Caring for a baby is a special time when parents focus on providing support and care for their little one. Everything is done to ensure his or her healthy development. They follow every step in the toddler's development with close attention, taking great care of every aspect of his life. However, when abnormalities appear, even seemingly minor ones, they can cause great concern and worry for the new parents. Reduced muscle tone is one such aspect that can cause concern. Also known as hypotonia. Let's take a closer look at this topic. It is useful to know why it may be a cause for concern and what steps can be taken to help your little one develop healthily.
What exactly is reduced muscle tone?
Reduced muscle tone in infants is right to worry parents, but is not usually a serious health problem. Hypotonia, or reduced muscle tone, is a condition in which a child's muscles are less tight than is typical for their age. These muscles are responsible for maintaining posture and controlling movement. In normal child development, muscle tone gradually increases, but in children with hypotonia this may be delayed or abnormal. What are the causes? Are there effective treatments? Read more and find out how to help your child.
Reduced muscle tone - causes
Would you like to find out why your child has reduced muscle tone? What is important about this phenomenon is that it affects a child's motor development and overall health. There are many factors that contribute to muscle tension problems in infants.
- The list of causes of reduced muscle tone opens with genetic factors. They are one of the most common causes. There is a recurrence of this phenomenon in some cases. Sometimes children inherit the tendency from one and sometimes from both parents. Genetic diseases, which include Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome and others, also affect physical fitness. Children affected by genetic diseases show a significant reduction in muscle tone.
- Another group of causes is neurological disorders. The most common of these is cerebral palsy. Other less common ones are brain damage caused by perinatal hypoxia, congenital malformations of the nervous system. The aforementioned neurological disorders can lead to reduced muscle tone in the infant. The brain is one of the most important structures of the human body. Damage to its structures, which are responsible for muscle control, impairs the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles. The result is hypotonia.
- Muscle tension problems are much less common in children born at term. However, in the group of children born prematurely, so-called preterm babies, the phenomenon is more common. What is the reason for this difference? First of all, it should be emphasised that children born on time have a well-developed nervous and muscular system. These systems in premature babies are not yet fully developed, so some dysfunction may occur. However, the happy news is that as the baby grows and matures, muscle tone can improve. It is worth bearing in mind that premature babies require special care and monitoring under the guidance of a specialist.
Other causes
- Congenital developmental abnormalities are a direct cause of weakened muscle tone in the youngest children. The capacity for motor control in this group of children is limited because congenital defects determine the abnormal development of the muscular system.
- Another cause is viral or bacterial infections that occur in the pre-natal or perinatal period. Viruses such as rubella virus or cytomegalovirus in the mother during pregnancy can affect the baby's health.
- Nutritional deficiencies, especially vitamin and mineral deficiencies, can also result in reduced muscle tone in the infant. Vitamin D, calcium and other nutrients are crucial for normal muscle and nervous system development. Maternal malnutrition during pregnancy or child malnutrition after birth can in turn negatively affect the development of the muscular motor system.
Reduced muscle tone - symptoms
The symptoms of weakened muscle tone in infants manifest themselves in different ways, depending on the degree of hypotonia and the source of the condition. What should come to a parent's attention?
- Delayed motor development;
- difficulty keeping the head upright;
- swallowing disorders, leading to feeding and feeding difficulties;
- a weak grasping reflex or a weak Moro reflex;
- apparent balance problems;
- apathy, unwillingness to respond to stimuli;
- delayed achievement of motor skills.
Treatment
Reduced muscle tension in infants is diagnosed on the basis of examination and observation of the child. The specialist then selects the appropriate therapy and support for the toddler. Therapy focusing on reduced muscle tone in children is usually multifaceted and tailored to the individual needs of the child. How do we treat reduced muscle tone?
Infant rehabilitation with reduced muscle tone focuses on developing muscle strength and motor skills through exercises and manual therapy. In addition to this, occupational therapy helps to develop functional skills. Such as grasping objects and performing everyday tasks. Occupational therapists support the little ones in acquiring practical skills.
At MTS Holistic Therapy paediatric physiotherapy is tailored to the individual needs of toddlers with reduced muscle tone. Our qualified team supports the development of children's muscle strength and motor skills. Let's overcome reduced muscle tension together!
