What is infant shudder syndrome?

Shuddering attacks (SA) are an uncommon benign disorder of infants and young children, with movements resembling shivering and straining, without impaired consciousness or epileptiform EEG, and showing resolution or improvement by 2 or 3 years of age.

What causes infant shudder syndrome?

Vitamin D deficiency has been suggested as a cause of benign shivers and tremors in newborns,¹² but only 1 report of shuddering attacks in children has included a biochemical investigation and found a borderline level of vitamin D.

Is baby shuddering normal?

Shuddering attacks (sometimes called “shuddering spells”) are one very specific, normal example of a weird baby movement that's normal and means nothing. They're not super-common, but they're not super-uncommon either. I see at least a few kids with this each year.

Does infant shudder syndrome go away?

Shuddering attacks (SA) are an uncommon benign disorder of infants and young children, with movements resembling shivering and straining, without impaired consciousness or epileptiform EEG, and showing resolution or improvement by 2 or 3 years of age.

Do babies grow out of shudder attacks?

Shuddering attacks are recognized as an uncommon benign disorder occurring during infancy or early childhood. It consists of rapid shivering of the head, shoulder, and occasionally the trunk. These types of shudders usually stop within a few years.

Benign Shudder Attacks by Dr Hamza Alsayouf Consultant Ped Neurologist : Episode 3.

When do shudder attacks happen?

Shuddering attacks may begin in infancy, as early as 4 months, or in childhood. The events consist of a rapid tremor of the head, shoulder, and trunk suggestive of the "shuddering" episodes from a chill. The duration of the events is brief, lasting only seconds, but the events may occur multiple times a day.

How do I know if my baby has infantile spasms?

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.

Can a baby with infantile spasms live a normal life?

The Etiologic Diagnosis

An etiologic diagnosis is very important because it can lead to initiation of a specific therapy that may markedly improve the long-term developmental outcome. In fact, some children with infantile spasms may ultimately lead normal lives, but only if they are diagnosed and treated correctly.

How do you stop infantile spasms?

Infantile spasms usually are treated with seizure medicines or steroids. If medicines don't control the spasms, a special diet, such as the ketogenic diet, might help. Sometimes, doctors may recommend surgery.

Can infantile spasms cause autism?

A new study found that nearly half of babies who suffer from infantile spasms are not accurately diagnosed for more than a month and this delay can increase the risk of intellectual disability, autism, lifelong epilepsy, and death.

How common is shudder syndrome?

Abstract. Shuddering attacks are recognized as an uncommon benign disorder occurring during infancy or early childhood. It is necessary to distinguish these episodes from epileptic seizures. The attacks seem to involve shivering movements occurring daily for several seconds without impairment of consciousness.

What does a baby look like having a seizure?

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.

Do infantile spasms cause brain damage?

Infantile spasms are a complex and rare disorder that can have very serious consequences. It can lead to death in some children and cause intellectual disabilities and developmental problems in others. Even if the seizures are managed, the damaging brain effects can remain.

Do infantile spasms happen while 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.

Do infantile spasms happen all day?

Though there is almost always a cluster of spasms in the morning when the child awakens from sleep, infantile spasms can occur at any time during the day or night.

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

Infantile spasms should be considered a medical emergency due to the potentially devastating consequences on the developing brain, Dr. Mary Zupanc, chair of neurology at CHOC, says. Immediate treatment is critical because many children with infantile spasms go on to develop other forms of epilepsy.

How can you tell the difference between infantile spasms and startle reflex?

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.

How do they test for infantile spasms?

To diagnose infantile spasms, your child's doctor will complete a physical and neurologic exam. Your baby will also need a test called an electroencephalogram (EEG), which looks at electrical activity in the brain. Babies who have infantile spasms often have a unique EEG pattern called hypsarrhythmia.

Are infantile spasms painful?

They may have many series of spasms per day. This type of seizure is usually only seen in young children. After a spasm, the baby may cry or laugh. The spasms do not cause pain, but the baby may cry because the quick jerking movement surprises them.

Which of the following is the most common cause of seizures in infants?

A The most common cause of seizures in newborn infants is brain damage from illness or injury, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (5).

What does baby head bobbing mean?

Spasmus nutans is a disorder affecting infants and young children. It involves rapid, uncontrolled eye movements, head bobbing, and sometimes, holding the neck in an abnormal position.

What is Sandifer syndrome?

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.

Can infantile spasms be stopped?

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