In plain words
Hypotonia means muscle tone is lower than usual. A baby with hypotonia may feel floppy, slide through your arms, or have weak head control. Newborns normally keep some bend in their arms and legs, and many are simply relaxed. Tone also changes with sleep, , and mood, so one look is not enough. Clinicians watch whether the baby moves both sides of the body equally, lifts the head on , and reaches for objects. Low tone that lasts, one-sided use of the body, or no head lift by about two months are signs a clinician checks more closely. Low tone can come from many causes, including normal variation, illness, or conditions that affect nerves and muscles. Hypotonia is a finding, not a diagnosis, and a pediatrician will want to hear about it.
The deeper version
Hypotonia is reduced resistance to passive movement and reduced postural tone. Central hypotonia arises from brain or spinal cord dysfunction, and peripheral hypotonia from nerve or muscle disease. Bedside assessment includes the pull-to-sit maneuver, ventral suspension, the scarf sign, and observation of spontaneous movement. Normal neonatal tone is flexor-dominant, and extension increases with age. The CDC's developmental milestones (Learn the Signs. Act Early.) use head control on tummy time by about two months as a gross motor marker. Most infants with low tone have a benign or self-limited cause. Persistent or progressive hypotonia, or asymmetry, warrants neurologic and genetic evaluation.
Where it comes up
- Tummy timeBaby Basics
- BabywearingBaby Basics
- When to call the pediatrician (and when to go in)Baby Basics
What mothers here say about hypotonia
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Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Learn the Signs. Act Early. Developmental milestones, 2-month checklist