Why do babies stiffen their legs when changing diapers? Leg stiffness in a baby is usually nothing to worry about. Babies frequently act in this way as they develop new muscles, learn how to respond to their environment, and learn how to express their pain or dissatisfaction.
Babies sometimes stiffen their legs and arms or tighten up their body when you pick them up or they get excited or frustrated. Often this type of stiffening is no big deal. Children might also stiffen up their bottoms when they're having a bowel movement, especially if the stool is hard.
If your baby has colic, you may notice them arching their back, straightening their arms and legs, crying or screaming for extended periods, or clenching their fists.
Hypertonia is an umbrella term that describes when there is an abnormally high muscle tone in the infant's body. High muscle tone causes the baby to be stiff and rigid, especially when held. Newborn babies with this condition may have difficulty with mobility and flexing.
During an infantile spasm, your baby's body will stiffen or tense up suddenly and only for a couple of seconds. They may also arch their back, and their arms, legs and/or head may bend forward. Infantile spasms often happen one after another in a cluster with five- to 10-second pauses in between spasms.
Stiff-baby syndrome is a familial disorder characterized by marked rigidity, with neonatal onset and gradual reduction during infancy, regurgitations, motor delay and attacks of stiffness.
Sandifer syndrome (SS) is a type of movement disorder that constitutes paroxysmal spasms of head, neck, and back arching but spares the limbs. SS is often associated with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) in children.
Signs and symptoms appear during infancy or preschool years. In general, cerebral palsy causes impaired movement associated with exaggerated reflexes, floppiness or spasticity of the limbs and trunk, unusual posture, involuntary movements, unsteady walking, or some combination of these.
Sandifer syndrome is a condition characterized by unusual movements of your child's head, neck and back. The condition can cause temporary muscle spasms as a reaction to acid reflux. Symptoms are most common after your baby eats when the contents of their stomach don't settle.
Infantile spasms
Your baby may bend forward or arch their back as their arms and legs stiffen. These spasms tend to occur when a child is waking up or going to sleep, or after a feeding. Infants can have hundreds of these seizures a day.
Your newborn baby won't be able to fully extend his arms and legs yet, which will make him look a bit scrunched up . This is perfectly normal. His limbs will uncurl gradually as he gets used to being outside your womb (uterus).
In most cases, baby is pulling up their legs simply to try to relieve themselves of gas pains, and it (along with the gas) shall pass.
Spasticity is a sign of an underlying problem in the nervous system. Children with spasticity may have: Arms or legs that are difficult to move due to muscle tightness. More muscle resistance to stretching and movement.
Place your baby face up on the floor and clasp their calves in your hands. Bend your baby's right leg and push the right knee up to the chest while straightening the left leg down. Gently and in a smooth, continuous motion, repeat the action with your baby's left leg. Alternate between both legs slowly.
Why do babies arch their backs? Back arching is very common in babies and usually completely harmless. Most babies arch their backs when they are crying or are restless – it is another way for them to communicate their needs and these movements are known as “baby cues”.
In the case of silent reflux, babies swallow the milk that comes up their oesophagus (food pipe) instead of spilling or spitting up. Because you don't see your little one actively spewing up, the symptoms aren't always obvious, hence the terminology 'silent'.
Check if your baby has reflux
bringing up milk or being sick during or shortly after feeding. coughing or hiccupping when feeding. being unsettled during feeding. swallowing or gulping after burping or feeding.
What is hypertonia? Hypertonia is too much muscle tone. Infants and newborns diagnosed with hypertonia have stiff muscles, especially their arms, legs and neck, which can be difficult to move. Muscle tone is the amount of resistance (tension) to movement in your muscles.
Mild cerebral palsy may not be noticed until a child begins walking and has symptoms that may include stiffness or tightness in joints, a limp, uncontrolled movement, or difficulty controlling muscles in the hands and feet.
Laryngomalacia (also known as laryngealmalacia) is a condition that results from a birth defect in your child's voice box (larynx). The soft tissues of the larynx fall over the airway opening and partially block it. This can result in stridor — a high-pitched sound that is heard when your child inhales.
Previous research showed that acid reflux-related symptoms were the third most common in autistic children after constipation and diarrhoea.
It's very common for newborns and infants to startle. They fling their arms and legs wide, then bring them together. In most cases, this is a normal reflex known as the startle, or Moro, reflex. However, in rare cases, these movements may be a sign of a serious condition called infantile spasms.