Posted by admin | Posted in hypotonia | Posted on 11-08-2009
Tags: floppy infant, hypotonia, low muscle tone
For those who have no idea what I’m blabbing on about:
Alternative Names
Decreased muscle tone; Floppy infant
Definition
Hypotonia is decreased muscle tone.
Considerations
Hypotonia is often a sign of a worrisome problem. It may be a sign of a central nervous system problem, genetic disorder, or muscle disorder.
It can affect children or adults.
Infants with hypotonia seem floppy and feel like a “rag doll” does when held. They rest with their elbows and knees loosely extended, while infants with normal tone tend to have flexed elbows and knees. Head control may be poor or absent, with the head falling to the side, backward, or forward.
Infants with normal tone can be lifted with the parent’s hands placed under the armpits, while hypotonic infants tend to slip between the hands as the infant’s arms rise unresistingly upward.
Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003298.htm
