Increased excitability in infants symptoms. Increased excitability in infants Komarovsky. Main symptoms and signs

Increased neuro-reflex excitability. This will be discussed in today’s article. And also about symptoms, causes, consequences and ways to overcome.

In the developmental histories of newborns, the term increased neuro-reflex excitability is heard more and more often. This will be discussed in today’s article. And also about symptoms, causes, consequences and ways to overcome.

Reasons or why this happens

First of all, you need to understand that neuro-reflex excitability is a normal, healthy reaction of the body to stimuli. Conditionally pathological is increased excitability.

I use the term conditionally pathological due to the fact that the baby’s nervous system finally “matures” after it is born. And even if your child has symptoms namely increased neuro-reflex excitability, it is quite possible that as the nervous system matures, these manifestations will disappear on their own, without additional treatment.

Please note that only a doctor can decide whether treatment is necessary or whether it is useless.

And so, back to the reasons. If by the end of the first half of the year the child still has symptoms of increased excitability, there is reason to talk about damage to the central nervous system (CNS). It is in her defeat that the essence of the problem lies. The central nervous system can be affected both during fetal development and during childbirth and in the postnatal period.

The mechanism is simple - connections between the cerebral cortex and its deeper parts responsible for the perception of the outside world are disrupted.

What leads to damage to the central nervous system

hypoxic-ischemic brain damage during childbirth
incompatibility of fetal and maternal blood (Rh conflict)
traumatic, infectious, toxic brain lesions in the intra- and postnatal period
medical error during childbirth

You can click on the selections and get acquainted with the details.

Signs and symptoms of increased neuro-reflex excitability

First of all, you cannot help but pay attention to sleep disturbances infant. Shallow, restless sleep, with long hours of wakefulness and desperate crying.

I met parents who tried to “raise” their baby, not paying attention to his crying. Iron nerves! I don't think such upbringing is beneficial. A healthy child spends the first months of life more asleep than awake. If the baby cannot sleep and cries, then there are reasons for this and these are not whims.

Frequent and unmotivated crying is also one of the symptoms of increased excitability
Reaction to external stimuli. An unexpected sound, rapid movements or the movement of large objects in the child’s field of vision lead to flinching, excitement, and it looks like fear. The child shudders, arms outstretched, freezes for a moment, then intensified chaotic motor activity and it all ends with crying again

Our daughter had this symptom especially pronounced. We could calmly react to a passing plane, because the sound, although loud, grew gradually. But from some ringing sounds in words, not necessarily pronounced loudly, she not only shuddered, but shuddered. For example, these were the sounds of the letters Z, S, D

Increased spontaneous motor activity. Spontaneous movements are physiological movements produced unconsciously
Unconditioned reflexes are excessively animated, and tendon reflexes are also increased. You can read about reflexes in an article specifically dedicated to them.
Tremor - trembling of the limbs and chin, blueness of the nasolabial triangle during crying

What examinations need to be done

To find out the extent of damage to the central nervous system and correctly prescribe treatment, you will be recommended additional examinations. It is quite possible that among them will be:

Neurosonography

This ultrasound examination brain, which is carried out through the fontanel. The survey is quite informative. Allows you to assess the state of the brain substance, liquor pathways, see developmental defects, and also, with a certain degree of probability, understand the cause of the lesion - hypoxia, hemorrhage or infection. The examination is believed to be absolutely harmless.

Dopplerography

The examination allows you to assess the condition of the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain and the condition of cerebral blood flow, respectively.

EEG, electroencephalography

This examination evaluates the state of the bioelectrical activity of the brain, the degree of its maturity, as well as the prerequisites for the convulsive syndrome.

Treatment and rehabilitation measures

The doctor will prescribe medication. I assume that it will be aimed at reducing nervous excitability and correcting intracranial hypertension.

As for rehabilitation activities, be sure to learn massage yourself, because mother’s hands have an additional therapeutic effect. Massage and crying don't mix. The goal is to relax and calm the child's nervous system, and crying is unlikely to contribute to this.

Therapeutic gymnastic exercises. The main one is rocking in the fetal position. You can do it in your hands, you can do it on a gymnastic ball. In general, oscillatory movements calm and relax, for the first year of our lives we walked exclusively on swings))) Just don’t get confused, the child needs to be rocked, not shaken.

And of course. I think you understand that bathing is a hygienic procedure. We are talking about swimming in a lot of water, in a large bath. About admission herbal baths, about a light underwater shower massage. You can follow the links and find out more about it.

Predictions and consequences

If increased neuro-reflex excitability is caused by elementary immaturity of the nervous system, the prognosis is favorable. The measures recommended and taken by you, the maturation of the brain as it grows, will reduce the problem to nothing.

If the reason is a more serious damage to the central nervous system, the options are not so optimistic, it all depends on the degree of damage. The most dangerous consequences can be the development of epilepsy and. But this is not the worst thing, believe me! And you can cope with this and achieve good results.

Perhaps I have exhausted my knowledge about increased neuro-reflex excitability. You and I found out what its causes are, got acquainted with the signs and symptoms, and decided on examinations, treatment and rehabilitation measures. We know that in any case consultation with a doctor is required.

If I missed anything and have any questions, please write. I will definitely answer.

All babies are different, some are calm and sleep all night, not waking up even in wet diapers, while others react violently and sensitively to absolutely everything. The latter are increasingly being diagnosed with increased nervous excitability syndrome in our time. What causes this deviation, and is it necessary to treat it with medication?

Signs

Motor restlessness that occurs when touched or changes in body position.
Hearing a sharp sound, the baby shudders.
Severe tremor of the limbs.
When crying, the baby's chin trembles.
The child’s cry sounds in high tones, as if he is not screaming, but squealing.
The congenital Moro reflex (the child opens his fists if his arms are spread apart) occurs spontaneously in any position of the limbs.
When overexcited while crying, the child throws his head back.
With some disorders of the central nervous system, including the syndrome of increased nervous excitability, the plantar reflex does not work in newborns. The fingers, instead of clenching in response to manipulation, fan out.
Infants sleep little and restlessly, often lying with their eyes open.
Children with PONV experience frequent regurgitation coupled with slow weight gain.

Nervous excitability must be treated; such behavior of the baby cannot be explained by temperament or age characteristics. If the necessary therapy is not carried out in time and the development of the baby is not corrected, this syndrome will negatively affect his speech, thinking and behavior.

Pathological processes in nervous system may intensify, and the child will suffer from seizures;
impaired reflexes lead to a clear slowdown in the rate at which the infant masters the necessary motor skills;
the child may become overly aggressive or, conversely, overly passive;
children who have not received the necessary therapy experience a delay speech development, the child will develop active skills more slowly vocabulary and use words in incorrect forms and combinations;
over time, SNV develops into hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder; children are restless, forgetful, impulsive, and careless.

It is important to diagnose SPNV in time and take measures to help the baby. Taking sedatives will only worsen the situation in the future.. Treatment of increased excitability in an infant requires a serious approach and long-term therapy under the supervision of a neurologist.

Reasons

Increased nervous excitability occurs in those children who have suffered central nervous system damage during fetal development, during childbirth or in infancy. Due to disruption of connections between the cortex and parts of the brain, pathological changes begin.

Causes of SPNV:

Genetic predisposition;
difficult childbirth;
bad habits during pregnancy;
stress during pregnancy;
taking medications during pregnancy that are not recommended during pregnancy;
early .

When examining a baby who is suspected of having increased nervous excitability, the neurologist will definitely ask you about the progress of pregnancy, the birth process, and check whether the baby’s development corresponds to his age. Having assessed the degree of deviation, the specialist will prescribe appropriate therapy and prescribe a course of treatment.

Treatment

In order for the baby’s nervous system to recover, the neurologist first of all recommends that you establish your baby’s daily routine. A regular schedule of sleep, feeding and walking is the key to the normal development of a baby.

The child’s body requires regular rest, and in order for the baby to fall asleep soundly, he must work hard during the waking period.

This will be facilitated by daily gymnastics and a relaxing massage.

Therapeutic massage is designed to reduce muscle tone and relieve the baby’s general excitability. It is better if the sessions are conducted by a specialist who knows what manipulations should be performed with children who have increased excitability.
The neurologist recommends that you pour soothing decoctions and infusions into the water when bathing in the evening.
relieves tone well, in addition, this activity perfectly strengthens the baby’s muscles and makes his sleep sounder. Starting from a month, you can bathe your baby in an “adult” bath, putting it on his neck and allowing him to splash around in the water to his heart’s content.
If the measures taken do not help or the degree of damage to the central nervous system is great, the neurologist will prescribe your baby a course of drug treatment.

There should be a welcoming atmosphere in your home;
When communicating with the baby, avoid raised tones, talk to everyone kindly and calmly;
Spend more time with your baby on walks;
it will be very useful if you can go with your baby to the sea or to the mountains for a month;
If your baby sleeps restlessly, you can temporarily put him with you or, if the side wall of his crib is removed, put him sleeping place close to your bed, creating a single space with your baby.

In neonatology, this pathological condition is called: “increased neuro-reflex excitability” or is defined as “hyperexcitability syndrome” by a neonatologist or diagnosed by a pediatric neurologist immediately after the first consultation.

But many parents may notice that “something is wrong” with the baby - the child sleeps poorly, constantly shudders (and not only from frightening sounds, but also at rest), there is tremor of the chin and arms, sluggish sucking, frequent regurgitation. arching of the baby and many other signs.

Many specialists in Europe and the USA consider this syndrome to be a borderline condition that does not require therapy, and our pediatric neurologists prescribe treatment for children.

Who is right and how to behave in this situation?

After all, many parents take the same position - everything will go away by itself and “there is no point in stuffing the child with various chemicals immediately after birth...”.

In this article I want to understand this situation from the point of view of a practicing pediatrician.

What is hyperexcitability syndrome?

Everyone knows that in the first months of life, infants in most cases suckle at the breast or eat formula, and then sleep soundly. But today, more and more often, parents complain about the baby’s pronounced reaction to a minimal stimulus; the baby constantly cries and often wakes up at night. Some relatives, and sometimes the parents themselves, consider this to be whims and even try to “not pay attention to it” and “not accustom the child to handling.” But this is not so: if a child cannot calm down and constantly cries, it means that something is bothering him. Therefore, it is necessary to understand why a completely healthy baby behaves this way?

Hyperexcitability syndrome in infants is a set of symptoms that are provoked by various somatovegetative disorders and neuro-reflex excitability.

This condition most often occurs as a result of perinatal damage to the nervous system of varying degrees. Therefore, manifestations of hyperexcitability in a newborn and infant cannot be ignored - the pathology, due to the action of some factors, can take an unfavorable course and this can cause more serious disorders of the nervous system in the child.

Reasons

In most cases, the main causes of hyperexcitability syndrome are:

Disturbances in the processes of formation and proper maturation of the structures of the baby’s nervous system during intrauterine development, associated with the influence of various factors, especially oxygen deficiency, nutrients and vitamins, as well as stress and anxiety during pregnancy.
Prematurity.
Pathological and complicated childbirth.

After birth, hyperexcitability syndrome can be caused by neuro-arthritic diathesis, rickets, teething, trauma or any pain syndrome.

Most often, manifestations of hyperexcitability are associated with immaturity of the nervous system and disruption of nervous regulation and interaction various organs and systems.

It is important to know that the nervous system of a baby in infancy:

very dynamic;
susceptible to various influences, both positive and negative;
plastic with high recovery capabilities.

Therefore, with slight changes and favorable conditions independent restoration of all disrupted processes occurs and the manifestations of this pathological syndrome gradually disappear, but constant monitoring by a neurologist is necessary in this case.

And yet, there are situations when changes in neurons are significant and/or the baby’s body cannot independently cope with the active processes of excitation of the central nervous system, and the nervous system is characterized by exhaustion, especially with pronounced immaturity in premature babies or pronounced effects during pregnancy.

In these cases, without adequate treatment, overexcitation will intensify, and the symptoms of the pathology will only intensify over time.

Symptoms

Often parents do not pay attention to certain manifestations in the baby, and the moment of early diagnosis of the disease is missed.

If you know the early clinical manifestations of the pathology, treatment can begin as early as possible, and the results will be optimistic or the symptoms will go away completely.

Signs of hyperexcitability that are observed in a baby in the first months of life:

the child constantly cries for no apparent reason;

the baby sleeps restlessly: there are frequent startles in sleep, prolonged falling asleep, sensitive, superficial sleep, due to which the baby wakes up from any noise;

tremor (of the chin, arms) or spontaneous movements are noted;

Symptoms of muscular dystonia are also observed.

In addition to these symptoms, the child may experience various malfunctions of the body systems associated with disruption of their nervous regulation during crying and anxiety in the baby:

tachycardia;
blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle;
marbling of the skin or, conversely, strengthening of the vascular network;
increased sweating;
unstable stool or alternating constipation and diarrhea;
frequent and abundant.

Therefore, if the above symptoms appear in an infant, it is necessary to focus the attention of the local pediatrician on this, seek advice from a pediatric neurologist and undergo additional examination (if necessary).

Mothers of calm children are unlikely to understand those who have to comfort their little ones day and night. Unfortunately, preventing colic and tummy problems is impossible. It is impossible to predict whether the baby will suffer from intracranial pressure. But one thing is clear: a baby should not cry around the clock. His cry is a signal for help. First, we calm you down, then we turn to a specialist and try to solve the problem. Let's start with the consolations.

1. Pick it up
A newborn may be afraid of large open spaces. He feels unprotected, and therefore cries bitterly. Once you pick him up and press him to your chest, he instantly calms down. These little ones love to sleep next to their mommy. To be able to do household chores, buy a sling and carry your baby in it everywhere. There are fewer reasons for tears!

2. Apply to breast
Perhaps this is the most effective remedy from all childhood worries. At the breast, the baby calms down, becomes satiated, and relieves stress. Even doctors, after all sorts of manipulations, recommend latching on to mommy. This makes vaccinations easier to accept, as are all kinds of examinations. It is clear that the method always works, but do not replace hugs and affection with it. Sometimes you can just hold the child close to you, stroke his tummy, feel sorry for him and sympathize with him. We also want to warn against pacifiers. Yes, sucking in itself calms, but does not always solve the issue that has arisen.

3. Shake
Indeed, gentle rocking puts the baby in a peaceful mood. He seems to be imbued with the rhythm that you give him, and calms down, listening. But if the scream continues, under no circumstances increase the amplitude or shake. This leads to dizziness and even loss of consciousness. Don't forget that your baby is constantly gaining weight. It’s easy to pump a four-kilogram one, but what about 8-10 kg? Rock while sitting, it’s easier.

4. Engage
The child may be simply bored. Especially if his view is limited by the sides of the crib. Attach the mobile and start it up from time to time, hang up toys, show various objects and put objects with different texture. And, of course, don’t forget to talk to your baby, comment on your actions, read poems and sing songs. “Oh, look what it is!” – a great start to something interesting. Surprise your little one with an unusual object for him, show him a dog or a tit outside the window.

5. Cheer
Making your baby smile is not difficult. When he discovers how great it has an effect on his parents, he will begin to smile on any occasion. But then mom and dad will want to hear boisterous laughter. To do this, just kiss the tummy and then blow on it without removing your lips. And stronger! A light tickle will not leave the baby indifferent. Games “Peek-a-boo”, “There goes the horned goat”, “Into the hole - bang!” out of competition. At the mere mention of them, the child understands: now it will be fun - and laughs! Try to lie on your back and place the baby on your legs bent at the knees. Swing like on a swing. Well, are you laughing? A toy, a bath towel wrapped around mom’s head, or a search for a lost item with applause and hooting if successful can bring a smile.

In general, a lot depends on your reaction. Let's say a toy fell. You can turn this into a game by exclaiming: “Oops, I’m crazy!” But perhaps the palm can safely be given to dad, because even light tosses lead to roaring laughter from his son or daughter. Who knows, perhaps it is this fearlessness of the baby that will prompt parents to think about dynamic gymnastics. Somersaults and flips allow you to release energy, get the necessary movement and feel your body.

6. Eliminate noise
Sometimes it is enough to give the baby the opportunity to lie in silence for him to calm down. No, this does not mean that you should let the baby cry. But sometimes the abundance of noise is depressing. A TV in the background, aggressive music, the sound of a drill behind the wall, or a quarrel between parents can not only upset you, but also frighten you.

7. Get a massage
Tactile sensations are very important for little ones. Touches, hugs, kisses not only testify to your love, but also develop great development. They also help solve many problems. They will calm the overexcited one, and stir up the passive one. Massage also helps to cope well with hypo- and hypertonicity; it is absolutely irreplaceable for colic. However, every parent has their own magic method to calm the little one and make him smile. Search, offering the most unimaginable options, and you will find!

ATTENTION!
If the baby cries day and night, and all tried methods do not bring results, be sure to seek help from a pediatrician. Need an inspection!