Chin tremor in a 5 month old baby

Tremors are uncontrollable movements caused by involuntary muscle contractions. The symptoms most often appear in the hands and head. The causes of the disease are various conditions. In some cases, tremor is physiologically temporary. However, more often uncontrolled movements worsen the quality of life.

According to the international classification of diseases ICD-10, tremor is coded G25. Depending on the cause, the following disease codes are distinguished:

G25.0 - essential;
G25.1 - while taking medications;
G25.2 - intentional;
G25.3 - myoclonus;
G25.4 - chorea;
G25.5 - other types of chorea;
G25.6 - tics due to medications;
G25.8 - specified extrapyramidal and movement disorders;
G25.9 - unspecified extrapyramidal and movement disorders.

You can undergo a full course of examination in Moscow to identify the causes of tremor at the Yusupov Hospital. The clinic has modern equipment that meets international standards. Doctors at the neurology clinic provide complex therapy for tremor using the most effective medications, physiotherapeutic procedures, and therapeutic exercises. Initially, neurologists establish the cause of uncontrolled movements and eliminate it. Doctors from various specialties take part in the treatment process: neurologists, rheumatologists, endocrinologists, and rehabilitation specialists. Severe cases of tremor are discussed at a meeting of the expert council with the participation of candidates and doctors of medical sciences, doctors of the highest qualification category.

Causes

Tremors in the hands and head can occur due to various reasons. The importance of identifying the etiological factor lies in the need to determine appropriate treatment. Among the main causes of tremor are:

Osteochondrosis. Due to pinching of the spinal nerve fibers, circulatory and nutritional disorders occur. Along with tremor, swelling of the face and cardiovascular disorders often appear;
Alcohol and drug addiction. Taking excessive amounts of alcohol or medications can cause tremors;
History of trauma. Damage to the nerve roots due to trauma is often reflected in the form of tremors;
Dysfunction of the central nervous system. The tremor may begin as mild twitching. As the condition worsens, the severity of the symptom increases;
Psycho-emotional experience. Most often, tremors due to stress occur in infants. This is a variant of the norm if the symptom appears sporadically.
Excessive mental stress. Worries teenagers or students during exam periods. If severe headache, loss of coordination, aggression or apathy appear along with tremor, you should consult a doctor;
Degenerative changes in the brain. Diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dementia can be accompanied by tremors. You can control the severity of symptoms with the help of medications that are selected by your doctor.

Diseases that cause trembling of the limbs

There are various diseases, the presence of which can lead to tremor. Among them are:

Endocrine pathology: hyperparathyroidism, thyrotoxicosis, pheochromocytoma, hypoglycemia;
Strokes of various origins;
Infectious diseases: encephalitis, neurosyphilis;
Metabolic disorders: Wilson-Konovalov, Hallervorden-Spatz disease;
Tumors: angiomas, cancer, hematomas;
Polyneuropathy of various origins.
Neurological pathology: multiple sclerosis, encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Pick's disease, Huntington's chorea, cerebellar degeneration.

In most cases, tremor is a symptom of Parkinson's disease. There is an opinion that this is a problem for older people (previously this was considered the norm). But essential tremor (also called “hereditary”) now occurs in young people, and the proportion of such cases reaches 20%. Parkinsonism ranks second among neurodegenerative diseases. It is second only to Alzheimer's disease. 8 out of 10 cases of Parkinson's disease develop unnoticed and usually manifest themselves only in disturbances in motor activity: rigidity or increased muscle tone, stiffness of movement.

Tremors are not always associated with Parkinson's disease. It often occurs in the case of autoimmune processes or dysfunctions of the central nervous system, endocrine disorders, and may be a consequence of taking medications. Neurologists use the latest laboratory and instrumental studies to determine the cause of tremor. If tremor is caused by disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system, then it cannot be treated, but modern drugs significantly reduce the manifestations of the disease and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Tremor as a hereditary disease

Essential tremor is one of the types of pathological forms of tremors. The development of essential tremor is associated with the mutation of certain genes. The disease is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, so the likelihood of developing tremor in women and men is the same.

The main feature of essential tremor is the high risk of developing the disease in the patient’s children and grandchildren. In this case, signs of the disease begin to be observed at an early age. A gene mutation that has not previously appeared in a family may occur spontaneously in one of the members. In this case, a sporadic form of the disease develops.

If a patient comes to the Yusupov Hospital with complaints of body tremor, the causes of the disorder are established during an examination by a neurologist and highly informative studies.

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Causes of internal tremor

Internal tremors in the body are a common phenomenon that can be caused by a sharp drop in temperature. The development of internal tremor occurs as a result of the production of hormones in a stressful situation for the body. These hormones help overcome unpleasant conditions, but they may not be fully used. A short tremor that occurs as a result of an excess of hormones in the body does not pose a danger to human health.

Severe body tremors may indicate the development of a pathological process in the body. Tremor brings discomfort to a person; in most cases, it is difficult to cope with pathological tremor on your own. Experienced specialists at the Yusupov Hospital determine why the whole body tremor developed in this patient using modern diagnostic equipment. Neurologists at the Yusupov Hospital help patients stabilize their nervous system and improve their quality of life using the achievements of modern medicine.

Expert opinion
Author: Georgy Romanovich Popov
Neurologist, Candidate of Medical Sciences
Almost every person has experienced tremors, for example, when being in the cold or before an exciting event. If the tremor does not stop for a long time, you need to be examined. Usually it is a symptom of Parkinson’s disease and is considered to be a problem for older people (it used to be the norm), but if we talk about essential tremor (also called “hereditary”), now it also occurs in young people, and the proportion of such cases reaches 20%.
Parkinson's is in second place among neurodegenerative diseases, second only to Alzheimer's disease. 8 out of 10 cases of Parkinson's disease develop unnoticed and usually manifest themselves only in disturbances in motor activity: muscle rigidity or hypertonicity, stiffness of movement.
Tremor is not always associated with Parkinson's disease; it can often indicate serious autoimmune processes or disorders of the central nervous system, endocrinological disorders, or side effects from taking medications. In any case, you need to undergo an examination and first of all check the brain using MRI, CT, and EEG.
If tremor is caused by disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system, then it cannot be treated, but modern drugs significantly reduce its manifestations and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Is it really possible that only a doctor can help?

The nervous system of a newborn differs significantly from that of an adult. And what is natural for a baby is not normal for his mother or father. But the baby is developing and growing. He is just learning about the world and his reflexes, reactions are also changing. Therefore, infant tremor, which so frightens parents and grandparents, is the norm for a newborn.

The newborn is developing, he strives to understand the world, but still does not know much. The environment is new to him, sometimes it frightens him with bright flashes, unfamiliar noise, and a pungent smell. And his own body feels previously alien feelings of thirst, hunger, and reacts to changes in body position and temperature around.

Physiological tremor is a normal baby’s reaction to everything new . Pathology is identified if the baby becomes excessively whiny, restless, sleeps poorly, and the baby’s chin trembles:

in a calm state;
more than 10 seconds;
and affects the baby’s head, arms, and legs;
and intensifies, becomes more intense.

Degrees

Determination of the degree of tremor is required to establish the severity of the disease. Based on this criterion, the need to prescribe one or another therapy is judged. Tremor is divided into:

Minor. Rare attacks that recur at regular intervals. The symptom does not affect the patient's quality of life.
Moderate. Tremor prevents small movements. In this regard, the quality of life and ability to work decreases.
Significant. A pronounced pathological symptom is the cause of disability. The patient cannot care for himself due to lack of control over movements.

Mom's hands are the best medicine

Of course mothers worry about their children! But baby tremor is an absolutely natural phenomenon for babies. And more often mothers panic when there is nothing to be afraid of.

But, nevertheless, the matter concerns the child, and it is better to play it safe once again and go to an appointment with a specialist. The doctor will examine the baby, and then prescribe balneotherapy or massage, recommend swimming or children's yoga. Massage is also effective for intestinal colic (see this material).

The best effect can be achieved with massage. When performing it, you must remember that a newborn is a fragile creature, every movement must be performed very carefully so as not to harm the baby.

Before performing a massage, you should prepare a little. For this:

Never massage when your baby is tired and wants to sleep.
During the entire process, talk to him, tell fairy tales, poems, sing songs.
Open the window and let fresh air into the room.
Remove all scratching objects from your hands so as not to injure the baby, warm your hands.
Place the child in a comfortable environment so that nothing disturbs him.
For massage, use only baby creams and lotions, so as not to provoke allergies and possible rashes, the causes of which can be found here.
Accompany the massage movements with stroking.
Start with the baby's face, do not forget to rinse the baby's nose in advance.

Massage technique

Exercises if the baby is lying on his back:

Mom, taking his right leg, taps it with her fist, from bottom to top;
With one hand we fix the baby’s hand, with the other we hold him by the shoulder. I shake the handle slightly, slowly lowering it to the wrist;
We draw a circle on the baby’s tummy, strictly clockwise .

Movements if the baby is lying on his stomach:

gently stroke it along the spine, starting from the neck and ending with the tailbone;
You need to place your favorite toy in front of the baby so that he reaches for it. This will allow you to use your neck and back muscles. And then we gently knead the baby’s butt with our fists.

Varieties

Tremors are classified according to causes and symptoms. In accordance with this, the following forms of pathology are distinguished:

Essential. Most often it is hereditary. It is considered a benign symptom. Occurs in people over 60 years of age. The causes of essential tremor are not fully understood.
Rest tremor. Characteristic of Parkinson's disease. Tremor appears in the hands, rarely in the legs, chin, and lip. This type of pathology is characterized by unilateral damage.
Mesencephalic. Combined type of tremor. Occurs as a result of stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumor formations in the skull, multiple sclerosis.
Psychogenic. The provoking factor for the appearance of this type of tremor is stress. The severity of the symptom depends on the strength of psycho-emotional stress.

conclusions

Tremor occurs in every second newborn. Up to three months this is quite normal. Most often, this phenomenon is observed in children born prematurely. It happens that a newborn's chin shakes when crying. There is no need to be afraid if the tremor lasts a few seconds.

In pathologies, tremor is observed in a calm state, lasts quite a long time, intensifies, becomes more intense and affects the baby’s head, arms and legs. Only a pediatrician or pediatric neurologist can diagnose the pathology and determine treatment. The doctor will recommend a massage complex to the mother that will help relieve the baby from the disease.

How you can help your child cook more confidently and get rid of chin tremor is described in the video:

source

Diagnostics

The sooner the study is carried out, the faster the causes of tremor can be established. Doctors at the Yusupov Hospital conduct a full range of examinations necessary to diagnose tremor. New equipment allows you to quickly and effectively determine the causes of the disease and conduct a course of appropriate therapy. According to international recommendations, to identify the etiological factor of tremor, the following examinations are required:

CT. Thanks to the study, it is possible to identify pathological foci in the brain.
Positron emission tomography. Allows you to assess the functional ability of the parts of the brain responsible for coordination of movements.
MRI. Informative research method. Allows you to identify changes in the structure of the brain at the initial stages.
Electroencephalography. A research method based on recording the bioelectrical activity of the brain.
Electromyography. A study prescribed to determine the functional capacity of the neuromuscular system.

The scope of diagnostic measures is determined individually. It depends on the severity of the condition, the age of the patient and the presence of concomitant diseases.

From parents' reviews

Olga, 27 years old, St. Petersburg, son Kolya, 1 year 2 months

When we encountered this problem, I was honestly shocked. And my husband generally suffered from a nervous tremor when he was left alone with his son and for the first time saw his chin shaking.

We went to the doctor, he sent me for tests and an ultrasound. Research showed that everything was fine, but of course it looked very creepy. Glad everything worked out!

Natalia, 25 years old, Yaroslavl, daughters Alina - 3 years old and Christina - 1 year 8 months

Both of my girls had chin tremors. A terrible sight! Both the first and second births were difficult, the youngest was born a little strangled.

We took a bunch of tests and I almost turned gray! But everything worked out fine, for the eldest it went away after a year, for the youngest it only lasted a week.

Tatyana, 30 years old, Anapa, daughter Georgina, 1 year 5 months

When I noticed that my baby’s chin was trembling, I almost went crazy! I took Gina to an ultrasound four times, the doctor prescribed pills for peace of mind and good sleep, to improve appetite, but nothing helped us.

Diseases and pathologies

In some cases, tremor of the arms, legs, and chin may indicate the presence of a number of diseases and pathologies in the child:

deficiency in the body of calcium, magnesium or other substances necessary for the body;
dysfunction of the digestive tract;
increase in intracranial pressure;
diseases of infectious etiology;
tremor of the lips and limbs may be a consequence of damage to the cerebellum.

Tremor is regarded by experts as a pathology that requires treatment if trembling of the limbs is observed after the child is four to five months old.

Consequences of tremor

It is important to know why tremors are dangerous. If the trembling is physiological in nature and completely disappears by four months of the child’s life, negative consequences are unlikely.

Pathological tremor is more dangerous and may indicate brain damage. Lack of treatment in such cases can lead to cerebral palsy or severe motor impairment. There are several signs of pathological tremor:

trembling covers not only the limbs, but the entire body of the child;
trembling is observed not only when crying or other form of emotional arousal, but also in sleep, when the child is in a calm state;
tremor is observed in a child whose age is more than five months;
trembling of only one limb is observed;
tremor of the legs or arms is accompanied by a change in skin color and breathing problems.

If any of the alarming signs appear in a child, it is important to immediately show it to a specialist. Timely diagnosis and treatment will help prevent possible consequences.

It is strictly unacceptable to give your child any drugs or supplements that have a sedative or other effect. Uncontrolled use of drugs can aggravate the condition of the baby.