Muscle weakness in the baby
Recognizing and correctly diagnosing muscle weakness in babies is quite difficult. Before the age of 6 months it is hardly possible to detect a relevant muscle weakness. A first indication may be that the baby is not able to turn over on its stomach or is very strained when sucking on the breast.
A delayed start to learn to crawl can also be seen as a first sign. A medical clarification of the muscle weakness is very important here, because there are muscle or nerve diseases that are hereditary and/or occur at an early age. The term “floppy infant”, i.e. a “flaccid” child, defines the phenomenon of a whole-body, flaccid muscle tone, which automatically goes hand in hand with muscle weakness.
The causes of such reduced muscle tone are very diverse. It is therefore essential to clarify the occurrence of a significant muscle weakness, as a number of causes requiring treatment are possible. In babies, a so-called “neonatal myasthenia” or “congenital hypothyroidism” can be the cause of muscle weakness.
The former is an autoimmune disease that is associated with the formation of autoantibodies, which in turn prevents the transmission of the excitation necessary for muscle activity. Congenital hypothyroidism“, i.e. thyroid function, is a serious early childhood disease, as it can lead to mental retardation in the worst case. The muscle weakness that initially manifests itself is a comparatively harmless symptom, but should attract attention as the first sign.
Furthermore, genetically determined diseases manifest themselves in babies with the symptom of muscle weakness. Here, for example, the Prader-Willi syndrome or the better known Down syndrome or trisomy 21 should be mentioned. In general, early physiotherapeutic treatment of muscle weakness at an early age can be very useful and effective in some cases. Depending on the disease, further therapeutic measures may be indicated.
Muscle weakness in the child
In medicine, there are several reasons why muscle weakness develops in childhood.The causes can be an unbalanced diet resulting in a vitamin deficiency, drug-induced muscle weakness or hypoglycaemia. Serious diseases, some of which are genetic, can also be responsible for muscle weakness. Although congenital myasthenia can already occur in babies, it can also develop during the course of a child’s development.
The same applies to hypothyroidism. Also worth mentioning are the so-called “congenital muscular dystrophies”, which are hereditary muscular diseases. The Duchenne type from the group of muscular dystrophies manifests classically in the 3rd to 5th year of life and is based on a mutation of a muscular protein.
The muscle weakness can then be explained by a deterioration of the musculature. At first, signs of paralysis and a slight muscular atrophy, especially in the pelvic area, but later also in the shoulders and extremities, can be recognized, which is accompanied by a weakening of the corresponding muscles. In addition, forms of spinal muscular atrophies at different ages can be responsible for muscle weakness.
An early form, the so-called “infantile form” or “Werding-Hoffmann” occurs before the first year of life and has a very poor prognosis with a mean survival time of 1.5 years. In contrast, a “juvenile form”, also called “Kugelberg-Welander”, which manifests itself later, has a hardly restrictive life expectancy. As with babies, muscular weaknesses in children should always be clarified by a doctor, so that appropriate measures can be taken in the event of possible treatable diseases.
