etc. In severe cases, swallowing, sucking and even breathing are impaired due to muscle weakness. If there is hypotonia of certain muscle groups or limbs, nerve damage should be suspected.

A baby with hyponus is usually quiet and calm and does not cause parents any trouble. Most of the time he is lethargic or asleep. He cries little, moves little, sucks poorly and is gaining weight. The child does not hold his head up for a very long time, his legs and arms, when lying on his back, are extended along his body, his stomach is spread out - “frog-like”. The hip extension angle reaches 180 degrees. When placing the baby on his stomach, he does not bend his arms and sticks his face into the surface, looking limp.

Asymmetrical tone - dystonia- this is a condition when some muscle groups are in increased tone, while others are in decreased tone. In this condition, the child lies in unnatural positions, skin folds are expressed unevenly. The child may fall on his side, where the tone is more pronounced, and the head and pelvis will be turned towards the muscle tension, the torso will be arched.

Why is muscular dystonia dangerous?

If tone disturbances are detected early and treatment is fully carried out, tone disturbances disappear without a trace. With untreated hypertonicity, postural disorders develop, especially scoliosis, gait disturbances, torticollis or clubfoot. Disorders of psychomotor development with its delay may develop. The most serious consequences is cerebral palsy - a severe neurological disease that appears in the first months of life.

Treatment methods

The treatment package is selected by a neurologist. Regulation and normalization of muscle tone is achieved through complex treatment. It includes kinesitherapy, that is, movement therapy. This includes massages and different kinds gymnastics, as a passive part of the effects, and an active part, which includes therapeutic exercises and therapeutic swimming.

In the most difficult cases, drug correction is also included - drugs for correcting ICP, dibazol to relieve spasm and vasodilation, B vitamins, mydocalm. Baths with herbs are recommended, and a visit to a homeopath or osteopath may be recommended.

The basis for the treatment of hypertension is the elimination of excess muscle tension; in this case, relaxing baths with a massage complex have proven themselves. Massage can be carried out both in the clinic and at home, after teaching parents the basic techniques. Usually these are stroking movements on the arms, legs, and back. You can alternate grasping stroking of the limbs with palmar stroking of the back and tummy. You can also use light rubbing; rocking on your hands or on a gymnastic ball gives a good relaxing effect.

If you have hypertonicity, chopping and clapping movements are unacceptable; they will increase tension. Walkers and jumpers are prohibited, as they place excessive stress on the spine and improperly distribute muscle tension.

In case of hypotension, a stimulating massage is performed, which activates muscle function. It is in this case that chopping, clapping, and rolling with the knuckles are justified - they tone the muscles.

Exercising on a gymnastic ball and swimming have a good tone-normalizing effect. They normalize and even out tone in various muscle groups.

If physiotherapeutic treatment methods do not have an effect, the doctor may add medications to the therapy.

In most cases, muscle tone disorders can be corrected quite effectively and disappear quickly and without a trace. If you find unusual tension in certain muscle groups or developmental delays in some areas in your baby, do not hesitate - consult a doctor.

Photo - photobank Lori

Hello, dear reader. Today we will talk about what constitutes muscle hypertonicity in a child. In this article you will learn what the causes of this disease are, how it is diagnosed and classified. You will know which signs may indicate the likelihood of this pathology. Let's consider treatment methods and find out the possible consequences.

Classification

Hypertonicity in a child can be represented by three options.

1. Dystonic. This type combines hypotonicity and hypertonicity. In such a baby, some muscles will be too tense, while others will be very relaxed. It is a pathological condition.
2. Symmetric. Physiological manifestation. Characteristic is the clenching of the fists on both hands, as well as the toes.
3. Asymmetrical. Characterized by strong muscle tension on one side of the body and normal on the other. When observing such a child, you can notice that he falls on his side, often wriggles like a snake, and almost all the time turns his head in the direction where hypertonicity manifests itself. This condition is a pathology.

Possible reasons

There may be several prerequisites that influence the development of this condition.

1. Individual characteristics of the body. This option is not a pathology. If for one person constant muscle tone is a neurological deviation, then for such a child it is the norm.
2. Physiological hypertonicity. In the first time after birth, almost all children are in this state. Over time, the muscles return to normal. Hypertonicity of a physiological nature can persist until six months of age, and in some cases up to a year. In this case, it will also be considered a variant of the norm.

My son experienced physiological hypertonicity in the first 30 days of his life. Doctors did not prescribe any treatment. The proper functioning of the muscular system returned to normal on its own.

1. Consequences of birth injuries. It is considered the most common cause. They arise as a result of asphyxia of the newborn due to prolonged, difficult labor, and subsequently intracranial hemorrhages.
2. Pathologies of the central nervous system of a congenital nature, deviations during intrauterine development. May be due to the fact that future mom led an unhealthy lifestyle, especially if she drank alcohol or smoked.
3. Rhesus conflict between the expectant mother and child.
4. Frequent threats of miscarriage.
5. Infection, intoxication of the fetus from the mother during gestation.
6. Poor environmental conditions.
7. Perinatal encephalopathy.

Characteristic symptoms

A clear sign of hypertonicity is clenched fists.

Hypertonicity in children under one year of age is manifested by the presence of the following signs.

• Constant and strong clenching of the fists, the little one bends his legs;
• sleep problems;
• profuse and frequent regurgitation;
• chin tremor;
• poor appetite;
• begins to hold the head earlier than expected;
• movement too constrained;
• causeless prolonged crying.

Diagnostics

At the slightest suspicion of pathology, you should immediately consult a doctor. Only a specialist will be able to make the correct diagnosis, confirm the presence of pathology or make a conclusion about the physiological process. Otherwise, you greatly risk the health of your child, in particular the likelihood of developing serious complications.

The doctor you need to contact is a neurologist. In order to reliably determine the presence of pathology, he will need to conduct a series of studies. The fact is that symptoms characteristic of hypertonicity may also be evidence of hydrocephalus or cerebral palsy. Therefore, it is extremely important to differentiate the disease in time, so as not to start it, or start treatment for the wrong thing.

1. Electromyography. As a result of this study, the specialist receives information about the muscle strength of the toddler, the speed of transmission of nerve impulses, the presence of symmetry of muscle groups at rest and during work.
2. Neurosonography. At the same time they carry out ultrasonography brain. In babies under one year of age - in the area of ​​the fontanel. This type of diagnosis allows you to assess the state of the brain and identify possible pathology.
3. CT scan. Rarely prescribed to children, but necessary in case of serious difficulties in making a diagnosis.

In addition to the main diagnostic methods, they may also prescribe:

• general analysis of urine and blood;
• examination of the thymus gland;
• tests for genetic diseases.

Checking the baby

Even before visiting a doctor, parents can conduct a series of tests that will confirm or refute the suspected illness. They are simple to perform and can be done at home.

1. Try to do a squat for your baby while holding his arms. The diagnosis will be confirmed if you cannot move his hands away from his chest.
2. If you lift the toddler vertically and try to lower him onto his legs, he will not stand on his entire foot, the baby will only support himself with his toes.
3. Step reflex. If the mother lifts the child upright, notice that he is trying to walk.
4. In a baby older than three months, when the head is tilted towards the chest, the legs straighten and the arms bend. If you turn the baby’s head to the left, then flexion and extension of the limbs are characteristic of the left side, and when turning to the right, the right side.
5. If a child older than three months has a tonic reflex (lying on his stomach, the baby bends his limbs, straightens up on his back), this is also evidence of hypertonicity.

Consequences

Why is it so important to detect diseases early? The fact is that the lack of proper treatment can lead to serious complications that will negatively affect the child’s future life.

1. Retardation in intellectual development.
2. Delayed motor development.
3. Incorrect coordination of movements.
4. Speech impairment or delay.

Features of care

In order to various methods treatments turned out to be effective, it is necessary to remember to follow special rules:

• do not use jumpers or walkers;
• create a favorable environment for the child, eliminate any stressful situations;
• provide soft lighting in the room where the baby is;
• rid your child of possible irritants, including bright toys and very loud sounds;
• take care of the presence of optimal levels of humidity and temperature, clean air.

Treatment

Therapy may include several different areas:

• massage;
• physiotherapy;
• taking medications;
• aromatherapy;
• physiotherapy;
• mud therapy;
• swimming.

It is important to understand that therapy, which includes all kinds of methods, will not be as effective without emotional contact with the toddler. To normalize the condition, one cannot do without maternal care.

Massage

This method of therapy is one of the main ones. The procedure includes the following exercises.

1. Hand massage. The toddler is placed on his back, with his legs facing him. The massage therapist or parent places the thumb in the baby's hand. In this case, it is necessary that your right hand is held by the child’s left hand, and your left hand by the right. It is necessary to stroke the upper limb of the baby in the direction from the hand to the armpit. The exercise is repeated up to 8 times.
2. The child continues to lie on his back. It is necessary to grab the baby’s palms and lift the little one a few centimeters. Within one minute you need to perform up to eight approaches.
3. Foot massage. The exercise is identical to those performed with the upper limbs.
4. We work with the back. The toddler is placed on his tummy, and his arms must be extended forward. And now you need to move your hands in the direction from the butt to the head with the back surface of your palms, and when moving in the opposite direction, use the palm surface. The exercise is repeated up to seven times.
5. We work with the feet. It is necessary to hold the baby’s leg by the shin with your middle and index finger, fix the foot with your other hand, and draw a figure eight with your thumb.
6. Shaking hands. It is necessary that the baby grabs your finger. While the child is holding on, gently shake him, while spreading his arms to the sides.
7. You can also use rocking on a ball.

I bring to your attention hypertonicity, massage in a child, video:

Physiotherapy

A child with this diagnosis needs to do the following exercises.

1. The first thing you need to do is relax him. To do this, place the child on his back and begin to stroke his legs and arms, going down from top to bottom.
2. It is necessary to smoothly bend and straighten the child’s limbs, starting with the upper ones, then moving to the lower ones.
3. Now you need to gently shake the arms and legs, holding only the fingers.
4. It is necessary to press the bent limbs tightly to the baby's chest. This exercise alternates with the previous one.
5. Practice walking on the surface. You need to make sure that the baby touches the surface with his foot.
6. Using the ball. The toddler is placed on it and rolled, holding it by the arms and legs.

It is important to know that classes will be effective only if they are performed consistently and regularly. It is also necessary that the child is in a good mood.

Water treatments

You probably know that water has a relaxing effect. For hypertension, taking a bath with the addition of medicinal plants is very effective. Have an excellent relaxing effect:

• valerian;
• motherwort;
• cowberry;
• eucalyptus;
• sage;
• lavender;
• oregano

Water procedures with pine needles also have a positive effect. However, it is not recommended to carry out such therapy without the consent of a doctor. It is the specialist who determines the required quantity water procedures, their frequency and the use of a particular plant. In this case, the individual characteristics of the toddler, as well as his age, are taken into account.

Taking medications

In cases where there is no positive dynamics, massage procedures are not effective, and hypertension persists even after six months of age, medication is prescribed.

1. Neuroprotectors. Helps improve blood circulation and also stimulates brain function.
2. Muscle relaxants. Affects the relaxation of muscle spasms.
3. Diuretics. They influence the reduction of fluid levels in the brain and also normalize brain functions.
4. Vitamin therapy. Particular attention is paid to drugs of group B.

Now you know how this pathology is diagnosed and what treatment methods are appropriate. Remember that massage for muscle hypertonicity in a child is an integral part of therapy. Don't forget the importance of your support, caring and love. Children feel their parents' emotions very strongly.