The newborn twitches his chin. Why does a newborn baby’s chin and lower lip shake, and arms and legs tremble: all about tremor in babies

Children are born with an imperfect nervous system. This is expressed in trembling of the limbs or other parts of the body. In medicine, such symptoms are referred to as tremor - muscle spasms. They manifest themselves as slight twitching of the arms, legs, lips and chin. Young parents tend to panic when they see this phenomenon in their child. Let's look at the main causes of tremor. Should I contact a pediatrician? Does newborn tremor require treatment? Can parents bring their baby’s muscle tone back to normal on their own?

Newborn tremor is a physiological phenomenon that can greatly frighten young parents.

Authoritative children's doctor Evgeny Komarovsky, whose opinion young mothers listen to, believes that trembling of the limbs, lips and chin in a newborn is a common phenomenon, depending on the state of the nervous system. It is she who bears a large load when the baby passes through the birth canal and rapidly improves in the first weeks of the baby’s life. Attentive parents monitor how the baby’s reflexes, excitability, and muscle tone change day by day. Of course, they will immediately notice that the child’s chin is shaking after sleep. Tremor is also possible with other reactions of the baby to the world around him:

• loud sounds;
• a bright flash of light;
• Strong smell.

Also, the little person reacts to changes in body position, hunger, thirst, and uncomfortable air temperature. Pediatricians believe that muscle twitching is a normal reaction that completely disappears with age.

Trembling of the chin, lips, involuntary twitching of the arms and legs stops by 4 months of age; less often, tremor persists in an excitable child up to 1 year of age. Thus, the physiological condition when a newborn’s chin and lips shake at an early age does not require medical intervention and should not cause concern to parents.

Causes of “normal” tremor

So, we have defined the concept of the baby’s physiological (normal) state, when muscle contractions occur in response to an external stimulus. Let's figure out why a baby develops tremors and twitching limbs:

1. Imperfection of the central nervous system. Brain centers that are not sufficiently developed send an inadequately strong impulse to the motor centers when irritating factors occur. In response, the baby's arms and legs shake. This reaction is observed in almost half of newborns, as noted by Dr. Komarovsky. In premature babies, tremor is observed at night, when the baby wakes up, when crying and feeding, but the nervous system quickly returns to order. At 3 months of age, movements become conscious, the trembling of the lips and chin stops, the child does not shake his head or jerk his arms randomly.
2. Disruptions of the endocrine system lead to the release of norepinephrine into the blood by the adrenal glands. This hormone causes tension in the muscles of the arms, less often the legs.
3. Tremor after sleep - the baby’s fragile nervous system cannot quickly switch the body from a state of rest to wakefulness. He wakes up, cries, and there is slight trembling of the limbs.

Conclusion: the central nervous system reacts with increased excitability in response to physical or emotional stress. This is followed by a motor reaction in the form of tremor of the chin, lower lip, and limbs. By the age of 1 year, when the nervous and endocrine systems improve, these signs completely disappear. Pediatricians believe that the baby does not require symptomatic treatment until 3 months of age; it is enough to correct the behavioral model.

Children are shown several manipulations aimed at relaxing muscles and creating a calm environment in the house. Parents should heed the following advice:

• Do special gymnastics with your baby every day aimed at relaxing muscles;
• light stroking massage movements are pleasant for the baby and have a calming effect on him;
• let a soft, gentle melody sound in the children's room;
• the beneficial effect of water on the fragile nervous system - bathe your baby in a bath with herbal infusions, in the pool;
• teach your baby to clench his fists by giving him your fingers;
• establish tactile contact with the baby, rock him before bed, hug him before feeding;
• do not calm the child down while he is crying with rattle toys, just take him in your arms and rock him;
• walk outside more often, ventilate the bedroom, do not overheat the child;
• carry out hardening procedures;
• Follow your daily routine and sleep schedule.

See a doctor urgently!

It is noted that by 2-3 months the physiological tremor in newborns disappears - the nervous system is strengthened, the endocrine glands begin to work adequately. A neurologist should be contacted immediately when a child exhibits the following signs:

• not only the limbs, lower lip and chin shake, but also the head, tongue, jaw, eyelids, and trunk muscles - regardless of age and irritating factors;

• tremor of the limbs lasts longer than half a minute;
• the child is restless, characterized by increased excitability and a violent reaction to external stimuli;
• asymmetrical trembling of body parts - for example, one leg or arm trembles along with the lower lip;
• chin shakes when at rest;
• tremor appears after 1 year;
• the shaking is too intense.

Unusual symptoms should alert parents and prompt them to consult a doctor. Only a specialist, after a comprehensive examination, can prescribe appropriate treatment and give recommendations to parents on care and therapy.

Causes of pathology

Prolonged tremor of the limbs and chin depends on the intrauterine development of the fetus. The following factors lead to pathology:

• infections and intoxication of the body of a pregnant woman (alcoholism, drug addiction);
• stress, threat of miscarriage;
• sepsis;
• placental abruption;
• intracranial hemorrhage;
• oxygen starvation of the fetus;
• deficiency of calcium, magnesium, glucose in the blood;
• withdrawal symptoms of alcohol, drugs, and psychotropic drugs cause withdrawal symptoms in pregnant women.

Pathological tremor occurs not only in a state of motor activity, but also in a state of rest, when the baby just wakes up. The pathology negatively affects the general condition of the baby: it leads to refusal of food, sleep disturbances, tearfulness, and irritability. Often the baby begins to have hysterics and cry for a long time. If you notice symptoms of severe pathology, immediately contact a pediatric consultation. The neurologist will prescribe specific treatment and recommend a number of restorative procedures:

• light massage;
• gymnastics;

These procedures, carried out regularly, strengthen the immune system, cardiovascular system, as well as the endocrine system, ensuring good blood flow to all tissues of the body. As a rule, improvement in the condition occurs provided that all medical prescriptions are followed. Under no circumstances should you stop taking medication on your own if you notice an improvement in your baby’s condition. Only a specialist can cancel the appointment, and it directly depends on the parents how quickly the nervous system returns to normal. An atmosphere of love in the family, attention to the baby, affection, games and care will very quickly give a positive result.

Gymnastic exercises help develop the nervous system

Revitalizing massage

The role of massage in promoting health is great: it is indicated not only for tremor of the chin and limbs, but also for all healthy babies. When a child is diagnosed with pathological tremor, pediatricians recommend that procedures be performed by a professional massage therapist. Another option is to teach parents simple techniques and perform the first procedures under the supervision of a specialist. Subsequently, armed with knowledge, mothers can massage the tiny body on their own.

What parents need to know at the preparatory stage

You have mastered the techniques of massaging your baby under the patronage of a specialist and can perform manipulations at home, in a familiar environment for your baby. Prepare for the massage:

1. The room should have a comfortable temperature for a naked body. Before the massage, ventilate the room and dim the bright lights.
2. For manipulation, choose a flat surface on which the baby will lie. It is more convenient to use the changing table.
3. Choose a time for massage when the child is in a good mood. Usually - before water procedures, 1 hour before feeding. If the baby is capricious during the session, stop manipulation.
4. Prepare your hands: cut your nails short, file the edges, and make sure there are no hangnails. Lubricate your brushes with nourishing cream and warm your fingers.
5. Strengthen tactile sensations with a gentle voice. For example, say a tactile little rhyme: “Rails, rails, sleepers, sleepers, the train was late…”

For a massage to be effective, you need to master the basic movements: stroking, vibration, kneading and rubbing. Begin and end the procedure with gentle strokes. The session should take 5-10 minutes so that the baby does not freeze and the massage is enjoyable.

Massage technique

The effectiveness of the procedure depends on mastering the basic techniques: stroking, rubbing, vibration, kneading the muscles. The manipulation algorithm is as follows:

1. Start the massage with gentle stroking. Handles first: from the fingertips to the armpit, bypassing the elbow area. Stretch each finger by squeezing them into fists. Lightly “run” your fingertips along the lower area of ​​your forearm.
2. When working on the chest, make a “herringbone pattern”: movements from top to bottom and to the sides. Do not touch the armpit - large lymph nodes pass through there.
3. The tummy is massaged with the same movements as for stomach colic - clockwise with gentle touches from the pubis.
4. The legs are massaged along the blood flow: from the fingertips to the hip joint. At the same time, go around the front surface of the shin and the inner surface of the thigh. Fix your foot in the ankle joint area and draw a figure eight on it with jerky movements. Stretch each toe by squeezing and unclenching them.
5. The back, like the chest, is massaged in a herringbone pattern. The beginning of movements is from bottom to top.

Repeat each massage technique up to 10 times. Finish the procedure with gentle stroking of the skin. In a playful way, lightly stroke your face: along the brow ridges, wings of the nose, chin. You can lightly pinch the cheeks while entertaining the child with rhymes or a song. This procedure can be done several times a day, depending on the baby’s mood. Try to massage your baby's body regularly, finishing it with a bath in a warm bath with herbal infusion - chamomile, valerian, peppermint.

By observing the development of the baby and its behavior, you will successfully cope with the physiological tremor of the limbs. In collaboration with a pediatric neurologist, and meticulously following all the recommendations, you will overcome pathological tremor by the second year of your baby’s life.

How to do hygiene procedures correctly, how much walking you need to do.

All the mother’s attention is focused on the newborn, so the slightest changes in mood or appearance are often a new reason for worry, especially if something “incomprehensible and strange” happens.

A trembling chin in a baby is such an alarming oddity for many parents. What kind of sign is this, and whether you need to worry, let’s figure it out further.

Up to three months of age, not only the chin, but also the lips, arms and legs can shake. Most often, such trembling (tremor) is observed during emotional reactions, especially stressful ones: crying, fear, reaction to the unexpected and new.

In most cases, the fact that a newborn’s lower lip and chin are shaking indicates the immaturity of the nervous and endocrine systems. Most often, symptoms of hyperexcitability appear due to hypoxia (oxygen starvation) during the prenatal or childbirth period.

The mechanism for the appearance of tremor is as follows: Norepinephrine is produced during any emotional stress. However, the baby's adrenal glands are just adapting to the outside world and often produce excess amounts of the hormone. In turn, the sensitive nerve centers responsible for movement react to changes in the environment with small tremors of the chin and limbs.

The chin shakes when crying, falling asleep, waking up, while feeding, changing clothes. The appearance of tremor is associated with a certain discomfort and stress for the little person: the transition to a new activity, pain, hunger, physical effort. Usually, by three months, the baby’s organs and systems adapt to the world and the trembling disappears.

What influences the degree of adaptation? Why do some newborns adapt quickly to a changing world while others do not?

There are several factors that increase the risk of tremor:

• premature babies have a less developed nervous system, and therefore demonstrate more unhealthy reactions, their lower lip or hands shake more often;
• factors that prevent free access of oxygen to the fetal brain, for example, entanglement with the umbilical cord;
• or too rapid labor activity slows down the adaptation of the nervous system;

• the mother’s experience of stressful situations during pregnancy will obviously affect the child’s health, since stress hormones from the mother’s body reach the baby, causing disturbances in the functioning of the fetal nervous system;
• pregnancy complicated by infectious diseases of the mother can also provoke tremors.

Should I worry if my baby's chin is shaking?

In the first three months of a newborn's life, trembling of the chin and limbs should not cause panic in parents. It is considered normal when the lip, chin, and hands shake.

Observe what moments cause anxiety for the baby. It is quite normal if a newborn’s chin shakes when crying, after nervous and physical overstimulation.

Tremors are often observed during feeding. After all, sucking requires a lot of strength from a little person, so it’s not surprising that the baby experiences tension. But when the baby eats and calms down, the trembling will stop.

There is no need to worry if you have the following signs:

• the baby is healthy, his reflexes, weight and height correspond to normal age parameters;
• the newborn has a good appetite, he eats with pleasure and gains enough weight;
• The baby's sleep is long and calm;
• there are no other neurological problems.

An additional medical examination before the age of three months will be required in case of a complicated medical history. For example, if labor began prematurely, the baby had hypoxia, and pregnancy was complicated by stress. In these cases, trembling may be an indicator not just of immaturity, but of a dysfunction of the central nervous system.

Did you know? Doctors say actual neurological problems occur in about four percent of newborns. In other cases, the signs that frighten parents disappear on their own.

When fears are justified

You should be concerned if any part of the body or face shakes even at rest, regardless of external factors. That is, without connection with physical exertion, fatigue or emotional moments, a newborn’s lips and chin often shake.

Important! Trembling in a calm state can be a sign of excessive muscle tension - hypertonicity. This condition requires consultation with a neurologist and subsequent treatment.

Excessive muscle tension must be treated, because in the future, hypertonicity has a negative impact on the mental development and formation of the baby’s posture.

Hypertonicity can be suspected based on the following signs:

• there is frequent tremor of the head and limbs, not associated with physical or emotional stress;
• unstable sleep of a newborn and a characteristic posture: head thrown back, limbs tense and compressed;
• frequent regurgitation;
• acute negative reaction to light and sound stimuli;
• If, in a standing position, you rest the baby’s legs on a hard surface, then he does not stand on his entire foot, but rests only on his toes.

Other reasons to visit a doctor:

• tremor did not go away after the third month of life;
• except for the lips and chin, the whole head is shaking;
• there is a delay in mental or physical development;
• movements of the arms or legs are limited, asymmetrical;
• With tremor, the skin becomes covered with perspiration and turns pale;
• the child has seizures: twitching with tension of all muscles, trembling or blinking of the eyes.

How to support and strengthen the nervous system

To support the newborn's nervous system, it is necessary to create optimally calm conditions. It will be easier for your baby to adjust if he is cared for by the same people in the same room. Rhythmic alternation of sleep, feeding, bathing and walking will help with adaptation and create a stable and predictable reality.
Avoid potential stress factors: strong sounds and smells, bright lights, sudden changes in temperature, sudden movements when caring for the baby.

The following procedures will help you get stronger and adapt:

• restorative massage. The benefit of massage is to balance the processes of excitation and inhibition in the central nervous system. With increased muscle tone, it is necessary to pay more attention to relaxing movements, and with decreased muscle tone, more attention should be paid to activating ones;

• physiotherapy;
• aqua gymnastics and swimming for infants;
• bathing in special soothing herbal mixtures (mint, lavender, chamomile, etc.).

Monitor your baby after any procedure. If it does not have a positive effect, the child shows his dissatisfaction, and the trembling intensifies, then you need to reconsider the technique or this method is not suitable for you.

Which doctor should I contact?

The body of a newborn is very plastic. Various disorders can be easily corrected, the main thing is to start treatment as early as possible.

If you notice that some parts of your baby’s body are shaking, the first consultation is with your pediatrician. And now the pediatrician refers the family to a pediatric neurologist. To identify the cause, the neurologist conducts an external examination and studies the anamnesis. In some cases, a brain ultrasound or MRI is prescribed.

Then treatment is prescribed. Most often this is a special relaxing massage, therapeutic exercises, swimming, and sometimes taking mild sedatives.

Why does a newborn's chin shake: video

A pediatrician talks about the mechanisms of newborn shivering. The doctor also touches on treatment options and possible future prognoses for tremor.

Tremor in newborns is fairly easy to treat conservatively. The danger in this case may not be the trembling itself, but the mother’s increased anxiety about this. Stories of other, more experienced parents who had the same problem, and everything ended well, help not to panic. If you have a similar experience, write about it. Tell us what helped your baby adapt.

Psychology, which is fashionable in our time, explains most of humanity’s problems by the constant stress that fills every day of our lives. But what do all these problems and troubles mean, as a result of which we are all ready for the most desperate actions, compared to the very first stress that cannot be comprehended by an adult?

One has only to try to imagine what a newborn, just born, experiences, and the mind of a sage refuses to understand it. The baby receives such overload on all its still fragile organs and systems that its desperate cry, with which it notifies the world of its arrival, becomes not at all surprising.

However, the matter is not limited to just screaming and you should consider one of the symptoms that can scare an inexperienced mother into hysterics, although in most cases there is absolutely nothing to fear. At least, this is what the famous doctor Komarovsky claims, and there is no reason not to believe him.

Two main reasons

The baby, torn from the usual intrauterine tranquility, is forced to struggle with the external environment in the first days and even months. Learn to breathe, eat, watch, and so on. For a nervous system that is not yet formed, this is not easy work, and it is not surprising that it sometimes malfunctions. But there is another reason why a newborn’s chin may tremble when feeding, when crying, or from other irritants.

So these are the two reasons:

• Neurological.

The coordination of a newborn still leaves much to be desired, but the reaction to any stimuli may be too violent.

• Hormonal.

Too much norepinephrine, the so-called stress hormone, enters the blood from the adrenal glands, and it, in turn, overstimulates the nervous system.

You can also add to this the hypertonicity of the baby’s muscles. The brain has not yet fully learned to manage them correctly and efficiently and, most importantly, to relax them in time. Because of this, infant tremor can also begin, but in any case it must be provoked by some external reason.

External stimuli

It is impossible to create completely stress-free conditions for newborns, no matter how good intentions dictate this. By and large, this will not even be correct, because the baby must develop and be in contact with the outside world, otherwise he simply will not be able to become a normal person. However, it is necessary to know what reasons can cause a situation where a toddler’s chin is shaking and, if possible, to minimize them.

By the way, there are not so many of them, so this does not require any special unique efforts and actions from parents.

• cold.
• hunger.
• thirst.
• eating.
• water procedures.
• bright light.
• loud or harsh sound.
• rapid movement within the child's visibility.
• unpleasant smell.

As you can see, almost all the reasons are natural and even habitual, and therefore we must fight them in moderation. Feed and drink on time, make sure there are no drafts, don’t yell or make trouble in front of the child, create a blissful, kind and cheerful atmosphere during bathing, and so on. All this is within the power of an attentive and loving mother. This struggle with external stimuli should not be brought to the point of fanaticism, but it is also not worth leaving it to chance, as if the child himself will learn to react correctly. He will learn, of course, but why turn this school into torture?

Signs that you should go to the clinic

At the school for expectant mothers, which is recommended to be attended during pregnancy even by women who have already had the good fortune of giving birth to a child, or at the antenatal clinic, they should persistently mention that once every three months it is necessary to show the newborn not only to the local therapist, but also to a neurologist. There should be at least 4 of these visits in the first year of life. At 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. Even if your baby does not have any developmental abnormalities, these consultations will not be superfluous. Firstly, an experienced doctor will be able to recognize the symptoms of an incipient disease (if, God forbid, it occurs) at an early stage and in a timely manner, which means he can carry out treatment much better. And secondly, mommy herself will calm down when the doctor, having examined her pink-bottomed little one, smiles widely and says that everything is fine.

You should consult a doctor without waiting for a routine examination in cases where the baby has:

• trembling chin in a calm state.
• when the tremor spreads not only to the lower part of the face, but also to the entire head.
• The newborn suddenly begins to sweat.
• The baby's skin turns blue.
• if during childbirth there were any undesirable complications (prematurity, intrauterine hypoxia, prolonged labor).

In these cases, constant monitoring by a neurologist and even the use of certain medications may be necessary.

Treatment options

And again, let's start with the fact that you should under no circumstances panic and start rushing from one specialist to another. The first thing to do in such a situation is to calm down the mother herself. A newborn, despite the fact that, as already mentioned, his nervous system is still very far from perfection, feels his mother’s condition very subtly. When a mother is irritated, scared, or angry at something or someone, the baby perceives this as an alarm signal with all the ensuing consequences. He cries, is capricious, refuses to eat, especially when breastfeeding, and sleeps poorly. The result is a disorder of the fragile psyche and a shaking chin, which not only trembles barely noticeably, but also shakes. The conclusion follows that mommy’s bad mood is one of the main reasons for such troubles.

The second situation: the mother is calm, in a great mood, but the baby still has tremors. In this case, it is worth taking a closer look at what stressful situation for the newborn caused this phenomenon and try to eliminate it. Change your feeding position, put on socks, add warm water to the bath, and so on. It would be useful to master several soothing massage movements.

In such cases, pediatricians recommend bathing the baby in a bath with decoctions of herbs such as valerian, lemon balm, peppermint and oregano. Sometimes you have to resort to pharmaceuticals. The doctor may prescribe antihypoxants (glycine, mydocalm) - drugs that stimulate the flow of oxygen into the tissues.

Calming conclusions

It is worth returning to the first three months after the birth of the baby. At this time, the baby’s chin trembles quite often and quite noticeably enough to worry an inexperienced mother. The reasons why this happens are already listed above, but it should be emphasized that at this age this phenomenon is quite normal and in the vast majority of cases does not pose any threat to the health of the newborn. This is a normal reaction of a fragile nervous system, and if the chin trembles without any consequences, there is no reason to worry too much.

Surround your little one with care and love, talk to him and don’t believe those who claim that at this age a baby understands absolutely nothing. Even if this is so, the mother’s voice itself has a calming effect on him.

Under no circumstances create artificial stress for your baby - you are not in ancient Sparta and you are not required to raise a stern warrior, especially if you have a daughter. Everything should be natural and calm.

Good day, dear readers! I remembered an incident from my life - I went to the clinic with my baby for a routine examination. I go into the office to get a card and see my mother: pale, frightened. Through tears, she asks the pediatrician: “What should I do if my newborn’s chin is shaking? How do I know? I thought it was normal!”

A little person in the house is a joy. But all women who have experienced the joy of motherhood will confirm my words: along with happiness in the form of a beloved baby comes fear and anxiety. Parents notice strange actions in the child: he is clumsy, smiles with one corner of his lips, eats awkwardly, etc. It is not always possible to understand whether a child’s behavior is justified by his age or whether he is behaving somehow suspiciously.

In newborns, absolutely any action can be either physiological or pathological.

Let's look at the example of a shaky chin.

1.1. Physiology

• The body is at the stage of development. It is quite normal if the baby’s lower lip trembles (in medical parlance, trembling is called “tremor”) when crying. The internal organs are just beginning to function fully, but the baby is not yet able to control himself and his behavior. Everything in this world is new to him - he’s so used to living in his mother’s womb!
• Stress. Since the baby is not yet strong and has not mastered his new role, he begins to get nervous. Parents may notice that a loud sound causes the baby's lower lip to tremble: the baby has not yet understood whether it is worth crying in this case - or whether such a sound is quite normal in this world (different from womb life).

1.2. Pathology

Here everything is much more serious; it is likely that the child was injured during birth or while “living in the tummy.”

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The following can harm the unborn baby:

• Excessive amount of amniotic fluid.
• Difficult labor (weak labor), sudden birth, caesarean section.
• Entwining the baby with the umbilical cord.
• Infectious diseases of the mother during pregnancy.
• Severe stress suffered by the parent during pregnancy.
• Trauma during childbirth itself.

Such reasons can lead to disruption of the nervous system (already unstable). Hence the chin tremor.

2. Characteristics of physiological tremor

Moms, don’t panic prematurely; at the initial stage (up to three months of age), babies often experience trembling of the lower lip. This phenomenon is influenced by various factors. The baby reacts to any actions and manipulations from the parents. Perhaps your little one is just trying to smile - and it’s not coming out! Well, or cry...

Please note that the child responds to your “lisping” and his chin begins to twitch. Have you noticed? Or after water procedures, when you take your beloved baby out of the bathroom and wrap it in a towel? Yes, even when feeding! Is the sponge shaking? That's the same!

Or another example: a parent decided to watch the news on TV, and they were broadcasting about a fallen plane. The presenter speaks sharply and somewhat rudely. Loud sounds of fire can be heard in the background. The baby may get scared, which is why a tremor of the chin will appear. That is, it turns out that the child is trying not to cry and is holding back his emotions, because such a plot does not frighten mom and dad at all (and therefore, it has a place to happen).

Well, or a more direct example: a baby has a stomach ache or is suffering from gas - the results are obvious!

Do you get the connection? The child simply responds to external factors that cause him either positive or negative emotions. Since the baby does not speak yet, but communicates only with gestures and facial expressions, he shows you his reaction to the actions taking place by trembling his sponge.

Monitor your newborn if:

• the chin trembles for no more than 30 seconds;
• does not cause concern in terms of severe tremor;
• trembling is caused by negative actions;
  - This is fine.

We calm down the panic and wait for the moment when the chin stops shaking for physiological reasons.

3. Characteristics of pathological tremor

Suppose you notice that your child’s chin is twitching due to the influence of external factors on his body. Now you need to pay attention to other symptoms in the baby.

1. If the shaking does not stop during more than six months, you need to see a doctor. By this time, the baby should already have adapted and processes such as bathing, dressing, feeding and communicating with parents (grandmothers and other relatives) should not cause tremors.
2. If the child has sponges hands are shaking, and the head begins to twitch unnaturally - we also go to the doctor. The child probably has serious disorders of the nervous system or another disease.
3. The baby begins to have a chin tremor, even if he is absolutely relaxed and calm. Even worse, if a child experiences such a symptom during sleep, we immediately go to the doctor.
4. If a child's trembling is not fleeting, but lasts for a minute or more– there is reason to be wary. This phenomenon is not considered normal.
5. If a child literally “sausages”, he all shaking and twitching– we don’t just go to the doctor, but urgently call an ambulance at home.

If you understand that your child is suffering from one or another sign of unnatural chin trembling, it is recommended to seek help from a specialist as soon as possible. Tremor of the lower lip may indicate diseases that do not go away over time, but require medical intervention

4. How to help your baby cope with chin tremors

So, you notice that the child's chin is really twitching. On your part, you need to carefully monitor your baby and inform your pediatrician of any changes in the newborn’s behavior.

Any actions that cause you a number of questions should be asked to the doctor during a consultation or routine examination.

If your baby has been given a terrible diagnosis, where tremor was only a symptom of the disease, do not self-medicate, trust the doctor. If you think that the diagnosis has been made incorrectly, you should not cancel treatment altogether, contact another specialist to confirm or refute the diagnosed disease.

Help the baby adapt faster, carry out procedures so that the child quickly gets used to the new world:

1. From a month of age, a child can (and even needs) Do massage. It will help your baby cope with muscle tone and learn to feel his body. Perform the massage technique strictly following the doctor's recommendations.
2. Newborn babies feel great in water (before birth, they were essentially in water). Give your baby a bath more often. And to consolidate the effect, you can add soothing herbs to the bath (but do not overuse, 1-2 times a week is more than enough).

And remember, dear mothers, that the “weather in the house” is very important for a child, because the home atmosphere is the best medicine for our children. Newborns are very attached to their parents; it is important for them to feel their mother’s warmth. Children growing up in love grow up calm and healthy.

More information about neurological diagnoses in children can be found in the video from Dr. Komarovsky:

Did your friends have a similar situation associated with tremor of the lower lip? Encourage them to read this article. And subscribe to my blog, I will tell you about many life situations that a young mother may face. Bye bye!

Any deviations in the behavior of newborns cause concern for parents. One of these alarming symptoms includes erratic, convulsive movements of different parts of the body. In medical parlance this is called “tremor”. Most often, immediately after birth, the baby's chin shakes when crying or during feeding. It is difficult for young parents to understand the nature of such phenomena and distinguish a pathological condition from a normal one.

Trembling and convulsions in infancy are not a deviation, but a normal physiological reaction to external stimuli. The symptoms go away over time, but there are cases when spontaneous twitching of the chin does not stop, but, on the contrary, becomes more frequent. In such situations, timely medical intervention is required.

What is tremor in newborns

The term “tremor” is commonly used to describe systematic trembling of the legs, arms, chin and head. Involuntary muscle movements can be triggered by both positive and negative emotional experiences. During infancy, especially in the first weeks after birth, babies experience a lot of stress. Light, smells, sounds, bathing, hunger, sudden movements - all this is new and incomprehensible to the baby’s body and imperfect nervous system. It is not yet able to work correctly and control the functions performed. It is the high excitability and activity of muscle tissue that causes trembling and convulsive movements.

Chin tremor in a newborn or infant is a common occurrence. Symptoms are observed in every second child. Normally, this state lasts a few seconds. Until the age of two months, infant tremor does not require correction or treatment, but parents should closely monitor the condition of the newborn and not forget about the existing problem.

Infant tremor, causes

The characteristics of a newborn's body are always reflected in their behavior. Even full-term babies are born with undeveloped systems and organs. This is fine. Hearing, vision, digestive, immune and endocrine systems must adapt to new conditions, and this takes time. Nerve centers are responsible for coordinating movements. Their immaturity at birth is the main cause of chin tremors.

There are often cases when the chin of a month-old baby shakes due to the consequences of an unfavorable pregnancy and problematic childbirth.

Another reason is related to the imperfection of the endocrine system. Any emotional experiences in the life of children under 1 year of age lead to the release of an excess amount of norepinephrine into the blood. This hormone increases tension, which causes twitching of different parts of the body. In addition to the chin, the lower lip, limbs, and head may tremble.

A variety of factors can trigger the appearance of tremors. Among them there are also dangerous ones associated with serious neurological disorders. The following abnormalities are often detected in children:

• Increased intracranial pressure.
• Metabolic disorders.
• Hyperglycemia.
• Sepsis.
• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
• Intracranial hemorrhage.

Without the participation of specialists, it is very difficult to understand the causes of involuntary twitching of the chin. Not every young mother is able to correctly assess the condition of the baby, understand what is happening and how to behave correctly in such situations. If in doubt, go to the doctor, and the slightest suspicion of pathology should be the reason.

Trembling of the chin in a newborn is a physiological norm

Tremor caused by immaturity of the nervous system is considered a physiological norm. When a child cries and his chin trembles, it is enough to simply calm the baby. In newborns, such conditions are not treated. 3 months will pass and all phenomena will disappear. Don't worry if you notice your chin shaking while breastfeeding, bathing, or changing clothes. With any load on the nervous system, the baby begins to twitch. Trembling can be caused by:

• Overwork.
• Fright.
• Paradoxical (rapid eye movement) sleep.
• Hunger.
• Painful sensations.
• Uncomfortable air temperature.
• Bright lights and loud sounds.
• Sudden change in body position.

For obvious reasons, when the mother understands what is causing the trembling of the chin, there is no need to worry. If twitching is observed in other situations, occurs for no reason and in complete rest, the child should be examined by a doctor.

When does tremors become dangerous?

Infant tremor is observed for the first time at 2 months of a child’s life. Sometimes the phenomena disappear at 4 months. In premature babies, chin trembling can be observed up to 1 year. If the symptoms do not go away for up to 6 months, are accompanied by the appearance of perspiration on the skin, increasing intensity and too violent a reaction to external stimuli, this is already a deviation. Spontaneous movements and convulsions can be dangerous.

Parents should be wary if the chin shakes for more than 30 seconds while crying. Simultaneous trembling of the legs, arms and head is also considered abnormal. The manifestation of these symptoms may indicate the presence of a pathology, but there is no need to panic. In infancy, such conditions can be treated easily and without consequences.

A child under 1 year of age needs regular examinations by a neurologist. Don't miss scheduled consultations. They are usually prescribed at the ages of 1 and 3 months, at six months and upon reaching 1 year. During these important periods, specialists evaluate the baby’s motor activity, his emotional state, muscle tone, reflexes, and the functioning of his senses. If deviations are detected, the necessary treatment is prescribed.

How to treat tremors in babies

Only a doctor can decide how to treat chin tremor. When diagnosing neurological abnormalities, medications are used, but most often children are prescribed massage, swimming and gymnastics. All therapeutic actions are aimed at relaxing the nervous system. A specialist may recommend herbal infusions based on mint, lemon balm, chamomile and valerian. Using sedatives, you can do baths and wipes.

If the baby is not yet 2 years old, the reaction to medicinal herbs can be unpredictable. Do not rule out allergic and toxic reactions. The younger the child, the more serious the complications can be. Natural helpers are safe only when used correctly. The duration of treatment, administration and dosage should be controlled by a doctor.

Caution must also be observed when performing relaxing massages. If there is no experience and sufficient knowledge in this matter, it is better to entrust the procedure to a specialist.

With adequate therapy, the state of the nervous system can be easily restored and normalized. If no pathology is identified, parents can help the baby. Learn to understand what causes your baby’s dissatisfaction and, if possible, eliminate all irritants. Follow your daily routine and diet, walk and swim more, create a favorable, calm atmosphere at home. For a child, a permanent contract with his mother is very important. When a loved one is nearby, children feel protected. This has a positive effect on health and behavior.

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