Question
The child has hypertonia, which is always tense except when sleeping.
Answer
Hypertonia in a child indicates that the child has difficulty maintaining various body positions and normal movements. Muscle tone, which is the foundation for maintaining body positions and normal movements, can be expressed in various forms. For example, the tension in the muscles when a person is lying down is called resting tone. When standing, even though the muscles do not visibly contract, there is a certain amount of tension in the body’s muscles that helps maintain a standing posture and body stability, known as postural tone. The tension during movement is called dynamic tone, which is essential for ensuring smooth, continuous muscle movement without tremors, spasms, or convulsions. Hypertonia is characterized by: straightening of the legs and inward rotation of the feet, forming a scissors shape. It’s possible that the child has cerebral palsy due to this condition, which poses significant risks. It’s important to seek medical attention promptly. Hypertonia in infants is a concept introduced from abroad in recent years, and it is quite common, often indicating brain damage of varying degrees or damage to the nervous system. Symptoms may appear as early as one month old. Symptoms of hypertonia include: 1) hands often clenched into fists with thumbs tucked in; it’s difficult to open the hand with massage. 2) When pulling on the baby’s limbs, there is strong resistance and it’s difficult to stretch or move them; it’s challenging to stretch the arms forward or upward, and chest crossing is difficult. 3) Feet often curled inward with toes pointing down, forming a scissors shape. When holding the baby upright on a hard surface, the feet remain curled inward and dorsiflexed. 4) When touching the leg muscles, there is often uneven growth between the thigh and calf muscles, which are hard and can be mistaken for being well-built like an elderly person. 5) It’s difficult to open the baby’s fist during bath time; when the legs are perpendicular to the bath or water surface, the child immediately stiffens all over.