Hypertension in infants: symptoms and treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The baby was born, he is so tender and defenseless, and besides, he still cannot tell about his needs and well-being. Therefore, all mothers want to be sure that everything is in order with their child. Some disorders are observed in a huge number of children. This does not reduce the need to identify and correct them. One such problem is hypertension. But is it always a pathology?

Norm or pathology

It is important to distinguish between muscle hypertonicity in infants as normal in the first months after birth and as a pathological condition later in life. The fact is that all babies are born with increased flexor tone. In the womb, the baby is in the fetal position. In recent months, the fetus becomes large, and if earlier he could change his position and even kick, which was felt by the mother as pushes in the stomach from the inside, now he spends all the time in the same position. His legs are bent, pressed to his stomach and slightly apart, his arms are also bent at the elbows, his fists are clenched. After birth, this position for the child remains familiar and natural up to 6 months. However, if you try to gently straighten the baby's legs or unclench his fists, thisit will be easy. If the child has hypertonicity, there will be noticeable resistance and the legs will stretch only halfway.

What causes hypertonicity

The nervous system of a child after birth cannot yet be called mature and ready for full-fledged activity. The brain and peripheral nervous system continue to mature. The peripheral nervous system matures earlier. The cells located in it are usually responsible for muscle tension. And the brain cells send an impulse to them, which at the right time “turns off” the voltage. The muscles relax. However, in a newborn, brain cells are still immature or connections between cells have not been formed. The signal that speaks of relaxation does not originate in the brain or does not reach the “addressee”. Muscles are constantly tense. However, everything has its limit. If at first this is normal, then it speaks of a slight lag in the development of the nervous system or a serious pathology, such as cerebral palsy. There are also mild cases when hypertension in infants goes away on its own. But still it is better not to risk it and consult a doctor. If in one case a child can outgrow his problems - maturation will occur a little later, or he can be helped on his own with the help of a light massage, then in another, serious medical and pedagogical assistance is indispensable.

Causes of hypertonicity

The causes of hypertonicity in infants are harmful factors that can disrupt or slow down the development of the nervous system. Various hazards can affect the developingorganism in the womb, during childbirth and after birth.

Intrauterine factors: infectious diseases of the mother during pregnancy, exposure to bad habits - drinking alcohol, smoking, drug addiction, intoxication for any other reason, severe toxicosis, severe stress.

During childbirth, birth injuries such as cranial compression, cervical spine injury, and hypoxia due to entanglement of the umbilical cord or prolonged labor are the greatest risks.

After childbirth, problems occur less frequently. In this case, there is a danger of injury, severe intoxication, infectious diseases with high fever and convulsions, which generally weakens the body, including the nervous system.

Separately allocate Rh-conflict of mother and child.

Signs of hypertonicity

It is possible to detect hypertonicity in an infant at 3 months. These children usually have sleep disturbances. They sleep restlessly and wake up frequently. When the child lies, he arches back, throws back his head, draws his arms and legs. If you try to unclench your arms or legs, then resistance is felt, and the baby may begin to cry. His limbs and chin can sometimes shake. The hands are usually tightly clenched into a fist, the thumb is often inside the fist. Even dim lights and quiet sounds can irritate a child. Babies often spit up after eating. With hypertonicity, children walk on tiptoe. If the child is lifted by the armpits and placed on a flat surface, he will not step on a full foot, but onlyto its front. The head is often turned to the side.

It is important to pay close attention to the symptoms of hypertension in infants. The sooner you see a doctor, the more effective the treatment will be.

Dangers of hypertonicity

What is fraught with hypertonicity in infants? Firstly, as already mentioned, it can be a sign of cerebral palsy or other pathologies in the nervous system. It is important to find out in time. But even if everything is not so serious, hypertonicity affects the development of the child's body. For example, the development of motor skills may lag behind, an incorrect gait and posture is formed. Speech pathologies are also not uncommon, because the tone can also spread to the muscles of the face and oral cavity. In some cases, the formation of the respiratory system and the overall physical development of the child suffers.

Diagnosis of hypertonicity

To determine what is hidden behind the increased tone and whether there is a more serious pathology behind it, doctors prescribe such studies. Neurosonography is an ultrasound of the brain performed in the area of the fontanel. This is possible at the age of 1 year, while it is open. This method is safe and allows you to identify brain pathology.

Electromyography. This method evaluates the state of the child's muscles - their strength, the speed of nerve impulses passing through them, the symmetry of the muscles at rest and during movements.

Computed tomography is rarely prescribed for infants and is usually used if other methods have not given a reliable result.

If nothing is found, and the child has problems with tone, doctors oftenA diagnosis of PEP (Perinatal Encephalopathy) is made. This diagnosis can be heard very often, even too much. Overdiagnosis is not uncommon: sometimes doctors put AEDs in infants by mistake. Why is this happening? The definition of the disease is too vague, and the diagnosis takes into account many different symptoms. It's very easy to make a mistake. The diagnosis is not severe, and most children with it develop normally or are slightly behind. Moreover, there are children with PEP and advanced intellectual development - sometimes pathology can provoke the brain to compensatory enhanced work.

Treatment

Determine the symptoms and treatment of hypertension in infants should appoint a neurologist. Treatment may include massage, exercise therapy and fitball exercises, swimming, bathing in herbal teas (such as sage and motherwort), electrophoresis, and paraffin packs. Of course, medical treatment of hypertension in infants can also be prescribed. Mom can master many procedures on her own. This is done after careful observation of the work of a specialist and his training in all necessary techniques. The kid can be distrustful and fearful of strangers who do something to him, and this will cause crying and an increase in tone. And mom's touch will relax him much better. They are associated with warmth, comfort and safety.

Massage

Before performing a massage for hypertonicity in infants, it is important to ventilate the room well, but there should be no drafts during the procedure. The air temperature canfluctuate from 20 to 23 C. It is necessary to massage on a fairly strong table. Before the procedure, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and remove jewelry so as not to scratch the delicate skin of the child. The massage is done with baby massage oil.

How to massage

It is best to consult a specialist. He will be able to determine what exactly is most stressful for the child and how to help him. But if you want to practice on your own, even he althy babies can benefit from massage. It starts with stroking hands. You need to move from the palms to the shoulders, very gently and smoothly. Bypass joints and elbow sockets.

Foot massage is performed in the same way - stroking from the foot to the thigh. After that, you can begin to bend and straighten your legs. It is necessary to take each foot in the palm of your hand and very carefully bend each leg of the child 10 times.

Now you can massage your baby's feet. On its sole we draw a figure eight, slightly pressing on the leg. After that, massage each toe. The massage ends with gentle stroking from the heel to the toes.

Gymnastics

To stimulate motor activity and reflexes, such exercises are used.

You need to put the baby on its side. We stroke the back from the buttocks to the neck. The baby will arch slightly.

Flexion-extension of the toes. You need to take the foot in your hand and press in the area under the fingers and on its inner surface. The child, in response to this movement, bends the fingers and squeezes the foot. Then you can draw on the outer surface of the foot. The kid will straighten the foot.

General relaxation exercises for the whole body - a "cradle" and "rocker". The first exercise is performed as follows: the child lies on his back. Under his head and back, you need to bring your hands and shake him from side to side. The same is done for the lower body. You need to bring your hands under the buttocks and lower back of the baby and shake it. And the "rocker" is done differently. You need to take the child by the armpits and swing from side to side.

Fitball gymnastics

You need to put the baby back on the ball and rock it back and forth, holding it by the sides. Lift the child by the arms so that his chest comes off the ball. Perform vibrating movements while holding the baby.

Swimming

Swimming in the bath is done before going to bed - both before daytime and before night. The bath can be filled with warm water with a decoction of herbs. Warm water already has a relaxing effect, and medicinal herbs will help to reduce tone even better. For example, first a child takes a bath with a decoction of valerian root, the next day - lingonberry leaves, then motherwort, and then sage.

After that, you can take a break, and then resume the whole cycle. But diving in the bathroom with hypertonicity in infants is contraindicated.