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 develop 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.

Signs of muscle hypertonicity

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.

Treatment

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?

Child's daily routine

Many parents think that since they have special child, then 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 hypertension

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.

Educational video on the topic

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Hypertonicity is a disorder muscle tone(MT) bodies. 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. Healthy child will stand on the whole foot, but if the baby walks “on tiptoes” - 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 system newborns 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 caring mother can continue 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!

Contents [Show]

The movements of our body occur due to the work of muscles. Muscle tension and tone are regulated by the central nervous system, the human brain. Maintaining normal tone is necessary for moving in space, walking upright and any other physical actions. Muscle tone in newborns plays a huge role in development. Decreased tone makes physical activity difficult, and increased tone creates a feeling of discomfort and prevents the baby from developing the necessary motor skills.

The baby’s muscle tone is very important for his physical development in infancy and beyond.

Constant excessive muscle tension is called hypertonicity. Hypertonicity is most often asymmetrical. The cause of overvoltage lies in the activity of the central nervous system. The bent arms and legs of a healthy baby, the fingers clenched into a fist, are easy to unclench. If it is not possible to straighten the limbs, the maximum opening angle is no more than 45⁰, this signals a pathology. A baby who has defects in the development of the central nervous system, as a rule, is inactive - he maintains the fetal position, reflexes are impaired. Often such a baby can hold his head suspended from the first days of life, but this is not a sign of advanced development, but a consequence of hypertonicity.

You should not give your child a terrible diagnosis on your own. Only a specialist can determine whether the tone is within normal limits - you need to consult a pediatrician, and also show the child to a neurologist.

Increased tone can appear due to completely innocent reasons, but it can also be a sign of a serious illness. In order to recognize the disease in time, one should not be indifferent to this phenomenon.

The main reasons that can lead to muscle strain in infants:

1. Infant physiology. Newborns may experience so-called physiological hypertonicity, due to the fact that in the womb the child was in a characteristic “grouped” position - the fetal position. After birth, it takes some time for the muscles to relax and begin to function normally. Bent legs with slightly spread knees, pressed to the stomach, bent arms, chin pressed to the chest can persist in a six-month-old baby and a year. The duration of physiological hypertonicity, according to the estimates of different specialists, varies greatly, but the above periods are considered to be within normal limits.
2. Hypertonicity in newborns can also be explained by individual characteristics. Muscle tone in different children is different by nature, some have it higher, some have it lower, but this does not affect their health in any way. It is impossible to distinguish an individual level of muscle tension from a pathological condition on your own, so if you have any suspicions, you should consult a doctor and undergo a full examination.
3. Increased muscle tone can also occur as a result of birth trauma. Long difficult labor, fetal asphyxia, increased intracranial pressure and hemorrhage can lead to such consequences.
4. Pathology of intrauterine development, congenital disorders of the central nervous system, associated both with the health of the expectant mother and with her living conditions and behavioral characteristics, can also be causes of hypertonicity in the newborn. It is especially dangerous for the baby’s nervous system when a pregnant woman consumes nicotine and alcohol.

Many babies take the same fetal position for some time after birth - their body has become very accustomed to it over many months. This phenomenon may be a sign of hypertension

A number of symptoms suggest that the baby’s muscles are in hypertonicity. If you notice at least some of the symptoms from the list below, you should consult a doctor. Parents should be alert to:

1. Restless, often interrupted sleep, screaming at the moment of waking up. Difficulty falling asleep, as well as a characteristic posture during sleep: the head is thrown back, arms and legs are pressed to the body.
2. Frequent crying with trembling of the chin, while the head is thrown back (tremor of the chin in a newborn: symptoms and treatment).
3. A sharply negative reaction to light and sound, even with minor exposure.
4. The ability to hold your head up from the first days of life.
5. Severe regurgitation, abdominal cramps.
6. Difficulties, strong resistance when trying to spread the baby's arms or legs to the sides.
7. The baby does not stand on his feet and “dances” on tiptoes.

The presence of several of these signs should lead parents and their child to see a doctor. To clarify the symptoms of hypertension, the doctor will check certain reflexes:

1. Stepper. An infant under 2 months of age, held in the arms of an adult in an upright position, takes a step.
2. Support. The baby, who is in an upright position, should stand on his full foot.
3. Symmetry and asymmetry. A baby lying on his back will bend his arms and straighten his legs if his head is raised and tilted towards his chest. When you tilt your head to the right or left, the arm and leg corresponding to the tilt will straighten, and the opposite ones will bend. The reflex disappears in a 3-month-old child.
4. Tonic. A child laid on his back straightens his limbs, but if he is turned onto his stomach, they bend. The reflex disappears after 3 months.

Reflexes that do not disappear by the required age signal the development of the disease. In this case, hypertonicity is diagnosed, which should be treated by a neurologist.

If the baby began to hold his head very early (or even from birth), you need to check him for the presence of hypertonicity

Diseases associated with the occurrence of hypertonicity are treated by neurologists and orthopedists. The main goals of treatment are:

• pain relief;
• elimination of spasm;
• relaxation.

Various modern medicines are used to treat hypertension. Massage, exercise therapy, physiotherapy and traditional drug treatment are recommended.

Types of massage used for hypertension

The purpose of all massage movements used in the treatment of hypertension is to relieve spasms and relax tense muscles. To improve the baby’s condition, massage is used according to the Phelps method, massage according to Semenova’s method, and influence on certain active points body, as well as a number of other techniques. Any massage actions applied to a newborn must be very careful and gentle. Stroking and rubbing are acceptable - preferably with an open palm, acupressure without pain. The procedure can only be entrusted to a qualified specialist.

It is best to entrust a massage for hypertension to a professional pediatrician - he will also be able to show the necessary movements to parents

A massage course usually consists of 10-15 procedures. After a month, if necessary, the cycle can be repeated. A professionally performed massage is a very effective remedy. Parents can learn to perform basic movements:

• stroking the fingers, similar to movements when putting on gloves;
• stroking the arms from the shoulder to the palms, skipping the elbow joint;
• stroking the legs from the groin to the foot, skipping the joints, but continuing the movement on the foot;
• stroking the feet from heel to toes;
• the toes are massaged in the same way as the hands;
• rubbing (only after stroking) the arms, legs, back, and tummy in a clockwise circular motion;
• rubbing the foot: starting from the base of the toes, draw a figure eight down with the lines intersecting in the middle of the foot, the bottom of the figure eight falls on the heel.

Kneading is not performed in children's massage, especially with hypertonicity. Patting and tapping are prohibited; do not press on tense nodes.

Massage, especially professional massage, can cause an emotional reaction in a child. Crying during a massage is attributed to both discomfort from the procedure and pain. It is difficult to determine the cause of crying, while a number of experts express the opinion that during a massage the baby should not cry from pain (more details in the article: why does a newborn baby often cry?).

You can also perform a number of gymnastic exercises at home. Gymnastics helps relax muscles and increases motor activity. A few exercises that will help your baby:

1. Preparation. The child should lie on his back, the adult should stroke his arms from shoulder to hand and legs from hip to foot so that the baby relaxes.
2. Careful extensions. It is necessary to alternately straighten the baby's arms and legs without much effort, without making sudden movements.
3. Shaking. Taking the arm or leg by the fingers, you should carefully shake it 4-7 times, then repeat the procedure with the remaining limbs.
4. Flexion. The baby is placed in a fetal position. The arms and legs bend, the head tilts towards the chest. It is useful to alternate this exercise with the previous one. All actions are carried out very carefully, without unnecessary effort.
5. Steps. The baby should be picked up and placed on the table so that the entire foot touches the surface. You can let go of the child a little so that he can rest on his own soles for a moment. This helps to form the foot correctly.
6. Exercise with feet. Light bends and turns - if the baby likes it, he will pull his toes towards his face and try to put them in his mouth.
7. Swinging on the ball. The baby is placed on his stomach on a large ball, which should be rocked while holding the baby by the legs and arms.

Therapeutic gymnastics gives good results, but it must be done regularly, preferably several times a day. The baby should love these activities and not experience discomfort.

The most common procedures in the treatment of hypertension are electrophoresis and paraffin wraps. Heat treatments are indicated to relax tense muscles. Electrophoresis allows you to introduce certain therapeutic drugs into the body. Paraffin wraps are most often done on the baby's legs.

Duration of procedures:

• Treatment usually begins in 10 minutes;
• gradually the duration of the procedure increases to 20 minutes;
• The cycle of procedures consists of 10 sessions.

Water procedures (aquatherapy) also help to relax muscle tension. Swimming improves coordination of movements and evenly loads the muscles of the whole body. It is very important to remember that cold water stimulates muscle function and increases muscle tone. Warm water has a relaxing effect.

Diving is not recommended for a child with muscle hypertonicity, but swimming and underwater gymnastics will help relieve spasm. It is advisable to conduct classes in a playful way. A number of herbs will enhance the effect of water procedures, these include: sage, valerian, motherwort, pine needles, lingonberry leaves. Water procedures should be done before bedtime, and the herbs should be alternated.

Even a regular evening swim in warm water has a relaxing effect and reduces muscle tone.

This time-tested direction in medicine involves treating the whole body as a whole. The manipulations are aimed at improving the circulation of fluids in the body and are carried out in the form of a gentle effect on bone tissue.

This highly effective method of alternative medicine can only be used by a qualified pediatric osteopath. Osteopathy sessions can help with neurological disorders caused by birth injuries, brain dysfunction and even congenital defects of the skeletal structure. Bringing the bones to the correct physiological position leads to the elimination of muscle spasms and the removal of pathological reflexes.

By the way, osteopaths recommend refraining from using walkers and similar devices that can aggravate the problem. Their use can lead to incorrect foot placement and impaired functioning of the muscles of the lower extremities. You should also pay attention to the baby’s shoes, especially those who have begun to walk. It should have a heel, a hard sole and an age-appropriate heel. We remove all booties and other soft shoes.

Osteopathy offers a comprehensive effect on the body, carried out under the guidance of an experienced specialist in this field of alternative medicine

Medicines are prescribed to infants if all the procedures described above do not give the desired result. Medicines are prescribed when the baby’s muscle tone does not return to normal after the baby reaches the age of 6 months.

Medicines prescribed by a neurologist belong to one of the following groups:

• muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle spasms;
• Neuroprotectors are used to improve blood circulation and restore brain functions;
• Diuretics are used to reduce intracranial pressure and stimulate brain activity.

Most often, Mydocalm, Semax, Baclofen, Pantocalcin and Cortexin are prescribed, as well as B vitamins. In severe cases, Cerebrolysin may be prescribed. All medications are prescribed to the baby by injection.

The well-known and popular pediatrician Komarovsky these days believes that increased muscle tone should never be ignored. It may indicate a serious illness, but in this case other symptoms will also be present. You should definitely undergo a diagnostic examination to make sure that the hypertonicity is physiological in nature. A video with lessons from Dr. Komarovsky will help parents better understand the problem.

What is tone?

IN Latin the term tonus was used to denote 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 three months of his life, 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 ahead of schedule 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 manifests itself in difficulties social adaptation in a children's group, poor performance at school.

Firstly, if you are concerned about your child's behavior, expressed in bad 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), a restless mood with crying, accompanied by cramps and increased muscle tension in the baby, then you should consult a doctor.

A neurologist will examine the baby and conduct an analysis. clinical trials and will definitely 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 joint work 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 the child, normalize sleep and muscle tone, baths with herbal infusions(valerian collection, pine oils). The water in the bathroom should be comfortable temperature, gently relax 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 on 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, sticky hands on your skin either. 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 of 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 over on 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.

Normal muscle contractility ensures harmonious physical and mental development child. Muscle tone in a baby can be physiological and pathological. Physiological conditions include increased muscle tone in the first weeks after birth. Next, the tone should return to normal. If a child still has increased muscle tone two weeks after birth, this phenomenon is called hypertonicity and belongs to the category of pathological conditions.

Hypertonicity of the muscles of a newborn is an understandable phenomenon. Inside the womb, the child was in a constrained state. His limbs were tightly pressed to his body, there was no room for movement.

After birth, the baby's body gradually gets used to new conditions. During the first two weeks, the muscles gradually relax, and the limbs return to a new state. However, if the baby has central nervous system lesions of varying severity, the brain will not be able to fully control muscle activity. In this case, the condition of the muscles will deviate from normal.

The persistence of hypertonicity during the first month of life should be a reason to examine the child by a neurologist.

The following development of the situation is considered normal.

1. First month of life. The child often assumes a fetal position, presses bent limbs to the body, turns his head to one side or the other while lying on his stomach, without keeping it raised, and also makes characteristic pushing movements with his legs.
2. Third month. The child is able to keep his head raised while lying on his stomach, can turn it in different directions, confidently stretches his arms and holds objects placed in his palm.
3. Sixth month. The baby's palms are completely open. The child can turn to his side, roll over onto his stomach, lift his body, leaning on straight arms and open palms, and attempts to crawl and sit down.
4. Ninth month. The child moves actively - crawls, sits, stands with support.
5. Year. The child walks with support, stands independently, and takes the first steps without support.

Pathology can be suspected from birth. Problems with the central nervous system are often expressed in muscle hypertonicity syndrome. In such children, all movements are constrained, the abduction of the lower extremities is no more than 45 degrees. The arms and legs are firmly pressed to the body, and the fingers cannot be unclenched.

Hypertonicity syndrome interferes with the further development of the child, the formation of joints and ligaments is disrupted. Persistence of the condition can lead to impairment of motor skills, motor activity, and the formation of the spine and posture.

If after the first month of life the baby’s muscle hypertonicity persists, in the future he will have the following signs.

1. The child behaves restlessly, sleeps poorly, wakes up in less than an hour and often cries.
2. The baby spits up profusely after every meal.
3. During sleep, the child arches his back and throws his head back. This is characteristic feature for hypertension. At the same time, his arms and legs are bent and pressed to the body.
4. During a tantrum, the child is tense and bends. In a nervous state, trembling of the chin is noted.
5. The baby is able to hold his head upright from birth.
6. When you spread your legs to the sides, you feel strong muscle tension. When you try again, the tension increases. The child resists and protests with a cry.
7. In an upright position, the baby does not rest his entire foot on the surface, but stands on his toes.

Existing signs of hypertonicity should prompt parents to seek advice from a neurologist.

During the examination, the doctor identifies the presence or absence of certain reflexes in the child and their compliance with the age norm.

1. Walking reflex. In an upright position, the baby tends to take steps. Normally, this ability disappears after 2 months of age.
2. Symmetry of reflexes. When lying on the back, the baby's chin is pressed to the chest. At the same time, the behavior of the limbs is observed - bending of the arms and straightening of the legs should occur. When the head is tilted to the right, there is straightening of the limbs on the right side and tension on the left. When you turn your head in the other direction, everything happens exactly the opposite. This reflex should disappear after 3 months.
3. Ability to tone. While lying on his stomach, the baby should tuck his limbs. Lying on your back relaxes your arms and legs. After three months the ability disappears.
4. When examining a newborn, the doctor places the baby in his arm, face down. In this position, the baby should experience contraction of the arms and relaxation of the legs. Under normal conditions, the head and back should extend into one line.

Parents can detect symptoms on their own. If a violation is suspected, they should consult a doctor.. A neurologist will be able to determine the presence or absence of a diagnosis and establish its type.

Muscle tone can be either increased or decreased. Sometimes there is an imbalance - a combination of the first and second. In other words, increased muscle tone in the arms and decreased tone in the lower extremities may be present at the same time, or vice versa. This symptom is called dystonia.

With asymmetry, muscle hypertonicity occurs only on one side. This condition is also called torticollis. The child is placed in a prone position and examined from the back. With asymmetry, the head is turned towards that half of the body where hypertonicity appears. On the same side, there is a bend in the back and tension in the arms.

Hypotension is also considered a disorder. This phenomenon has the opposite symptoms of hypertonicity and manifests itself in lethargy and impaired motor activity.

Muscle hypertonicity and hypotonicity may not appear systemically, but in individual parts of the body. In this case, there is a decrease or increase in muscle tone only in the arms, legs or back.

Violation of muscle tone is not an independent disease, but indicates other, more serious pathologies of the nervous system. That is why the symptoms of hypertension should not be ignored. If the syndrome is detected, the child must be thoroughly examined. In this case, an ultrasound of the brain is performed, and in rare cases, a tomogram.

The causes of damage to the central nervous system can lie both in problems associated with pregnancy and in complications during childbirth.

Scroll possible reasons lesions of the central nervous system in a child that cause a violation of muscle tone:

• infectious diseases of the mother during pregnancy;
• improper lifestyle of a pregnant woman;
• reception medicines mother during pregnancy;
• Rh conflict between the expectant mother and fetus;
• injuries received by the child during childbirth;
• genetic incompatibility of parents;
• unfavorable environmental situation.

The presence of these factors can only indirectly confirm the presence of a symptom of hypertonicity in a child.

Treatment should be aimed not only at correcting muscular dystonia, but also at identifying and eliminating the underlying cause that caused the condition.

When treating muscle tone disorders, non-drug methods are primarily used:

• massage techniques;
• water procedures (bathing in herbal infusions of valerian, motherwort, sage, excluding diving);
• gymnastic exercises, with the exception of dynamic gymnastics;
• physiotherapy;
• osteopathic techniques.

Upon appointment medicines those that can improve cerebral circulation, improve metabolic processes and reduce muscle tension are selected.

Minor violations may hide serious reasons. The harmonious development of the child should extend in all planes. A deviation in one area may lead to a violation in another area. Alarming symptoms of changes in muscle tone should not be ignored. During the examination, the doctor will be able to determine in which direction to move next, what examination and treatment the child may need.

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 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 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 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 on tiptoes rather than on the feet (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:

• the baby sleeps anxiously and little, wakes up at the slightest discomfort or sound;
• the child often cries for no apparent reason and often demands the breast;
• It is difficult to separate the legs; the baby often cries and actively resists;
• the arms are tucked in, the head is thrown back;
• when crying, the chin trembles, and the baby throws back his head and arches his back;
• when holding the head, excessive muscle tension is observed;
• constant regurgitation after eating, possibly during feeding;
• refusal to eat.

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. 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. 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 periodic crying of the child 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 shin.

Finish the massage better light stroking to calm an agitated 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 this or that medicinal plant is the individual tolerance of the child.

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. Suffering from hypertonicity of the hands fine motor skills, the child is bad at grasping objects with his hands, he 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.

Many parents do not understand the reasons that their babies often spit up, are capricious, cry and scream a lot and sleep poorly. However, having presented these complaints and received a referral to a neurologist, they find out that the baby has muscle hypertonicity. But it also happens that young parents believe that all these phenomena are normal and do not consult a doctor because they do not know what exactly they need to pay attention to.

Signs of hypertension in infants

You can determine whether a baby has hypertonicity by carefully observing him for some time and performing simple manipulations. One of the signs of this deviation is nervousness, and anxiety and excitement are often accompanied by crying and trembling of the chin. Other symptoms of hypertension in infants are:

1. Regular severe regurgitation during and after feeding.
2. When crying, the baby arches all his bodies and throws his head back.
3. The sleep of such children becomes short-lived and restless; they wake up from any extraneous sound.
4. During sleep, the child often takes the following position: arms and legs are brought together, the head is thrown back. At this moment, you can try to carefully move the limbs apart; with hypertonicity, noticeable resistance is felt, and if you continue trying, it will become even stronger, and the child will cry.
5. When inducing the walking reflex (for this, the baby is taken under the armpits, held, placed on his legs and slightly tilted forward), the baby must place his foot on the table completely, that is, with the entire surface. In the case when he touches the table only with his toes, we can talk about hypertonicity.

Many of these signs of hypertonicity are also present in healthy babies in the first six months of their life. A consultation with a neurologist will help to accurately determine whether there are deviations and determine measures to correct them.

Causes of hypertension in infants

There are several possible causes of hypertension in infants:

1. Pathological disorders of the normal functioning of the nervous system. Such deviations can be caused by many factors:

• illness of a woman during pregnancy, accompanied by chronic intoxication;
• constant tone of the uterus during pregnancy;
• brain hypoxia during the prenatal period or during childbirth;
• the waiting time for the child coincided with the treatment of herpes, chlamydia, toxoplasmosis and other acute infections;
• severe pregnancy, constant threat of miscarriage;
• severe toxicosis in the first or last trimester;
• chronic maternal pathologies;
• smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, causing fetal poisoning;
• labor that is too prolonged or too rapid (in such cases there is often insufficient full opening of the birth canal, entanglement, a long anhydrous period and other disorders);
• Incorrect incision during cesarean section delivery. Quite often, in order to reduce the suture and subsequent scar, doctors make a so-called “cosmetic” incision. In this case, the child’s head is smaller than the opening, which can cause damage cervical region spine.

1. Incompatibility of Rh factors or blood groups, or hemolytic disease of the child.

Treatment of hypertension mainly involves massage. Its main purpose is to relieve increased tension in the muscles and relax them. In this case, it is advisable to take the first course, which includes ten sessions, from a good specialist. Before agreeing to have a massage at a clinic, you should find out better about the master working there, look for reviews and opinions about him. Of course, today the cost of baby massage is quite high, but the result will be noticeable if you choose a competent specialist. He will also be able to give recommendations on independent conduct massage later.

If a baby has hypertonicity of the legs, then doctors usually prescribe the “wax boots” procedure along with a course of massage. Sometimes these two procedures are combined, that is, the baby’s legs are wrapped in heated wax, and at this time the master massages the upper half of the body.

In most cases, one course of such procedures is not enough. However, their effectiveness is quite high, so it is worth asking your doctor for another referral after a while.

Massage for hypertension in infants

The diagnosis of “hypertonicity” in infants is most often made at the age of one month. This deviation can lead in the future to restriction of the child’s normal motor activity, as well as to its abnormal development. To eliminate this disorder, various physiotherapy techniques and a mandatory course of massage and therapeutic exercises are used. In the most severe cases, drug treatment is indicated.

Conducting therapeutic exercises and massage for infants with hypertension

During the massage, the child is in the position of lying on his back, his legs extended towards the massage therapist.

Foot massage

The session begins with the left leg. The master takes her with his left hand ankle joint, placing it between the middle and index fingers.

• At this time, massage is carried out with the right hand, stroking movements moving from the foot to the lower leg, and then to the lateral and front part of the thigh and groin area. Repeat these strokes about 7-10 times.
• After this, they gradually move on to rubbing the same area. It is carried out using the fingertips in straight and spiral movements, moving alternately from top to bottom and from bottom to top.
• Next, the same surface is carefully kneaded and pressed with your fingers.
• Lightly stroke the foot, moving from the toes to the heel. Gently press your finger under the baby's middle toe and move it along the outer arch of the foot. When performing this exercise, the child’s toes are usually straightened and repeated 5-7 times.
• Use your thumb to rub the child’s foot, making movements reminiscent of a figure eight.
• Then knead the foot, pressing on it with the pad of the thumb.
• Using the index and middle fingers, begin to stroke the area from the toes to the ankle joint.
• Rubbing this area various types movements: spiral, straight, planing and others.

After performing such exercises, the child’s leg is taken right hand In the way that thumb was under the baby's toes, and the other fingers lay on the back of the foot. The left hand is placed on the child’s knee and fixed. Next, the leg is flexed and extended so that the hip and knee joints are involved. The exercise should be repeated about 5 times.

The baby's right leg is massaged in exactly the same way.

Having completed all the exercises, the baby’s legs are taken by the knees and bent at the hip and knee joints, lightly pressing your feet on the baby's stomach. They clasp their legs by the shins with their hands and, in turn, lightly tap the table with the foot of each of them. Next, the knees of the legs are spread apart, while the feet should remain pressed together. In this position, rub one foot against the other with light movements.

Back and buttock massage

Often, by this point in the massage, the baby is already tired and begins to be capricious. He is turned over on his tummy and his back is massaged as follows:

• Rub and knead the skin with light, gentle movements, and then stroke the skin, moving from top to bottom.
• They also rub and stroke the back of the thighs and buttocks. In this case, the gluteal muscles are lightly pinched and pressed on them.

When performing a massage, all techniques performed should be alternated with stroking.

Chest and tummy

At the next stage, the child is again placed on his back and the abdomen is stroked. In this case, you need to move clockwise. Then the breasts are stroked, moving from the sternum area to the armpits, you can lightly tap the sternum with your finger.

Hand massage

After this, they move on to massaging the baby’s hands. First, kneading, rubbing and stroking the outer part of the handle is carried out. To do this, clasp the baby’s left hand in such a way that the thumb of the left hand of the one doing the massage is clamped in the baby’s fist. After this, stroking is carried out with the free right hand, moving from top to bottom, and rubbing in any direction. With hypertonicity in infants, the external muscles of the arms are weakened, stretched and need strengthening. For this purpose, vibration movements and pressure are used. The muscles of the inner arms, or flexors, on the contrary, have increased tone and require relaxation. Therefore, this part should be kneaded with light circular rubbing movements and stroking from top to bottom.

The palms and back of the hand are massaged with light movements, while carefully straightening the baby’s fingers.

The child's second hand is massaged in the same way.

Next, move on to hand exercises. When performing them, the baby is given thumbs (he reflexively grabs them) and the hands are held with other fingers. For hypertonicity in infants, the following exercises are performed:

• The arms are spread to the sides and crossed on the chest.
• Raise your hands up together and alternately.
• Perform circular rotations of the arms relative to the shoulder joint forward and backward.
• Light shaking of the handles.

All exercises are repeated approximately 5-7 times.

The total duration of a massage for hypertonicity in an infant is about half an hour. Parents can massage their baby’s hands and feet themselves, using the exercises and techniques described above. This massage should last about 10 minutes and should be repeated several times a day.

The sooner you start taking measures to eliminate hypertension in infants, the more effective these measures will be.

Hypertonicity of the legs in infants

You can determine the baby’s neurological condition by simply observing how the child moves and his posture when he is resting. A baby’s muscle tone is one of the important indicators of the functioning of the muscular and nervous system. The child’s posture is influenced by active muscle tone, while passive tone determines the mobility of individual parts of the body and resistance to movement. With normal tone, the baby’s limbs, torso and head are in the correct position. You can evaluate this by holding the baby in a position where the face is turned down. The head and body should remain in line, and the legs and arms should be slightly bent.

In the first weeks of life, the fetal position is considered normal for a child. It is characterized by arms bent and pressed to the body, fists clenched and at chest level, legs bent at the knees and slightly apart, and feet also bent. The baby's head may be slightly thrown back, this is explained by the predominance of extensors at this stage of development. It is quite difficult to move the child’s leg to the side, since the adductor muscles of the thighs dominate.

The difference between a normal increase in tone is symmetry; such tone can be maintained for up to three to four months, until the time the independent movements begin. Then, until the baby reaches the age of six months, the tone of the flexor muscles gradually decreases, and the extensor muscles also gradually increase. Thus, by six months the tone of these muscle groups should level out.

There is no single concept of what physiologically increased muscle tone in newborns is. However, it is worth distinguishing it from pathological hypertonicity in infants, the latter is associated with disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. To determine it, it is worth dividing the limbs. When diluted again (if the baby's tone is normal), there is practically no resistance. Of course, only a specialist can accurately determine the presence of hypertension in an infant.

The norm is to spread the child's legs by about 900, that is, each of the limbs diverges by about 450. With a greater discrepancy, we can talk about insufficient tone, and if, when trying to separate the child's legs, very strong resistance occurs, then this is a sign of hypertonicity. In infants, other symptoms of this condition may include curled toes, resting on their toes, and in older children, a kind of “skier’s gait,” in which the child rests more on his toes.

Stiffness of the limbs may be a manifestation of pathology of the musculoskeletal system or neurogenic disorders. The same condition is often accompanied by cerebral palsy; in most cases, this disease affects the brain, and somewhat less frequently, the spinal cord. Such conditions are characterized by excessive movements, hypertension from the first days of the baby’s life, muscle tone that is noticeably higher than normal, and pronounced stiffness.

Hypertonicity in infants (video)

The 8-minute video clearly shows how to massage infants with hypertonicity. A professional physician demonstrates a full course of massage for hypertension on a doll.

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

Up to about six months nervous system The babies “learn” 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 45 0 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.

Symptoms of hypertension

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 can 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: ).
5. When crying, the child throws his head back, arches, and at the same time his chin muscles tremble ( See article ).
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 leans 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.

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Consequences and danger

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 further development child:

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

Hypertonicity of the legs

It is especially dangerous if the child develops severe hypertonicity in the legs. It affects the rate of development of motor activity. Children with this diagnosis later begin and. For children with hypertonicity of the legs, the use of and 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

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:

Treatment

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

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.

Video: how to massage for hypertonicity

Baths

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.