Question
My baby is 18 months old. When she was three months old, she had high muscle tone and received rehabilitation treatment. The doctor said she was fine. But now, at 18 months, she occasionally walks on her toes and her body always leans forward. What should I do? I’m in a hurry!
Answer
High muscle tone in infants can lead to uneven muscle growth and abnormal walking posture, such as in-toeing or pigeon toes, or even walking with a buttock lift. Therefore, muscle tone abnormalities should be discovered and treated early. It is usually detected during the health check at around three months of age, and early treatment within four months is more effective, allowing for complete healing without affecting future development. Correction treatment should be done at the latest by the time the baby is one and a half years old. Currently, treatment mainly focuses on massage and rehabilitation training, combined with ice skating therapy, electrotherapy, and other methods. If there is significant brain damage, acupuncture or injection of brain activator treatment can be considered. For home care, it is recommended to perform infant high muscle tone massage exercises daily, including lifting upwards, horizontal lifting, crossing arms in front of the chest, alternating legs cycling with feet held, and quickly rotating the feet and legs while pressing the sole of the foot against the calf.