Translated from Latin, “tremor” means trembling. Today, this term usually refers to involuntary rhythmic movements caused by muscle contraction. This condition was probably experienced by everyone. However, if a person feels tremor constantly, then most likely the reason is some kind of pathology. To get rid of this symptom, you must first understand what caused it. In this review, we will examine why the baby's hands are shaking and how to help the baby cope with this condition.
Description of the problem
How to identify tremor? There are a number of characteristics that describe this phenomenon:
- Time of manifestation: during movements and attempts to take a resting object.
- Amplitude: small tremors, subtle movements, in some cases, sweeping tremors can be observed.
- Origin: central or peripheral.
- The absence or presence of concomitant diseases: tremor can be either physiological or pathological.
Types of jitter
Let's dwell on this in more detail. The following types of tremors are:
- Rest: arises in a calm state. This symptom clearly indicates a health problem. It may be a manifestation of a neurological problem, such as Parkinson's disease.
- Postural: occurs when trying to hold a limb in a certain position. It occurs in various diseases. Trembling can also be hereditary.
- Intentional: has a characteristic movement pattern. As a rule, it is coarse, the frequency of movements does not exceed 5 Hz. Trembling becomes stronger if you stand up with your eyes closed, arms extended and fingers apart. When performing precise efforts, it can be amplified. Such a symptom usually signals a violation of the stato-coordinating function of the brain.
- Rubral: characteristic of lesions in the midbrain. The cause of this symptom may be a brain tumor, trauma or multiple sclerosis. The peculiarity lies in the fact that trembling is strongly expressed at rest, it increases with the occurrence of postural movement. Intentional tremor is most pronounced.
- Psychogenic: the occurrence of tremor is directly related to emotional experience.
If the child's hands are shaking, he must be shown to the doctor. This condition is not the norm and may indicate the occurrence of serious diseases.
Physiological tremor in children
Why is the child shaking hands? Doctors distinguish two types of tremor: pathological and physiological. Moreover, not only the hands, but also other parts of the body can tremble. Twitching of the limbs can be observed both in children older than one year and in infants. This disease can be diagnosed by involuntary twitching of the limbs. For young children, tremor is a normal condition only if it is caused by hypertonicity. A baby who shakes involuntarily with a pen or foot is perfectly normal. This condition will pass upon reaching the age of 3 months. Therefore, do not panic.
Why does a child shake hands a month? Tremor at this age is most likely caused by the immaturity of the nervous system. However, if over time you notice that the symptoms intensify, and the child pulls the handles harder, then this is a pathological form of the disease. In this case, the problem may lie in more serious diseases of the nervous system.
Tremor in infants
For babies, the physiological form of the disease is quite normal. With it, a newborn shakes one or more parts of the body (arms, legs or chin). Similar symptoms can occur during the REM sleep phase or during overvoltage. In newborns, physiological tremor is most pronounced. Then parents are very worried about the condition of the child. Head tremors can be observed even during feeding. This condition is the norm only if the age of the child does not exceed three months. However, there are often cases when children under one year experience it. So, if the child has a head and hands shake, it is quite possible that these are still manifestations of physiological tremor.
This type of ailment, compared with the pathological one, is characterized by a lower frequency, duration and amplitude of movements. If parents carefully monitor changes in the condition of the baby, they can immediately understand when the baby has physiological tremor
Tremor in children after a year
What should you pay attention to first of all? What to do if the hands are shaking in the child a year? Indeed, by this time, the manifestations of physiological tremor should have passed. Most likely, the disease is pathological in nature. In this case, trembling of the extremities can be observed at any age, up to adolescence.
How to identify a pathological tremor in a child? Symptoms, in addition to twitching of the head, limbs and chin, also include sleep disturbances, nervousness and tearfulness. Frequent twitching of the head after sleep can be a sign of increased intracranial pressure, hyperglycemia, perinatal encephalopathy and other dangerous diseases. In this case, a positive outcome can only be expected with a timely visit to a pediatric neurologist.
Other reasons
What to do if the child is shaking hands and feet? Why do children often experience these symptoms? Most likely, the problem lies in the improper development of nerve endings. Their centers are located in the brain. When a child experiences stress, the level of norepinephrine in his blood increases significantly. As a result, there is a strong muscle tension and, as a result, trembling of the limbs.
Related factors
What can lead to tremors in a child? There are a number of negative factors:
- Fetal hypoxia: usually occurs when the baby is entwined with an umbilical cord during childbirth, but can also develop for other reasons. In any case, the newborn experiences severe stress, which subsequently can lead to involuntary twitching of the limbs.
- Threat of miscarriage: if during pregnancy the mother often had an increased tone of the uterus, then this could have a serious effect on the fetus. In this case, even after the first year of life, the baby can continue to involuntarily twitch its arms and legs.
- Infections transmitted by the mother during pregnancy: doctors today recommend carefully planning the conception. An expectant mother must undergo treatment for infectious diseases. Otherwise, the baby after passing through the birth canal may be born to the sick.
- Detachment of the placenta: an extremely serious pathology that can lead to miscarriage in the later stages. The treatment in this case consists in urgent delivery, prevention of shock, inflammation and blood loss.
- Prematurity: children born between 28 and 37 weeks old, weighing less than 2500 grams and growing less than 45 cm, are considered premature. Such babies are weaker than those born on time, and their psychomotor development can occur with a certain delay. However, at the age of 2-3 years they are already catching up with the development of their peers.
- Injury during childbirth: as a rule, occurs as a result of prolonged childbirth with constant pressure on the fetus.
- Severe stress in the mother during pregnancy: norepinephrine in the blood has a negative effect on the baby. A systematic lack of sleep can cause tremors in the crumbs in the future. For this reason, it is important that the pregnant woman gets enough sleep and does not experience constant stress.
How to treat?
Now that we know why the child’s hands are shaking, we can begin to consider the main methods of treatment. As a rule, it consists in taking medication. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe a course of physiotherapy exercises, massage and electrophoresis. After such a complex treatment, the legs, arms and chin of the baby will shake less.
What to do if the baby is shaking hands after sleep? Neurologists in this case recommend:
- massage the legs and arms;
- perform gymnastic exercises;
- do baths with soothing herbs such as chamomile and lavender;
- take air baths.
Is such therapy recommended if the baby is 4 months old? Hands are shaking in this case, most likely due to physiological tremor, and its treatment is not prescribed for up to a year.
Pathological Tremor Therapy
What is she like? If it was revealed that the tremor experienced by the newborn is pathological, then it is necessary to provide the baby with a calm environment. If the child experiences stress and nervous tension, the treatment will be longer.
In children older than a year, involuntary twitching of pens sometimes occurs. It may seem to a child that a certain part of the body seems to involuntarily bounce. This condition is explained by increased muscle tone. Also, trembling can occur when the child experiences an emotional outburst. Often, a child shakes hands when crying or screaming. Twitching can still occur in the lips, chin, muscles of the neck, trunk, tongue and face.
The baby's arms and legs may shake and be at rest. It was revealed that children who are accustomed to falling asleep on their stomachs have less trembling limbs than babies who sleep on their back or side. The child, in addition to muscle tremors, can also feel irritation, headaches and insomnia. If the appropriate treatment is not completed on time, the tremor in the child will begin to progress. As a result, not one limb will be involved, but several muscle groups at once.
In children older than 1.5 years, tremor appears only as a result of any pathology. The reason may also lie in the dysfunctional course of pregnancy or heavy childbirth. This condition must be treated.
As a rule, the child is prescribed complex therapy, which includes:
- electrophoresis;
- physical therapy course;
- walks in the open air;
- special diet;
- massage.
Brain damage
Sometimes the child's hands are shaking as a result of serious developmental disabilities. With damage to the cerebellum, the only way to cope with the pathology will be surgical intervention. An electroencephalogram of the brain and ultrasound examination are used to control the dynamics of therapy. Throughout the course of treatment, it is necessary to observe a pediatric neurologist.
Effects
From an early age, the baby can begin to experience the effects of tremor. This is tearfulness and nervousness. Over time, sleep may also be disturbed. Unreasonable tremors can lead to impaired motor function. If the baby gets older, and the tremor does not go away, then most likely it is a serious neurological disorder, damage to the cerebellum, and a high concentration of copper in the blood. In this case, the main danger lies in the complete disability. It is very important to treat not only the external manifestations of tremor, but also the cause that caused it.
Conclusion
The physiological form of the disease in question is considered quite normal in infants. It is a consequence of the underdevelopment of the nervous system and must pass over time. But what if twitching of the limbs persists at an older age? How to understand what a child is sick with? At 4 years of age, hands shake only as a result of pathology or a serious neurological disorder. In this case, you should immediately contact a qualified doctor. Only timely treatment can count on a positive outcome.