The baby shakes its leg. If the newborn has a tremor. Features of the nervous system


Often in the first days of a baby's life, parents are faced with such a phenomenon as twitching of the legs, arms, lower lip. Tremor in newborns usually resolves on its own by about 3 to 4 months of age. But in some cases, it may indicate a serious violation of the health of the child. Why does tremor occur and how to determine what is the norm and what goes beyond it?

Symptoms

Physiological tremor, which is not an abnormality, usually lasts only a few seconds. At the same time, the baby's arms or legs shake symmetrically and not too intensely. Usually, this is how the child’s reaction to external stimuli manifests itself - nervous strain, fear, fatigue. Often twitches appear before going to bed and immediately after waking up. Also, parents may notice that when the newborn is crying, the chin and lower lip are shaking.

You should be alert only if the child has the following symptoms.

  • Not only his hands, legs, chin, lip, but also his head are shaking.
  • Trembling occurs spontaneously when the child is calm.
  • The tremor lasts 30 seconds or longer.
  • Limbs, lip, chin are shaking quite intensely, the child is “pounding”.
  • The episode is repeated regularly for several days.
  • The tremor did not disappear by the 6th month of life.

The reasons

Why is trembling of arms, legs, lower lip and chin such a frequent occurrence in babies? In newborns, tremor, like hypertonicity, occurs due to insufficient maturity. nervous system. This is especially true for premature babies. In addition, twitches can be observed due to an increased content of the adrenal brain hormone (norepinephrine) in the blood, which is responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses. If we talk about the factors that cause the development of physiological tremor in infants, then the following can be distinguished:

  • fetal hypoxia;
  • intrauterine infection;
  • placental abruption;
  • rapid or premature birth;
  • cord entanglement;
  • bleeding, polyhydramnios during gestation.

In the case when the child is more than 3 months old, but he periodically experiences trembling of the arms, legs, chin, lower lip, especially asymmetrical (one leg is shaking), intense and prolonged, this may indicate a number of diseases:

  • encephalopathy of the hypoxic type;
  • increased intracranial pressure;
  • narcotic withdrawal syndrome;
  • hypomagnesemia, hyperglycemia, hypocalcemia;
  • sepsis;
  • cerebral hemorrhage.

The first step is to make sure that twitching is not a reaction of the body to elevated body temperature. Tremor is quite easy to confuse with febrile convulsions that occur against a background of heat. In some children, trembling of the arms, legs, lower jaw appears already at a temperature of 37.5 degrees.

Treatment

At the first signs of tremor in a newborn, you should consult a doctor - a pediatrician or a neurologist. Only a specialist can determine why the baby has a tremor, whether he needs medical treatment or will it be enough preventive measures– relaxing massage, swimming, strengthening gymnastics.

  • Massage, therapeutic gymnastics.

Help to reduce hypertonicity and excessive excitability of the baby. It is very important that the procedures are carried out by a specialist. He can teach some skills to the parents of the baby.

  • Baths with decoctions of herbs.
  • Swimming.

It is not necessary to visit the pool, a home bath will be enough. Swimming is very beneficial for the health of the child, it has a positive effect on the musculoskeletal and nervous systems.

Physiological tremor disappears faster in those children who grow up in a calm, friendly environment.

Massage

Massage sessions are very important for tremors in newborns. They help to relax the muscles, the baby's legs, arms and chin stop trembling. However, you can give a massage to a child not earlier than he is 5 weeks old.

The procedure is carried out according to the following algorithm.

  • The room is ventilated and heated to a comfortable temperature.
  • The child is placed on a hard surface (such as a changing table).
  • Next, the massage therapist gently strokes the baby in the direction from the periphery to the center.
  • You should start with the limbs, then the neck, back and stomach are massaged.
  • The area of ​​the knees, elbows, as well as the spinal column is not affected.
  • Over time, rubbing, kneading, vibration are added to stroking.
  • Each session begins and ends with stroking.
  • The duration of the procedure for children under the age of 3 months is about 5 minutes.

You should not have a massage session if the child is tired, hungry or not in the mood, he should like the process, otherwise the tremor can only intensify when crying.

Exercises

Starting from 3 months, massage can be combined with strengthening exercises. In total, classes should take no more than 10 minutes.

Here is a diagram of the main exercises.

  • The child lies on his back, crossing and spreading his arms to the sides (6-7 times).
  • Then the handles go down parallel to the body and go up (6-7 times).
  • The child continues to lie on his back. Gently clasping his feet, do the “bike” exercise (30-40 seconds).
  • After the legs are alternately pulled up to the tummy and straightened (6-7 times).
  • From a supine position, the child is gently pulled on the handle to the left and right so that he rolls over on his stomach (2 times in each direction).
  • After this, the baby is picked up by the armpits, and he sorts through his legs, imitating walking (30-40 seconds).
  • You can finish the gymnastics by swinging on the ball (fitball).

Tremor in newborns up to 3 months is the norm if it appears with fear, crying, during sleep. In this case, there is no reason for concern, as soon as the child's nervous system gets stronger, he will pass on his own. If the newborn's chin, lower lip, head, legs or hands are shaking for no apparent reason, then you should be wary. Pathological tremor is dangerous for the health of the baby, it is usually a symptom of a serious illness. In this case, it is impossible to delay the trip to the doctor. The sooner treatment is prescribed, the more chances to avoid serious consequences.

Such a phenomenon as tremor in newborns is quite common and is a slight twitching of the lips, chin and limbs of the crumbs. Along with muscle hypertonicity, he speaks of the increased excitability of the baby and the immaturity of his nervous system. These periodic muscle contractions can be observed in about half of all babies in the first month of life - mainly in a state of excitement: with strong crying, fright, or during the REM phase (when the eyes of a sleeping toddler move very often). According to experts, the fact that a newborn is shaking in the first days and weeks of his life is quite normal. However, parents should always notify their pediatrician if their baby develops a tremor.

We propose to talk about why the newborn's chin, arms, legs and lower lip are shaking, and what should parents pay attention to in this situation?

Trembling of individual parts of the body in a baby is the result of compensatory excitation of his peripheral nervous system, which occurs in order to stabilize the state of the child's body. In this case, if the newborn does not shake much (that is, the tremor is small in amplitude), but often, this is quite normal for this age. According to pediatricians, this condition occurs due to the immaturity of the nerve centers of the brain of the crumbs, as well as as a result of a high concentration in the blood of the hormone norepinephrine, which is responsible for conducting nerve impulses. Therefore, quite often the lip, limbs and chin are shaking in a newborn. Babies who were born prematurely are especially prone to tremor.

According to pediatricians, the trembling of a newborn can be caused by various factors that disrupt the normal formation of his nervous system, namely:

  • hypoxia during pregnancy and childbirth, causing severe disturbances in the work of the central nervous system and the brain of the child;
  • birth trauma;
  • stress in the expectant mother in the last trimester of pregnancy, when a high concentration of norepinephrine in her body can destabilize the endocrine and nervous system of the baby.

In the first months of a baby's life, the trembling of his chin can be caused by physical or emotional discomfort arising from the physiological immaturity of the nerve centers that are responsible for the motor function of his body. Often, the hands and chin of a newborn are shaking due to various pathological conditions during pregnancy and childbirth: prematurity, rapid or protracted labor, uterine hypertonicity, fetal hypoxia during pregnancy.

If the chin is shaking in newborns in the first 3 months of his life, then this condition does not require correction. But, if the doctor nevertheless prescribed an additional examination for the baby, then you should not refuse it, because, in this way, the parents will be able to make sure that everything is in order with the baby.

A newborn's lip is shaking: should I see a doctor?

With lip tremor in an infant, parents need to show the baby to the pediatrician in the following cases:

  • if the newborn's lip is shaking, and with it the whole head;
  • if the trembling of the lips in an infant does not go away when he reaches 3 months of age;
  • if the tremor is not caused by crying, screaming, or other emotional outburst;
  • if the trembling is very pronounced and occurs frequently.

Why do newborns shake hands and feet?

Despite the fact that a slight tremor of certain parts of the body for a child in the first months of life is the norm, in some cases parents should still look at these symptoms with special care. If the trembling occurs very intensely and often, while in addition to the tremor of the chin and arms, the legs and head of the newborn are shaking, this can be an extremely alarming sign associated with serious conditions and diseases, such as:

  • hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy;
  • narcotic withdrawal syndrome;
  • hyperglycemia;
  • hypocalcemia;
  • hypomagnesemia;
  • sepsis;
  • intracranial hemorrhage.

In addition, parents need to pay attention to whether the baby's tremor is associated with his excitement or hunger, and whether the legs and arms of the newborn stop shaking as he calms down.

Does a child's tremor require special treatment?

If the newborn shakes only when crying or fright, as well as during the REM phase, then parents should not panic. If the trembling is unreasonable and over time it only intensifies, this may indicate that the baby has some neurological disorders. These cases require an urgent appeal to a pediatric neurologist, who will conduct a complete examination of the child and prescribe the necessary treatment and physiological procedures (gymnastics, therapeutic massage, swimming in the pool, etc.).
The main thing is to start treatment as early as possible and then the result will not be long in coming. Health to your kids!

The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Expert advice is required!

Tremor in children under one year old

Tremor in children up to a year, spontaneous muscle twitches that occur in different parts of the body are called. Most often observed physiological tremor the chin, lips or limbs of the baby is a variant of the norm. Such convulsive muscle contractions are due to their increased tone and immaturity of the child's peripheral nervous system.

Increased tremor, its causeless appearance and spread to other parts of the body, neurologists call pathological tremor, which indicates serious disorders in the functioning of the nervous system and is a symptom of various serious diseases.

Symptoms

Muscle twitches in different parts of the body occur in a baby in various situations; they are caused by nervous tension:
  • cry;
  • fright;
  • bathing;
  • dressing up;
  • fast sleep phase;
  • discontent;
  • feeling of hunger, etc.
After the appearance of one of the provoking factors, the child begins to tremble:
  • chin;
  • lips;
  • upper or lower limbs.
With physiological tremor muscle twitches pass quickly, and their amplitude is barely noticeable. As a rule, physiological tremor completely disappears before 3 months of age, but in some cases it can occur up to a year. Parents of a baby who has episodes of physiological tremor should carefully monitor its manifestations and visit a neurologist in time. Critical moments for the development of the nervous system in a baby up to a year old are considered to be 1, 3, 9 and 12 months of life - it is during these months that a child with tremor needs to be monitored by a neurologist.

With pathological tremor in children under one year old, parents may notice that twitches occur for no apparent reason, they are of considerable intensity and occur frequently. As a rule, the general condition of the baby also suffers: he becomes nervous, capricious, often cries and sleeps poorly.

The reasons

The cause of tremor in children under one year old is the partial underdevelopment of the centers of nerve endings located in the brain and responsible for the movements of the body. With the emotions of the baby, the concentration of norepinephrine in the blood increases, which causes tension in the muscle fibers and nervous twitching of various parts of the muscles.
The cause of underdevelopment of the centers of nerve endings can be various factors:
  • fetal hypoxia;
  • risk of miscarriage ;
  • cord entanglement;
  • infectious diseases in the mother during pregnancy;
  • negative emotions and stressful situations during pregnancy;
  • weak generic activity;
  • rapid childbirth;
  • birth trauma;
  • prematurity.

Treatment

With physiological tremor in children under one year of age, treatment is not prescribed. Parents are advised to carefully monitor the child, to determine the moments of the appearance of tremor and possible symptoms its aggravation. To prevent complications, the baby should undergo periodic examinations by a neurologist.

Treatment for pathological tremor may include:

  • taking baths with decoctions of soothing herbs (chamomile, lavender);
  • swimming in a bath or specialized pools;
  • conducting general strengthening gymnastics;
  • taking air baths;
  • soothing massage;
  • drug therapy (if necessary);
  • surgery (in severe cases).
The volume of the complex of therapy for pathological tremor is determined by the doctor, depending on the state of health of the baby. It is extremely important to surround such a child in the family with constant care, affection and a calm environment.

Tremor in children older than one year

In some cases, episodes of physiological or pathological tremor can be observed in children older than a year (up to adolescence).

Symptoms

Most often, physiological tremor is observed when a child is excited: nervousness, fear, or strong emotions. It can be expressed in twitching of the lips, chin, upper and lower extremities. As a rule, its episodes are always associated with an overstrain of the child's nervous system and are short-lived.

With pathological tremor, which accompanies various disorders of the nervous system, other parts of the body (head, muscles of the face, tongue and trunk) may also be involved in twitching. Episodes of such a tremor in children can be observed at rest or when trying to perform normal movements that are not associated with nervous tension. In addition to muscle twitches, symptoms of other disorders in the activity of the nervous system may be observed: headaches, poor sleep, excessive irritability.

Neurologists distinguish several types of tremor:

  • Benign tremor - more often observed in adolescents, at first one hand may tremble, then the second is involved in the process, with untimely treatment, trembling of the tongue, larynx and other parts of the body may appear.
  • Postural tremor - more often inherited, accompanied by disorders in the thyroid gland, nervousness and anxiety; trembling of the hands can usually be noticed only when they are stretched out.
  • Intention tremor - develops with damage to the cerebellum, accompanied by difficulty in coordinating movements (the child has sharply defined “jerks” in habitual movements).
  • Asterixis- the most severe form of tremor, which is accompanied by uncertain and slow attempts to flex and extend the upper limbs and occurs against the background of renal or hepatic insufficiency.

The reasons

The cause of physiological tremor in children after a year is the immaturity of the nervous system. As a rule, after its full maturation, episodes of "bouncing" disappear and do not leave negative consequences.

The causes of pathological tremor in children older than a year can be various pathologies of both the nervous and other body systems:

  • severe hypoxia during pregnancy;
  • infectious diseases carried by the mother;
  • the threat of miscarriage, rapid or premature birth;
  • thyroid disease;
  • birth trauma;
  • severe pathologies of the liver and kidneys;
  • hereditary and degenerative diseases of the nervous system;
  • neurosis and other nervous diseases.

Treatment

Treatment of tremor in children older than a year is always long and complex. It can be prescribed only after a detailed neurological examination. In some cases, drug therapy is not prescribed, and treatment is limited to:
  • creating a calm and friendly atmosphere in the family;
  • holding therapeutic baths with soothing herbs and fees;
  • frequent walks in the fresh air;
  • breathing exercises;
  • soothing and relaxing massage courses;
  • balanced diet .
Appointment if required drug treatment specialists take into account the cause of the development of tremor and the underlying disease that causes this symptom. To get rid of twitches, beta-blockers, symptomatic or sedatives (including herbal ones) can be prescribed.

In rare cases, with lesions of the cerebellum, surgical treatment may be prescribed.

Tremor in a child after vaccination

In some cases, after a particular vaccination, a child may intensify or develop a tremor of the chin, arms or legs. These symptoms indicate an overexcitation of the baby's nervous system and require a consultation with a neurologist for a number of diagnostic procedures and the exclusion of serious neurological pathologies:
  • ultrasound of the brain;
  • EEG and echo-EG of the brain.
If a pathology is detected, the doctor may prescribe a course of medication or physiotherapy. Subsequent vaccinations may be delayed until the baby's nervous system functions are restored.

In a child younger than 3 months, the tremor after vaccination may be physiological, against the background of crying from pain. In this case, when the child calms down, the manifestations of tremor also disappear. Treatment is not required.

Tremor in a child after sleep

Tremor in a child after sleep can be physiological and pathological. With physiological tremor after sleep, which is observed in children up to 3 (sometimes 4) months of age, twitching quickly passes without threatening the health of the baby.

If a pathological tremor after sleep is detected, which can be observed in the presence of neurological and other diseases in older children, parents should seek the advice of a neurologist and conduct a series of examinations prescribed by them. After identifying the causes of pathological tremor, the doctor may recommend a course of treatment: relaxing massage, exercise therapy, air baths, baths with soothing herbs, physiotherapy or medication.

Tremor - trembling of the limbs, head or body of a person due to rhythmic muscle contractions.

The reasons lie in the human nervous system, or rather, in small deviations in its work. The fact is that the tremor is caused by the constant adjustment of the position of a limb or any other part of the body in space, since signals are delayed in the brain.

Afferent signals originate from a receptor or sensory organ to the brain. In this case, these are signals from receptors, with the help of which the brain analytical centers receive information about the position of the body in space. Normally, information flies back and forth instantly, but with certain neurological failures, there is a delay at some stage, so the position is adjusted in jerks, which results in a jitter effect.

Quite often, tremor can be accompanied by muscle weakness caused by a lack of nerve impulses.

Diseases that cause pathology can be both serious and temporary disorders, the causes of which can be in the form of immaturity of the brain centers or the consequences of serious illnesses.

The causes of occurrence determine the following types of tremor:

  • Kinetic - starting with any movement.
  • Promotional - with arbitrary movement.
  • Resting tremor occurs when the body is at rest.
  • Intentional - arising when a limb approaches the target.
  • Postural - while holding a pose.

By origin and nature of the pathology:

  • Psychogenic - caused by mental overexcitation.
  • Neuropathic - due to neurological diseases.
  • Iastrogenic - caused by medication.
  • Dystonic - arose against the background of movement disorders.
  • Mid-brain or rubral - with physiological damage to the peripheral nerves responsible for this motor muscle.
  • Cerebellar or cerebellar - intentional tremor that occurs due to lesions of the cerebellum.
  • Parkinsonian - developed with Parkinson's disease, during which the death of nerve cells that produce dopamine, which is necessary for the transmission of impulses from neuron to neuron, occurs.
  • Essential - hereditary tremor, not associated with any pathologies, and therefore benign.
  • Physiological - temporary shivering caused by physiological responses to Negative influence on the nervous system by alcohol, drugs, stress, etc.
  • Orthostatic - convulsive trembling of high frequency in a standing position, which is most felt in the hips, then in the legs. Stops in a lying or sitting position.

By etiology:

  • Primary - developed by itself.
  • Secondary - appeared on the background of a serious illness.
  • Psychogenic.
  • In diseases of the central nervous system.

Most often, a tremor of the arms or legs is manifested, and trembling of other parts of the body in people older than three months is already a sign of pathological processes.

Symptoms and causes in newborns

Tremor in newborns manifests itself in the same way as in adults in the form of trembling of the limbs, lips, head or torso.

In infants, this is usually not a pathology, since it is quite a common phenomenon that has causes associated with developmental characteristics.

  • Tremor of the extremities is the most common type of muscle tremor, which is caused by the immaturity of the brain's coordinating and other centers. Usually, the nervous system of even a full-term baby matures within 12 months after birth, at which time some brain centers can prevail over others in turn, delays in nerve impulses, etc. This is especially noticeable in premature babies.
  • Trembling of the chin or lips is also a variant of the acceptable norm.
  • Tremor of the head is no longer good, but not yet a pathology, since it is usually provoked by the same reasons as the trembling of the legs or hands, only more intensely expressed. Most often, this variety is found only in premature babies, and also because of the negative effects on the child's body.

In addition to prematurity and immaturity of the nerve centers, an infant can acquire a disease if the following phenomena were observed during pregnancy and childbirth: fetal hypoxia, excess norepinephrine, birth trauma.

Sometimes this phenomenon appears immediately after childbirth, but it happens that it first manifests itself at the beginning of the second month of life, which is associated with the mechanisms of adaptation of the nervous system to external stimuli.

Pathological tremor in newborns

Trembling in the limbs, body and head of a child after three months of age is considered pathological, especially if an asymmetrical tremor or trembling of the head is observed. Pathological in newborns can be caused by the following diseases:

  • - organic death of brain tissue due to hypoxia or lack of blood circulation.
  • Sepsis is an infection of the blood.
  • Hypomagnesemia is a deficiency of magnesium, which is involved in many processes in the body, causing, in addition to cardiovascular problems, an increase in neuromuscular excitability, spasms, tissue dystrophy, growth retardation, impaired calcium absorption, as it is part of the hormone that regulates potassium-phosphorus metabolism.
  • Hypocalcemia is a lack of calcium, causing convulsions and overexcitation of the nervous system.
  • Hyperglycemia is an excess of sugar in the child's body.
  • Increased pressure inside the skull due to hydrocephalus, tumors and other serious diseases.
  • Narcotic syndrome or, more simply, withdrawal, the causes of which lie in the abuse of drugs, alcohol, tobacco or other harmful substances by the mother.

In infants, it should not be associated with fear, crying, overexcitation, or look like periodic attacks during sleep, otherwise this is the norm until the age of twelve months.

What to do if a child has a tremor

If the child has a benign type of pathology caused by developmental features or prematurity, then there is no need to worry, although it is worth monitoring the child more carefully due to the likely presence of neurological diseases.

Usually, during age-related development and maturation of the nervous system, this syndrome disappears without a trace, and the child can be helped a little with simple physiotherapy procedures in the form of massage and gymnastics.

Pathological tremor caused by any neurological diseases or the consequences of serious illnesses needs a thorough examination and identification of its exact causes. This will pass only after the complete recovery of the baby.

Now children in the maternity hospital or immediately after discharge are required to undergo a comprehensive examination by a neurologist, which can identify the causes of tremor. If it is benign, then it will be possible to get rid of it quite quickly at home.

Swimming

Everyone knows that swimming, through a complex effect on the muscles and nerve endings of a person, perfectly helps to restore motor functions, as well as the nervous system as a whole. Babies and young children are very fond of water treatments and swimming. At home, you can conduct such classes in a regular bath or baby bath with the help of an adult who will support him with his hands, and in a deep pool using a special inflatable float collar. The most important thing is to observe safety precautions and make sure that the baby does not inhale water.

Relaxing baths for children

With trembling of the limbs of the child, caused by increased excitability or immaturity of the nerve centers, warm relaxing baths with a small addition of such essential oils like lemon balm, valerian, lavender or mint. True, it is not recommended to add esters very often because of the risk of developing allergies.

Baby massage

Massage is also useful for the nervous system as water procedures, however, up to one and a half to two months of age, it should be carried out in the form of simple strokes. From two months, you can safely carry out massage procedures, observing the following rules:

  • It is necessary to massage on a hard, but not hard, very flat surface.
  • Before laying down the child, you need to make sure that the prepared place is warm enough and is not in a draft, otherwise the baby, heated up by the procedure, will easily catch a cold.
  • Simple strokes, kneading, rubbing and vibrations along the direction of the lymph flow, that is, to the lymph nodes: from the feet to the pelvis, from the hands to the armpits, etc.
  • When massaging the tummy, it is not recommended to knead the liver area in the right hypochondrium and the spine area if the child's back is being massaged.
  • Rubbing is done with fingertips.
  • Massaging should be carried out vigorously, but very gently.
  • During the massage, the baby does not need to pin excess physical strength, everything needs to be done gently and carefully, otherwise you can harm or develop a negative attitude of the baby to the procedure.

  • Path - rubbing the edges of the palm of the path on the back of the baby along his spine until the skin turns slightly pink.
  • Hen - tapping the back with your fingertips or a pinch as if a chicken is pecking.
  • Geese - a gentle imitation of energetic goose tingling in a chaotic manner on the back of a child.
  • Hang glider - gentle stroking with a slight pressure on the back and chest of the child from the pelvis to the armpits with all palms, clasping his body. This technique is recommended as a warming one at the beginning of the massage and a calming one at the end, as well as between different techniques.
  • Wave - a massage technique performed on preheated skin, which consists in pulling and sorting the skin parallel to the spine from the bottom up. It must be carried out carefully, otherwise you can cause discomfort.
  • Spiral - circular spiral movements of the fingers along the spine from the bottom up, during which all the vertebrae are kneaded and stroked.

When a child is born, many of its organs function defectively. Therefore, such a phenomenon as tremor in newborns is considered absolutely normal. But only up to a certain point.

Pediatricians advise mothers to monitor the trembling of the chin and limbs of the baby, but not to panic at the slightest hesitation. Also, parents, in order to reassure themselves, should study the relevant information and understand when a tremor in a newborn is the norm, and when it is a deviation.

Tremor of the limbs and chin in babies, which often occurs during crying, is associated with a balancing excitation of the nervous system, which helps to stabilize the state of the body. The twitches, which usually occur against a background of stress, have a small amplitude and occur at very short intervals.

We can say that the tremor of the chin and legs in a newborn is side effect increased muscle tone. So the first three months of a child's life, small twitches are the absolute norm. In addition, this picture is directly related to the immaturity of the nervous system of the baby.

Also, tremor in newborns can be observed during REM sleep. It looks like this - the arms and legs of the child tremble intensely, the eyes under the half-closed eyelids often move.

A week after the birth, tremor attacks gradually begin to disappear, manifesting themselves only with a strong fright or a hysterical cry. If the child's limbs or chin tremble even when relaxed, a doctor should be consulted.

Variants of the norm: what provokes tremor in newborns

If you notice an involuntary trembling of your baby's chin or legs, you can safely attribute them to the immaturity of the nervous system or adrenal glands. In both the first and second cases, when overexcited or uncomfortable, the body reacts with the release of adrenaline, which provokes a tremor. Discomfort refers to the discontent of the crumbs that arose when dressing, feeding, bathing. For example, if the water in the bath is uncomfortable - too high or low - the temperature, the child may burst into tears, and his chin will tremble.

Also, there is often a tremor of the chin and limbs in newborns who have appeared ahead of time. In premature babies the peripheral and central nervous systems are even more immature than those of term infants. And although they continue to develop outside the womb, the stress that the child received when born prematurely can make itself felt in the form of twitching of the arms and legs.

In addition, if during childbirth there was fetal hypoxia , most likely, up to three months the child will have a tremor. This condition is considered normal when crying or overexcited. But if the trembling of the limbs occurs involuntarily, and continues after the child reaches the age of three months, this is a serious reason to visit a neurologist.

When is tremor abnormal?

Tremor in newborns that occurs for no apparent reason may be evidence of certain diseases. In any case, if you notice suspicious symptoms, it would be useful to consult a neurologist and, on the advice of a doctor, examine the child.

Sometimes a tremor of the chin in a newborn covers the entire head. If this is an isolated phenomenon, explained by crying, there is no reason to worry. But if the trembling of the head, accompanied by hypertonicity of the neck muscles, is repeated again and again, we can talk about a serious neurological ailment. Involuntary twitching of the head can occur against the background of sepsis, intracranial hemorrhage, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, hypocalcemia, hyperglycemia, hypomagnesemia, drug withdrawal syndrome.

Tremor of the chin, by and large, is considered the norm. But if it continues after three months, and is also accompanied by muscular dystonia, frequent regurgitation, lack of sleep and overexcitation, you should still consult a doctor.

involuntary limb contractions after leaving the neonatal period, arising for no reason, should alert parents. For example, hand trembling can be a sign of a thyroid disorder. Especially if the tremor is accompanied by insomnia, increased sweating, intestinal upset and colic. When such symptoms appear, it is worth showing the child to an endocrinologist.

Sometimes the tremor of the legs in newborn mothers is confused with convulsions that occur when. Only a doctor can tell the difference between these symptoms. So do not neglect regular check-ups with a pediatrician. In addition, tremor can be associated with or hemorrhage, as well as the wrong structure of the foot or lower leg. Sometimes twitching of the lower extremities occurs after an injury.

What should parents do

First of all, mothers should learn that it is impossible to take any active actions without the permission of a doctor. From inept massage, the child's condition can only worsen.

First, listen to your doctor. If he advises any medicines - do not resist. They are prescribed in difficult cases and are designed to improve the supply of oxygen to the cells. Such drugs include Mydocalm, Pantogam, Glycine, etc.