Why do babies' hands and feet twitch when they fall asleep?

For infants and young children, the body's immunity is relatively poor, and for some reason, the baby's hands and feet may twitch while sleeping. This twitching phenomenon has both physiological and disease reasons. For example, such phenomenon may occur due to adverse external stimuli. In addition, if the baby has a fever, eats too much, or lacks calcium, such phenomenon may be caused.

Why does my baby's hands and feet twitch when he sleeps?

It is recommended to take your child to a local hospital for an EEG examination to check whether there are epileptic lesions in the brain. After the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment should be started as soon as possible to avoid missing the best time for treatment.

It is normal for newborns to twitch while sleeping. It is a manifestation of temporary brain dysfunction. The cerebral cortex of newborns is not yet fully developed, so the activities of the limbs are mainly controlled by the subcortical center, resulting in involuntary and purposeless shaking of the limbs. As the cerebral cortex gradually matures, the "control" of the child's limb movements gradually transfers from the subcortical center to the cerebral cortex, and the involuntary shaking of the limbs gradually disappears.

Sometimes newborns are stimulated by the external environment, such as sudden muscle tremors after hearing a sound, or sudden startles when they transition from sleep to wakefulness. These are all normal. In addition to systemic or local muscle twitching, common symptoms such as nystagmus, staring, repeated blinking, screaming, facial tremors, and swinging forearms back and forth are all manifestations of convulsions. Even a few newborns show symptoms of respiratory arrest and cyanosis.

At this time, parents do not need to be too nervous. They can calm their children down by gently pressing any part of their body with their hands. An unswaddled newborn can also be calmed by holding his shoulders or holding him in your arms.

If your baby twitches too frequently while sleeping, it may be caused by calcium deficiency or brain damage. Parents need to pay attention and give the baby calcium supplements in time or take the baby to the hospital for treatment.

What to do if your baby twitches while sleeping

1. The baby should be laid on his side first, and sharp and dangerous objects around should be removed to avoid being hit during an attack.

2. Loosen your clothes and raise your head to keep your airway open.

3. Measure body temperature. If you have a fever, use anal suppositories to reduce the fever immediately.

4. If there is a foreign object in the mouth that is easy to remove, you can clear it out by lying on your side.

5. Please carefully observe the changes in the baby's eyes, face, and limbs when the baby has convulsions, such as bilateral or unilateral convulsions, and also pay attention to the length of time the convulsion lasts.

6. Do not give your baby anything to drink during or immediately after a convulsion to avoid choking.

7. If the convulsion is the first time, the convulsion lasts more than ten minutes, or the convulsion is continuous and the consciousness cannot be restored, seek medical attention urgently.

Treatment

For children who have a fever and convulsions for the first time, the doctor will ask the parents in detail about the duration of the convulsion, the symptoms of the convulsion and the family history. A detailed medical consultation and blood tests are required. If necessary, cerebrospinal fluid examination or brain scan will be arranged to rule out the possibility of meningitis, electrolyte imbalance, metabolic disease, or other causes. Children who have a fever and convulsions for the first time usually need to stay in the hospital for 6-8 hours with an IV drip because there is a possibility of another seizure within a short period of time. If the seizures are acute, anticonvulsant drugs are given intravenously or as rectal suppositories to stop the seizures. Severe, repetitive seizures may require hospitalization. Patients with febrile seizures will have an EEG examination scheduled up to 10 days after the first episode.