How to treat muscle hypertonicity in infants. Muscle tone in newborns

March 8
20.10.2019


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, and 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.

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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. Finding at least one of the above symptoms in your baby is a good reason to contact a 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 you tilt to the right, 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, hypertonicity in children persists, the consequences, in the absence of treatment, 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.

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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 does increased tone in a child mean? Is massage effective? And what other methods of treating hypertension exist, we’ll talk below.

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 age it is normal. 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 an overstrain of the 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. A six-month-old baby is no longer the same incompetent as before; 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 child has hypertension at this age, massage is especially effective in eliminating it, since the main purpose 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. A child of preschool age begins to lag behind his peers in development, in some cases this may become the basis for establishing a 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;
  • presence of 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 and 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 immediately contacting 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. While lying on your back, if you turn your head to the left, your left arm and leg will straighten, and your 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. The mother can act as a massage therapist, and the massage is turned into an interesting and exciting game with mandatory communication with a loved one. If massage is prescribed to children for 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. If there is a negative reaction to your actions, it is better to stop the massage for children and eliminate the cause of dissatisfaction (it could be the cold hands of the massage therapist or low temperature in the 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.

Particular attention should be paid to foot massage if increased tone of the leg muscles is detected, since aggravation of 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 your 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 massaging your legs, 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 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, the care and psychological climate properly organized by the parents play an important role. 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 of the internal organs of the 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 remedy 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.

The body of a newborn human cannot be called fully formed. During the first months, the baby is just adapting to life outside the mother’s womb. There is still a lot he does not know how to do and cannot do. In addition, already during this period the child may experience various disorders, which include, for example, neonatal hypertonicity.

In some cases, the child’s muscles are in unnatural tension, which hinders the baby’s motor activity. This condition worries the baby and causes anxiety.

In addition, in a child’s first months of life, physical activity is of great importance for development, including brain development. If hypertonicity is not noticed and treated on time, then such children may subsequently lag behind in development and later begin to speak.

However, hypertonicity in a child is not always a pathology. Especially when it comes to short-term symptoms. The child may be scared, he may be worried about the very fact of being examined by a doctor. Therefore, after the first examination such a diagnosis is never made.

Parents of a baby suspected of having this disease will be advised to observe him in a calm environment, and if signs of hypertonicity in the newborn are observed at home, then doctors will prescribe further tests, in particular, an ultrasound of the brain.

It is important to understand that in children during the first three months of life, hypertonicity of the muscles responsible for flexion is quite natural. You remember that for a child in the womb the so-called fetal position is natural: the arms are bent at the elbows, pressed to the chest, the legs are also bent and pressed to the tummy. Even children’s fingers are most often clenched into fists. The child’s body tends to take the same position after childbirth. Roughly speaking, the muscles of a newborn are accustomed to being in one position. Only by the third month does this condition begin to gradually subside.

Therefore, if the hypertonicity of the flexor muscles is not excessively expressed, that is, the arms and legs extend without strain or resistance, then you have nothing to worry about.

To check muscle tone, doctors do the following test: they take the child under the armpits and lower his legs onto a hard, flat surface. If the baby is slightly tilted forward, he will begin to move his legs, as if walking. This is a newborn reflex. In a normal state, children try to place their foot on the entire foot, but in case of muscle tension, only on the toe. But remember that this test shows the condition of the muscles only at the time of examination.

What signs should parents pay attention to so as not to miss hypertension in their baby? First of all, on his behavior. A child with hypertension, as a rule, is restless, whiny, constantly feels the need to suckle, and sleeps poorly. By the way, about sleep, when a child with muscle hypertonicity sleeps, his head is often thrown back, and his arms and legs are extended and pressed to the body or to each other. If you try, for example, to spread your legs, you will feel a strong tension in them. If you continue to persist, the child will wake up and cry.

When a child under the age of one month already holds his head, then this is also a reason to think about contacting a pediatrician. Perhaps the point is not in the rapid development of your child, but in the fact that tense muscles arch the child’s back and neck backwards.

Even if the manifestations of hypertonicity seem insignificant to you, do not let the situation take its course. Firstly, the sooner treatment begins, the faster you will get results. Secondly, often hypertonicity is just a symptom, but only a doctor can determine what causes it, mild disorders in the nervous system or, for example, cerebral palsy. And only an experienced specialist can prescribe adequate treatment that is suitable for your baby.

Muscle hypertonicity can be complete, can cover all limbs, or affect only the arms or only the legs of the child. The degree of damage is also distinguished, from mild to severe.

In most cases, the course of treatment for hypertension in newborns includes massage, therapeutic exercises, herbal baths, aromatherapy and physiotherapy. In different quantities and varying intensities.

The most important thing in all these procedures is that they should not cause discomfort to the child. This seems strange to many, but that’s the whole point. If a child feels discomfort of any kind, he begins to tense up, which only aggravates his condition. Both massage, exercises, and other procedures are designed, first of all, to relax the child’s muscles. That is why most doctors advise mothers to master the art of baby massage themselves. It’s not difficult to do this now; almost any clinic or children’s center offers baby massage courses.

This is beneficial in every way. Massage courses for children with hypertonicity can be very long, and if you pay for the work of a massage therapist all this time, such treatment can make a hole in any family budget. In addition, young children are reluctant to accept strangers. And your child is just one of many for a massage therapist.

Mom is always more affectionate and gentle, more caring and attentive. She won’t hurt, she’s not in a hurry and accompanies her every movement with a kind word that will calm the baby, even if the procedure is not entirely pleasant for him. In addition, by doing a massage yourself, you are not constrained by someone else’s schedule and can choose the time of day when the baby is in the best mood.

When it comes to exercises, doctors also advise parents to master them themselves. And this, of course, is also not due to the desire to push your work onto your parents. The main thing in all treatment procedures is the child’s comfort. And what could be more comfortable than mother’s hands. But remember that both massage and gymnastics should only be relaxing, and in no case tonic. The reason is still the same: why tone up something that is being treated for it?

Many parents think that since they have a special child, he needs a special regime. In fact, the daily routine of children with increased tone is not very different: you just have to find time for massage, exercises and baths.

But you shouldn’t teach your baby to eat and sleep by the hour. During the period of establishing the rhythm you are interested in, the child will constantly face a stressful situation: denial of food and sleep, forced bedtime at an uncomfortable time for him. While crying, the child will once again tense up. And this, as we have already found out above, is extremely undesirable.

The baby has his own biological clock; you should not impose your worldview on him. Of course, if a serious failure occurs in the regime, for example, a child confuses day and night, then the regime will have to be corrected. But even then this must be done gently and gradually, and not abruptly, causing stress and negativity in the child.

Massage for hypertonicity of the muscles of the legs or arms is not only about some specific techniques, but also about the appropriate atmosphere and setting. Everything from temperature to sounds should set you and your child up for relaxation.

Therefore, first of all, the child should be warm. Cold causes involuntary muscle tension. But the baby will have to be undressed for the massage. So make sure the room is at least 20-22 degrees. It is also important that the room is well ventilated. The child should breathe freely.

Massage therapists in specialized clinics perform massage on special tables. There is no need to buy one for yourself. For an infant, a changing table or even a regular table is quite suitable. The main thing is that it has the right height and that mom doesn’t have to bend over too much. Otherwise, she will begin to have problems with her back muscles. Place a blanket on the table and an oilcloth on top so that the child does not stain the blankets. The last thing to put in is a regular diaper.

It is also important what condition the child will be in. You should not massage immediately after eating or when the baby has just woken up. In both cases, let him recover a little. Keep an eye on your child’s mood. He must be calm.

Before starting the massage, wash your hands thoroughly and remove all rings from your fingers. It is also better to cut your nails shorter so as not to damage the child’s skin.

Now you can start the massage.

  1. First, do a few general relaxation techniques. For example, "Swing". Take the child by the armpits and gently rock him right and left.
  2. The next technique is called the “Cradle” and is performed separately for the upper and lower parts of the body. Place your baby on his back, place your hand under his head and upper back, and rock him from side to side. Then do the same, placing your hands under the lower back.
  3. Then use light stroking movements over the entire body; from the chest and tummy to the arms and legs. This will improve blood flow, relax muscles, and therefore relieve pain.
  4. Now you can work on the arms and legs separately. To relax them, so-called piston rubbing is used. Take your child's hand or foot in your hands and rub it gently back and forth.

These are not all possible massage techniques for hypertonicity; there are others. But even before using these techniques, consult with your doctor or massage therapist to make sure you are doing everything correctly.

And remember, if it seems to you that the child is feeling much better, do not interrupt the treatment. Only an experienced specialist, having fully assessed the baby’s condition, can decide whether you really got rid of the problem or whether this is just a temporary relief.

Nine out of ten newborns are diagnosed by pediatricians with “muscle hypertonicity.” What is this - pathology or normal? And how dangerous is this for the future development of the baby? Let's try to figure it out together.

What to do if your baby is diagnosed with increased muscle tone.

Tone (from the Greek τόνος - tension) is a state of persistent excitation of muscle tissue and nerve centers. Thanks to it, we maintain a certain posture, body position in space, pressure in the cavity of the internal organs (perhaps during pregnancy, you came across the concept of “hypertonic uterus,” that is, overly tense).

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

The most comfortable and safest position in the womb is the “fetal position.”

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

Almost all babies are born with physiologically increased muscle tone. This is due to the fact that the newborn has not yet had time to adapt to an “autonomous existence.”

The tone in the child’s neck extensor muscles is higher, so his head is slightly tilted back. In the adductor muscles of the hips, their increased tension resists the attempt to separate the legs of a newborn baby. Normally, they can be moved apart by 90 degrees - 45 degrees in each direction.

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

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

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

  • The child behaves restlessly, sleeps little and shallowly.

    Increased nervousness of the baby is an alarm bell for parents.

  • Reacts nervously even to dim light and quiet sounds.
  • Constantly spits up after feeding.
  • When crying, the chin trembles slightly.

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

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

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

One of the classic reliable signs of increased muscle tension in the legs of an infant is the so-called “tiptoe gait.” If you take the baby by the armpits and slightly tilt him forward, holding him and placing his legs on a flat surface, the conditioned reflex of automatic gait should work. The child begins to move his legs, as if taking steps.

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

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

Even if your baby “doesn’t walk”, don’t worry, everything can be fixed!

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

Some tricks taken by mommy will help the baby gradually get rid of the annoying illness.

In a number of general therapeutic procedures (which are discussed below), special styling can be used to correct this disorder, from two to three weeks of age. When the baby is lying on the “sick” side, we put a pillow, on the “healthy” side, we do without it.

Quite convenient to use, “donuts” and other orthopedic pillows are not always suitable for such babies due to the danger of regurgitation.

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

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

Opinion of Dr. E.O. Komarovsky about the “problem” of muscle hypertonicity in newborns

Let's agree right away that, with all due respect to the professionalism of Evgeniy Olegovich, many pediatricians do not share his opinion on one issue or another. Therefore, we will consider this section as informational for general development. After all, in any case, you are the mother, and only you can decide who you trust with the health of your baby. Agree? So…

The main problem for mothers is premature panic.

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

The doctor’s call in advance not to dramatize the situation seems quite reasonable. “Is hypertension dangerous in children under one year of age? An analogy is with a briefcase left by someone in a subway car. There might be a bomb there, or maybe the harried engineer just forgot it. And having discovered a find, they call specialists. Let them figure out how serious this is. Or maybe it’s complete nonsense!” (c)

In most cases, and especially with your baby (spitting over his shoulder three times!) - especially since excessive muscle tension is indeed not an organic disorder. The danger of hypertonicity, first of all, is that it may be an indicator of damage to the baby's brain and nervous system.

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

Increased muscle tone can be the cause of delayed motor activity in a child.

Also, in the future, this may have a negative impact on the timely development of the baby, affecting his ability to crawl, sit down, stand up, and walk.

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

The attending physician will prescribe a set of necessary procedures.

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

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

Doctors working in orphanages can tell you how difficult it is to cure “refuseniks.” Without the warm hands of the mother, without a native, soothing voice, a familiar smell, it is difficult for the baby to endure unpleasant influences. He tenses up, gets nervous, cries, gets overexcited. But this is exactly what we are treating him for!

Mother's care, tenderness and love will provide the child with a healthy future.

Your doctor will probably teach you basic massage techniques. Its main purpose is muscle relaxation. The effect begins with smooth stroking of the arms, legs, and back. After this, you can move on to circular, rubbing movements along the back of the baby lying on his tummy. Then, turning it over, carefully shake the limbs (legs, holding the shin, hands - just above the wrist). Finish the massage with gentle stroking again.

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

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

What to do if white plaque appears on your child’s gums? First, stay calm. Secondly, identify the reasons for its occurrence. Thirdly, seek advice from a specialist. Fourth, read our article.

Why do children's butts turn red? Is this a signal of an allergic disease? Find all the answers on this page www.o-my-baby.ru/razvitie/kozha/krasnaya-popa.htm.

Hypertonicity is a disorder of muscle tone (MT) of the body. Most children are born with an identified disorder, because in the womb the child assumes a fetal position, which is why the whole body is in constant tension. What should parents do if their newborn is diagnosed with muscle hypertonicity?

Hypertonicity in children

The child's tense muscle tone causes a limitation in the infant's spontaneous and voluntary motor activity. Nine out of ten children are born with a similar pathology, because their body has not “rebuilt itself for an autonomous existence.”

Causes of tone disturbance

Deviation of muscle tone from the norm in infants is due to the fact that the child, while in the mother’s tummy, did not receive enough oxygen or B vitamins. Reasons also include:

  • illnesses of a woman during pregnancy, stress and toxicosis;
  • complicated, protracted or rapid labor, its stimulation or caesarean section;
  • birth injuries;
  • influence of toxins;
  • bad ecology;
  • blood incompatibility, etc.

Symptoms and signs

Violation of the infant’s weight gain is noticeable due to external indicators. The first signs of hypertension are:

  • restless behavior (crying with a trembling chin);
  • poor sleep;
  • a sharp and irritated reaction to dull sounds and dim light;
  • constant regurgitation after breastfeeding;

Arching and throwing back the head indicate hypertonicity

  • arching, throwing back the head;

Hypertonicity is observed in the first six months of life in a healthy child.


While your baby is awake, it is also easy to notice symptoms of muscle dysfunction. Take the child under the armpits and place him on a flat surface. The baby's gait reflex should work. A healthy child will stand on his entire foot, but if the baby walks “on tiptoe”, this is a sign of hypertonicity.

Pathology or normal?

You need to know that until 3 months of life, the baby has obvious physiological hypertonicity. After birth, the baby maintains the fetal position, which causes this disorder. If the muscles are not very tense, it means that hypertonicity is within normal limits. The legs and arms can be easily straightened and the fists unclenched. Muscle tone decreases over time. This adaptation process takes place by the age of six months.

Pathological hypertonicity manifests itself in the fact that the nervous and muscular systems of the newborn develop incorrectly.

Types of muscle hypertonicity

The most noticeable MT disturbances in a child are in the legs and arms.

For children with hypertonicity of the legs, walkers and jumpers are contraindicated

  1. Hypertonicity of the legs affects the speed of development of motor activity in general. Newborns with this pathology crawl and take their first steps later. Walkers and jumpers are contraindicated for these children, as they, on the contrary, increase stress.
  2. Hypertonicity of the arms is expressed in muscle resistance when the arms are moved away from the chest, but the fingers are tightly clenched into a fist.
  3. Increased tone of the neck muscles is caused by the general tension of the muscles of the infant. Usually the cub holds its head tilted to the side, but not if there is a problem in the ligaments or muscles.

It is important to know! Hypertonicity in an infant goes away within six months, otherwise the help of a doctor is necessary.

Possible consequences

If the neurologist has confirmed the diagnosis, you need to begin treatment and restoration of the nervous system. If this issue is not addressed in time, this can lead to:

  • improper coordination;
  • incorrect posture and gait;
  • delay in development;
  • speech disorder.

Only a specialist can prescribe the correct treatment after examining and examining the baby. The doctor will select a comprehensive treatment.

Treatment

Which treatment method is preferred depends on the age of the baby and the degree of the disorder. The doctor may prescribe:

  • gymnastic exercises;
  • healing baths;
  • swimming;
  • electrophoresis.

Massage

Performed by a professional children's massage therapist. The specialist knows where to use a relaxing massage and when to apply an intense massage. In 10 standard sessions, the baby’s muscles should return to normal.

Massage has a beneficial effect on the baby's health

After the massage, a caring mother can continue the treatment with gentle, calm stroking and touching. A soothing voice will relax the baby.

Massage technique

Gymnastic exercises

Set of exercises

  1. Use your palm to stroke the arms, legs and back.
  2. Place the baby on his tummy and rub the skin in a circular motion. Then do the same with the limbs, placing it on the back.
  3. Take the child’s brush and shake it lightly. The hand needs to be supported in the forearm area. Do this exercise with all limbs.
  4. Grasp the legs by the shins and rock the baby.
  5. You need to finish the massage by smoothly stroking the limbs.

Exercises on a fitball will also help relieve tension.

Exercises on a smooth fitball will also help relieve tension. The baby is placed on the ball with his tummy and begins to rock slightly in different directions. A good way would be to stomp or pat the ball with your baby's hands or feet; this will relieve tension and lift his spirits.

Ball exercises for kids (video)

Healing baths

Try to normalize your muscles by taking a bath every few days. Warm water relaxes muscles and removes tightness. It is advisable to add oregano, lavender, motherwort or eucalyptus to it.

The main thing is that the child does not dive, because this will cause stress, which will lead to an increase in the symptoms of hypertonicity.

Herbs to add to your bath (gallery)

Eucalyptus Motherwort Lavender Oregano

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy will be a good addition to complex treatment only if the child does not have allergies. Soothing oils will have a beneficial effect on the baby. Lavender and eucalyptus will relax and restore the nervous system.

Doctor Komarovsky about muscle hypertonicity

The first year of a child’s life is the most anxious for mothers. If your baby has been diagnosed with muscle hypertonicity, remain calm. By following the doctor's instructions, you will quickly overcome this problem! Health to you and your family!

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 the 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 the birth process is complex and protracted, then 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 of the body.

    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 the heels to the 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.

Hypertonicity in a newborn is one of the most common problems in the first month of a child’s life. A similar diagnosis is made to almost every second baby. Hypertonicity does not always indicate pathology; in some cases, the process is absolutely natural and does not pose a threat to the baby.

In what cases should you sound the alarm and immediately begin treatment? All young parents should know the answers to these questions. It is important for moms and dads to be able to recognize hypertension in a baby and be sure to visit a doctor. Self-treatment of the problem is strictly prohibited.

Causes

Human muscle tone is a constant tension of muscles, the process is regulated by the spinal cord and brain. In a healthy child, all necessary actions occur on “autopilot.” Thanks to this property, the human body moves in space and it is possible to walk vertically.

The newborn is just beginning to learn the skills of movement; muscle tone is very important during this period. The baby was in the fetal position for nine months: his fists were clenched, pressed to his body, his head was slightly pulled back. It is not surprising that the baby tries to remain in this position further. Hypertonicity in the first month of life is an absolutely normal physiological process, but if desired, you can straighten your fists. If this condition does not go away before six months, be sure to show the child to a neurologist.

The causes of hypertension in an infant may not pose a threat to the baby’s life, but sometimes indicate serious developmental abnormalities. It is difficult to independently determine whether there is a problem or not. If you suspect hypertonicity in a newborn, visit a doctor.

Common causes of problems in children include:

  • during pregnancy, the woman suffered a serious illness with subsequent intoxication of the body;
  • the pregnancy was difficult with various complications;
  • difficult labor, fetal hypoxia (oxygen starvation);
  • unbalanced diet of the expectant mother (in particular, lack of B vitamins);
  • late or early toxicosis, threat of miscarriage;
  • drinking alcohol during pregnancy, smoking tobacco;
  • insufficient incision during caesarean section, resulting in damage to the cervical spine;
  • Chronic diseases of a pregnant woman negatively affect the health of the baby;
  • incompatibility of Rh factors in mother and baby;
  • individual characteristics of the newborn. Some children develop later than others, which worries young parents. There is no need to panic if there are no deviations; muscle tone will return to normal after some time.

Finding out the cause of the pathology is an essential aspect of treatment. Without this information, it is sometimes simply impossible to cope with the problem.

Characteristic signs and symptoms

Hypertonicity in a newborn can be suspected based on the following symptoms:

  • the chin trembles, especially during loud screaming or crying;
  • the child experiences increased irritability (constant crying, whims);
  • the arms are constantly bent at the elbows;
  • the fists are constantly bent and difficult to unclench;
  • the thumbs on the hands are close to the palm or constantly pressed against it;
  • in some cases, torticollis is observed (the head is constantly tilted slightly to one side);
  • arching of the back. The pathology is noticeable in any position;
  • the baby puts up serious resistance when trying to straighten his limbs;
  • the child reacts inadequately to light or loud sound;
  • if you try to put the child on the floor, he will tighten his legs;
  • while lying on your back, a stepping reflex is noted;
  • the noise makes the baby flinch;
  • the baby sleeps poorly, sleep is light and short;
  • During sleep, the baby spits up, but does not wake up.

Important! If parents notice at least a few of the above signs in their child, they should immediately contact a neurologist for help.

Diagnostics

It is not easy for even an experienced neurologist to confirm or refute hypertonicity in a newborn. The pathology can be a natural process, a disease state, or a symptom of a serious disease of the central nervous system (hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy). Lost time can be costly, so don’t delay your visit to the doctor. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may order the following examinations:

  • CT scan. It is rarely performed on infants, only in advanced cases;
  • neurosonography. This is an ultrasound of the baby's brain. Through the soft tissue of an open fontanel, the procedure is carried out quickly and gives accurate results. A safe method allows you to identify the state of the brain and existing abnormalities. The elective procedure is performed at approximately 1.5 months of age;
  • electromyography. A special device detects the speed of nerve impulses, informing the doctor about the strength of the muscles, the symmetry of their work, their state of activity and rest.

Additionally, other studies may be prescribed; sometimes a final diagnosis is not made, due to the ambiguity of modern research methods and their interpretation. In any case, specialists will prescribe the necessary treatment, based on its results, and adjustments are made that give a positive effect.

Methods and general rules of treatment

An orthopedist and a neurologist are involved in eliminating hypertension in a newborn. Treatment tactics are determined through joint efforts. There are many methods to solve the problem, a specific treatment regimen is prescribed depending on the severity of the situation, individual characteristics of the baby.

Massage

This technique has been used for many years, the most common types of massage: according to Fleps, Semenova. Manipulations affect biologically active points. The main purpose of massage is to relieve muscle tension, relax them, and relieve spasms. All movements must be neat, soft, Be sure to take into account the age of the baby. In most cases, stroking, rubbing, and point movements are used. The procedure is performed by an experienced specialist, and only after completing the training course - by parents.

The average duration of a treatment course is 10–15 sessions. If necessary, the manipulations are repeated after one month. It is not necessary to do difficult exercises, In simple cases, well-known exercises will help:

  • stroke your fingers, simulating putting gloves on your baby’s hands;
  • Use stroking movements to move the area of ​​the hips, feet, and legs;
  • It is forbidden to stroke the elbow area, shoulders, back - allowed;
  • after stroking, rub the baby’s entire body, paying special attention to the limbs;
  • massage each finger and toe;
  • stroke your feet in the direction from the heel to the toes;
  • draw a figure eight on your child’s foot: start from the toes, stop in the middle, end near the heel.

Hypertonicity in children is treated with massage, Do not use tapping or patting movements. Sharp manipulations aggravate the situation, the baby feels discomfort. Opinions differ on whether a baby should cry during a professional massage or not. Some believe that the pain is natural, because they press on the pain points, others believe that the baby should not experience discomfort.

Therapeutic gymnastics and exercises

Gymnastic exercises have a beneficial effect on the baby’s motor activity and stimulate normal muscle function. The main advantage of the technique is that it can be performed at home, without the help of a professional massage therapist.

Therapeutic exercises:

  • relax your baby. Place the newborn on his back, stroke the baby with light movements, pay special attention to the limbs;
  • extension of arms and legs. Carry out all manipulations carefully, do not rush;
  • shake the baby. Take the child by the fingers and toes, shake him gently;
  • restoration to the fetal position. Alternate twisting the baby, pressing the limbs to the body with the previous exercise;
  • Let the child try to slide on the floor. Align the leg, the stupa should stand level, even if the baby does not yet know how to stand, such manipulations will help to correctly form support for the feet;
  • use available tools. Place the baby on a small ball and let him try to swing on it. Be sure to hold him by the limbs;
  • games with feet. It’s great if the baby becomes interested in the big toe and tries to bite it.

Carry out therapeutic manipulations several times a day, select the moment when the baby is in a good mood. In no case should gymnastics cause the baby any discomfort or pain.

Aquatherapy

Recently, water procedures have been actively used to solve problems with the nervous system not only in infants, but also in adults. Aquatherapy is indicated for the youngest patients; it relaxes the muscles and distributes the load evenly throughout the body. Diving with hypertonicity is prohibited, swimming - shown. Children love colorful and musical circles; turn treatment into an interesting game.

It is allowed to add extracts of chamomile, valerian, St. John's wort, and lingonberry to the healing bath. You cannot carry out manipulations every day; twice a week is enough. Relaxing baths should be taken before bed.

On the page, read about how to take Pertussin cough syrup for children.

Physiotherapy

Paraffin wraps have a beneficial effect on muscle tone, the heat relieves spasms, the baby becomes cheerful, and the problem goes away. The wrap is carried out on the legs. The procedure begins with heating the paraffin. Then place it on gauze, apply it to the baby’s legs, and hold for 10 minutes. For a noticeable effect, 10 procedures will be required; if necessary, the duration of the wraps can be increased to 20 minutes.

Drug treatment is prescribed only in cases where massage and physiotherapy did not help. The drugs are approved for use only by children from 3–6 months.

Preventive measures

Responsible behavior during pregnancy and compliance with all instructions will help prevent hypertension in a newborn. The birth itself plays an important role; trust experienced obstetricians.

Hypertonicity in a baby is not a death sentence; by noticing the problem in time and starting its treatment, you will save the baby from unpleasant consequences. Carefully monitor your baby’s behavior and reflexes, and report any “problems” to your doctor. Take care of your baby's health by regularly taking your baby for preventive examinations.

All people have muscle tone - this is muscle tension that is necessary to support the body and ensure its movements. Impaired muscle tone is evidence of trouble in the body and a sign of many diseases, and not only the nervous system.

How do you know if your child has muscle tone?

Whether the child has muscle tone is assessed by specialists - pediatrician, neurologist, orthopedist. When examining the baby, the doctor pays attention to active and passive muscle tone. About active tone he judges by observing how and in what position the baby lies on the changing table or with his stomach in the palm of his hand and what movements he makes, what motor skills he has acquired by his age. Passive tone The doctor checks the child by sequentially bending and unbending the baby’s arms and legs, feeling them, assessing and comparing the resistance that the muscles provide.

In the first year of the baby’s life, the pediatrician evaluates the child’s tone monthly during preventive examinations; a neurologist and orthopedist do this at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, and more often if there are disorders. However, by observing the movements and development of her baby, the mother herself can judge the state of his muscle tone.

How to determine normal muscle tone?

Before birth the baby is in a limited space of the uterus, its arms and legs are compactly pressed to the body, the head is tilted forward (this is the so-called “fetal position”), and the baby has almost no opportunity to actively move. All his muscles are in a state of tension. Therefore, most of the muscles of a newborn are in a state of physiological hypertonicity at birth. This is the norm.

Normal posture of a healthy person newborn baby- lying on your back, legs bent at the knees, slightly apart and pressed to the tummy, arms bent at the elbows, pressed to the chest, fingers clenched into fists, head slightly thrown back, the position of the right and left sides is symmetrical.

  • The baby can actively move his legs, bend and unbend them, push them off from the adult’s hand or cross them. The range of movements of his arms is smaller: he mainly moves them at chest level, bending his elbows and wrists; the baby rarely unclenches his fists.
  • If you take the baby by the wrists and carefully pull him towards you, trying to sit him down, his arms will straighten a little at the elbow joints, and then he will stretch his whole body behind them.
  • When trying to spread the legs of a newborn, bent at the knee and hip joints, the angle of separation does not exceed 90° (45° on each side), and resistance to this movement is felt due to the physiological increase in tone in these muscles. When you try to separate them again, the resistance decreases normally. The clenched fists of a newborn can also be unclenched.
  • In the position on the stomach, the baby will turn its head to the side, placing its arms under the chest and bending its legs, as if making crawling movements. By the end of the month, the baby tries to raise and hold his head for a few seconds.
  • If you hold the baby with your palm face down in the abdomen, then his head hangs, at times the newborn tries to lift it; arms and legs are in a bent position. If you take the baby vertically under the arms, then his legs make alternating movements of flexion and extension, but more often they are bent. Placed on a support, the baby straightens up and stands on legs bent at all joints, resting on his full foot. By 1.5 months, this support reflex normally disappears.

The baby is growing– muscle tone also changes: what was considered normal for a newborn may be a sign of disorders at an older age. Ideally, the muscle tone of a child aged 1.5–2 years should be approximately the same as that of an adult. But the uneven course of pregnancy and childbirth, stress, and poor ecology can quite often provoke tone disturbances in the child.

There are several most common disorders: decreased muscle tone in a child is called muscle hypotonia, or hypotonia; increase – muscle hypertension, or hypertonicity; improper distribution of tension and relaxation of muscle groups - muscular dystonia. Let's talk about them in more detail.

Muscle hypertonicity in a child

A baby who has increased tone since birth is overly tense and tense. Often parents note causeless restlessness and crying in the baby, poor sleep, and trembling of the chin. Such a child does not relax even in his sleep, his arms are bent and pressed tightly to his chest, his legs are pulled up to his stomach, his fists are tightly clenched, and he has to make an effort to unclench them. There is pronounced resistance during flexion and extension of the arms and legs. When examining the support reflex, the baby does not stand on his full foot, but on tiptoes, tucks his toes, the reflex persists for longer than 1.5 months. When pulling his arms, he does not straighten his arms at all, completely lifting his whole body behind them. In the stomach-on-palm position, face down, the child keeps his head in line with his body. Such children can hold their head in an upright position almost from birth.

Increased tone can be symmetrical (in all muscle groups, only in the arms or legs) or asymmetrical - on one side of the body. With prolonged increased tone of the flexor muscles, the baby maintains the flexion “fetal position.” An extreme expression of increased tone of the extensor muscles is the pathological posture of opisthotonus in some diseases, when the head is thrown back, the back is arched, the legs and arms are straightened and tense, the fingers are clenched into fists, the legs are crossed in the lower third of the legs, flexion and extension in all joints is difficult .

Why is hypertension dangerous in children?

The danger of hypertonicity in a child lies in a decrease in the rate of motor development of the baby. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, then such a child will later sit up, crawl, walk, get tired quickly when moving, and have difficulty redistributing the center of gravity while walking. The general condition is also disturbed: due to excessive muscle tension, such children are overly excited, sleep poorly, and often burp. At older ages, fine motor skills of the hands are impaired.

Muscular hypotonia in a child

The opposite situation, when the tone is less than normal, is called muscle hypotonia. In this case, the baby’s arms and legs are extended, the arms lie along the body. This is a common occurrence for a premature baby and is associated with immaturity of the nervous system. A pronounced manifestation of muscle hypotension is the so-called “frog pose”, when in the supine position the baby’s arms lie sluggishly along the body, the fingers are not clenched into a fist, the legs are widely spread at the hips and slightly bent at the knee joints, the stomach is flat. These children often have reduced reflexes. When bending the joints, no resistance is felt, the range of movement in them is increased, the joints seem to “dangle”, the handle raised up and released falls. The child's legs can be spread at the hip joints almost 180° without any effort.

With hypotonia, the child has poor or no support on his feet when he is supported under the arms. When you pull the handles towards you, they fully straighten and your head leans back. When a newborn lies on his stomach in the palm of an adult, the baby's head and limbs hang down. When laid out on his tummy, he does not bend his arms and sticks his face into the surface, looking limp.

Typically, such babies are overly calm, rarely cry, suck poorly, gain weight worse, and move little.

Why is hypotension dangerous in a child?

Hypotonia in a child is dangerous because such children later begin to hold their head up, pick up objects in their hands, sit down, and walk, but due to insufficient muscle strength. In an upright position, they do not maintain their posture, because of this, the work of the internal organs is tense. Lack of movement slows down the growth of the child’s bones and muscles; physically the baby looks younger than his age; in the future, the formation of scoliosis, kyphosis and other skeletal deformities and gait disturbances is possible.

Muscular dystonia in a child

Most often, a mixed tone disorder occurs, when in some muscle groups it is increased, and in others it is decreased, or during testing it goes from a state of hypotonicity to hypertonicity. This is called muscular dystonia. Signs of muscular dystonia can be, for example, incorrect positions of the hands - straightened and widely spaced fingers, sometimes the hand is turned inward. Another type of muscular dystonia is asymmetry of muscle tone. Moreover, on one side of the body it may be higher than on the other. Sometimes the body can be bent in an arc and the head is often turned to one side. In this case, the baby begins to roll over only in one direction, clearly preferring it to the other, crawl, pulling up one leg, etc.

Why is muscular dystonia dangerous?

The danger of muscular dystonia is that during development, such children may experience a delay in the formation of motor skills: they begin to roll over from their back to their stomach only after 5–6 months, sit down after 7 months, and begin to walk after 12 months. Severe dystonia can lead to body asymmetry and gait disturbances.

Examination methods

Identified tone disorders are observed over time and compared with other signs of child developmental disorders. Based on this, a specialist can determine whether this is a pathology or an individual characteristic of the baby. If a mother has doubts about the child’s tone, she should definitely consult a pediatrician and neurologist.

For a more accurate diagnosis of the cause of the disorders, additional research methods may be required, for example, neurosonography, electroencephalography, electroneurography, etc.

The study of the chromosome set and a special blood protein, alpha-fetoprotein, allows us to exclude chromosomal diseases, and a blood test for intrauterine infections (herpes, cytomegalovirus, etc.) allows us to exclude infectious diseases of the brain.

Let's start treating muscle tone

The sooner tone disorders are identified in a child and treatment is started, the better, because the regenerative ability of nervous system cells at an early age is very high.

There is no need to engage in self-medication or treatment on the advice of parents of other children, since the degree of impairment in each individual child is different, and the prescribed therapy depends on this. The treatment complex should only be prescribed by a specialist. For tone disorders, movement treatment is used - massage, gymnastics, swimming; physiotherapy - ultrasound, electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, heat and hydrotherapy, etc. If necessary, medications are used.

Toning massage by influencing the nerve endings in the skin changes nervous excitability - increases or decreases it depending on the effect, and also revitalizes reflexes, improves the conduction of nerve impulses along the nerves.

Toning massage can be done in a clinic or at home, after teaching parents its basic techniques. The procedure should bring only positive emotions to the baby. After all, if he cries or experiences pain, this can further increase his tone.

In the first month of life, therapeutic massage is not prescribed - the baby will only need light stroking movements of his mother’s hands. To prevent muscle tone disorders, you should change the position of the child’s body more often, make multidirectional movements with him, and pick him up more often: this stimulates the development of motor skills.

Toning massage should be carried out in a comfortable environment for the baby, talking to him tenderly. For hypertonicity, a relaxing massage is given, which includes stroking from the periphery to the center, grasping stroking of the limbs, and light rubbing. Chopping and clapping movements are unacceptable: they will increase muscle tension.

After the massage, carefully and gently do special exercises aimed at stretching tense muscles. The effect will be better if you perform such a massage before an evening swim: warm water will additionally relax tense muscles, enhancing the effect of the massage.

Babies who have hypotension are given a stimulating massage to activate muscle function. In this case, chopping, clapping movements, and rolling with the knuckles are justified - they tone the muscles.

For dystonia, an experienced massage therapist knows which muscle groups need to be relaxed and which, on the contrary, stimulated, so parents are not recommended to do this massage themselves: incorrect actions can harm the baby.

Gymnastics and swimming strengthen reflexes that maintain correct posture, even out muscle tone (increase low tone and vice versa), develop muscles, and have a powerful general strengthening effect. Exercises on a gymnastic ball (fitball) have a good effect, and you can swim either in a large bathtub at home (after training with an instructor) or in a swimming pool for infants, which are often located at children's clinics.

Physiotherapy using physical factors improves neuromuscular conduction, depending on the type of effect, tones or calms the nervous system, respectively increasing or decreasing muscle tone.

Reasons for violations

Violation of muscle tone is not an independent disease, but only a separate sign, a symptom of trouble. Most often, the cause of the disorders is hypoxia - a lack of oxygen and impaired blood supply to the child’s brain before or after birth. Hypoxia often occurs with gestosis, circulatory disorders in the placenta, smoking, drinking alcohol, as well as stress, a long anhydrous period, etc. Brain hypoxia is a common, but not the only cause of tone disturbance. It also increases with infections, injuries, vascular diseases of the brain, cerebral palsy and some other problems.