Causes and treatment of tremor in newborns
Tremor in newborns is muscle cramps that occur in children from the first days of life. In most cases, tremors are manifested by cramps in the arms, legs, and chin. Rarely, there is a tremor of the head, indicating serious neurological problems. At the same time, tremors in a newborn's arms, legs and chin are not considered a pathology.
Causes of tremors in newborns
The cause of tremor in newborns is the underdevelopment of the centers of the nerve endings, which are located in the brain and are responsible for the movement of the trunk. The appearance of tremor is facilitated by a high concentration of norepinephrine in the blood, which manifests itself with the emotions of the baby. The release of a large amount of this secret occurs due to the inability of the upper layer of the adrenal glands of the newborn to the conditions of life outside the womb.
In pediatrics, there is a concept of the critical time for the development of a newborn outside the womb, this also applies to the development of the baby's nervous system. During this period, the nerves are maximally sensitive and even a slight deviation from the norm can cause serious pathology. The critical period is the first, third, ninth and twelfth month of a child's life. At this time, it is very important to carefully monitor the health and general condition of the child and, in case of the most minor problems, contact a specialist - a neurologist.
If the tremor in a newborn does not go away by itself or appears later, the doctor can make a diagnosis that is directly related to injury to the nervous system during intrauterine development or during childbirth. There are many reasons for this pathology. A slight excitement of a mother carrying a child can adversely affect the formation of the fetal nervous system. During anxiety and excitement of the mother, the concentration of norepinephrine in her blood increases, provoking trembling of the limbs, chin or head in the newborn. Oxygen starvation of the fetus during pregnancy or lack of oxygen during childbirth can also be a provoking factor in the development of tremors.
Oxygen deficiency can develop against the background of a violation of the integrity of the fetal membrane during hemorrhage or the threat of termination of pregnancy, the pathology may be associated with the mother's infection, weakness of labor, rapid labor, entanglement of the umbilical cord, with placental abruption. These factors contribute to the disruption of oxygen supply to the baby's brain, causing oxygen starvation. Oxygen deficiency subsequently leads to tremors in the newborn. Children born earlier than the due date also often have tremors of the limbs and chin due to the unpreparedness of their nervous system for life outside the womb. The further development of the child (after birth), even in clean air, does not compensate for the oxygen starvation of the fetus.
Tremor treatment in newborns
Tremor treatment in newborns, even with normal child development, must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. Parents of such a baby should think about a possible deviation, which requires constant attention from a neurologist. Timely and correctly selected treatment of the child's nervous system contributes to the normalization and strengthening of the health of the newborn. In addition to constant monitoring of the child's health by a pediatric neurologist and compliance with his recommendations, it is important to give the child a relaxing massage, therapeutic exercises, swim, and surround the child with a calm and welcoming environment.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
