How do I know if my baby is having infantile spasms?

Infantile spasms often look like a sudden, brief stiffening of a baby's muscles. Symptoms may include: a cluster of spasms that may be associated with waking from sleep. jackknife seizures, where the body bends forward, the knees are pulled up, and the arms are thrown out to the side.

What can be mistaken for infantile spasms?

They're often mistaken for startles, colic, reflux, or hiccupping. A baby having a spasm might have: the head bent forward with arms flung out and the knees pulled into the body (described as "jackknife")

How do babies with infantile spasms act?

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.

How quickly do infantile spasms progress?

The spasms will have disappeared by the age of 14 months in about three quarters of infants with this disorder. After this age the spasms can still come back but this is not common. infantile spasms can continue through to school age if they do not respond to treatment but eventually they do stop on their own.

Do infantile spasms happen when baby is sleeping?

Infantile spasms often occur when a child is falling asleep or waking up. The child's body may suddenly jerk, flex or extend. Sometimes, the arms are flung out, the knees are pulled up and the body bends forward. Less often, the head can be thrown back while the body and legs stiffen to a straight position.

Understanding Infantile Spasms

Should I take my baby to the ER for infantile spasms?

Early Identification and Treatment

As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, it's critical to remember infantile spasms are still medical emergencies that need urgent care. Any delay in seeking emergency treatment can increase your child's risk for brain damage.

Can you interrupt an infantile spasm?

There is no treatment to stop a cluster of infantile spasms after it has started.

What are examples of infantile spasms?

During a spasm, the body stiffens suddenly, the back may arch, and the arms, legs, and head may bend forward. However, infantile spasms can sometimes be hard to notice—perhaps only the eyes roll up or there is a small tummy crunch. They are most common just after a baby wakes up and rarely occur during sleep.

What do seizures in infants look like?

Random or roving eye movements, eyelid blinking or fluttering, eyes rolling up, eye opening, staring. Sucking, smacking, chewing and protruding tongue. Unusual bicycling or pedalling movements of the legs. Thrashing or struggling movements.

How to tell the difference between infantile spasms and normal baby movement?

While infantile spasms can look similar to a normal startle reflex in babies, there are ways to help tell the difference: Frequency: Loud noises, bright light or sudden movement can trigger a baby to startle. But unlike that single startle reflex, infantile spasms typically happen back-to-back, or in clusters.

Do babies cry after infantile spasms?

Infants may cry during or after the seizure. Each seizure lasts only a second or two, but they usually occur close together in a series. Sometimes the spasms are mistaken for colic, but the cramps of colic do not occur in a series. They happen most often just after waking up.

Do infantile spasms happen every day?

Clusters of spasms may occur once per day. They may occur several times per day. Clusters are most common several minutes after waking. In most cases, there is no warning that spasms are about to happen.

How do I know if my baby is having mini seizures?

More pronounced signs may include the baby's arms coming up with a slight head nod and their eyes rolling up. While this type of movement may look like the baby is just startled, spasms may occur for five to ten seconds in a cluster for several minutes when the baby first wakes up or is going to sleep.

Can you feel if your baby is having a seizure?

Clonic means twitching or jerking, so when a baby has a clonic seizure, they may display repeated, uncontrolled jerking muscle movements. During this seizure, a parent or caregiver may notice the baby is clenching or twitching parts of its body, including: face. tongue.

Are babies having silent seizures?

If your child experiences an absence seizure: They may look like they are staring off into space or have a blank stare. Your child has temporarily lost awareness of what's happening around them. They may suddenly stop all activity — even in the middle of an activity — and will not respond during the seizure.

Do babies cry during seizures?

Focal seizures: Focal seizures may involve the infant having spasms or rigidity in one muscle group, becoming pale, sweating, vomiting, screaming, crying, gagging, smacking their lips, or becoming unconscious.

What triggers infantile spasms?

Infantile Spasm Causes and Risk Factors

Some infants may have had a brain injury, such as a stroke or meningitis. Others may have been born with a genetic mutation or have problems with brain development. Certain medical and genetic conditions, like Down syndrome, increase the risk of having infantile spasms.

What are abnormal movements in babies?

A movement disorder is a condition that arises in the brain that causes a child to move too much or too little. It can result in a repetitive extra movement or sound, like a motor or vocal tic, or involve a shaking tremor, stiffened posture of the muscles, or difficulties with balance and coordination.

What are signs of neurological problems in babies?

Is it normal for baby to suddenly move a lot?

You shouldn't worry about a baby that moves a lot in the womb. Typically, this is the sign of a healthy pregnancy and should not be a cause for concern.

What are 3 early signs of cerebral palsy?

What can mimic seizures in babies?

Sleep enuresis could easily be mistaken for incontinence accompanying a seizure. Hypnic jerks may mimic epileptic myoclonic jerks, and cataplexy may mimic atonic seizures. Sleep terrors, sleep walking and sleep talking can be difficult to distinguish from frontal lobe seizures.

What can trigger seizures in babies?

The most common type of seizure in children is from a fever (called a febrile seizure). Other causes include infections, low blood sodium, medicines, drug use (amphetamines or cocaine), brain injury or a tumor, and genetic changes.

What does a staring seizure look like?

The person suddenly stops all activity. It may look like he or she is staring off into space or just has a blank look. The eyes may turn upwards and eyelids flutter. The seizures usually last less than 10 seconds.