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Hypotonia is a condition where a person has decreased muscle tone, more commonly seen in children than adults. It can be caused by various disorders, and treatment involves diagnosing and treating the underlying condition, as well as physical therapy and other therapies.
Hypotonia is a condition in which a person has decreased muscle tone. It is more common to see hypotonia in children than in adults, although children with the condition can have it for life. A condition that affects males and females equally, hypotonia is becoming more common than before. This is because the survival rate of those most likely to be born with a disorder causing hypotonia is higher than it used to be. Extremely premature infants, for example, are at high risk of having neurological problems that are a cause of hypotonia.
It is common to see hypotonia in children who have disorders in which it is a symptom, such as central nervous system (CNS) disorders and neuromuscular disorders. The most common disorders in which hypotonia occurs in children are cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, although other disorders that can cause the condition include muscular dystrophy, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Tay-Sachs disease. Of the neurological problems seen in newborns, hypotonia is the most common condition encountered involving muscle abnormalities. Sometimes, however, an underlying cause of hypotonia remains unknown.
In newborns, hypotonia is often known as floppy baby syndrome. This name refers to the “rag-doll” feeling that characterizes the lack of muscle tone where the child will rest with slightly extended elbows and knees instead of flexed elbows and knees like that of one with normal muscle tone. In addition to having arms and legs that hang limp, a baby with hypotonia also has little or no head control. Instead of being able to maintain some level of head control, the baby’s head will fall back, forward, or sideways. To illustrate a “rag doll” effect, a baby with hypotonia will show little resistance when picked up, much like that of a rag doll.
Other signs of hypotonia in children and adults include flexible ligaments and joints, poor reflexes, and problems with movement and posture. In addition, persistent hypotonia in children can cause difficulties and delays in learning gross motor skills, including crawling, sitting, and walking. Treatment of hypotonia involves first diagnosing the underlying medical condition and treating it, if possible. Following this, treatment of hypotonia might include physical therapy, sensory stimulation therapy, and speech therapy. Over time, an affected child’s muscle tone may improve, but it is possible that he will live with hypotonia for his entire life.
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