spasms in 4 month old

[eshores23]

I have a question regarding the behavior of my 4 month old. She was born 5 weeks premature and seemed to be perfectly healthy.  Within the first month we noticed times when it appeared she was having a seizure--she would look to be asleep and then both arms would bend and go up and down.  This happened a few times in her car seat in the car--once I couldn't get her to stop, although it didn't seem to be harming her any.  Then we noticed that when she was going to sleep and I would pat her back she would do the same thing (her body would jerk alot)--occasionaly this would happen without me patting her.  Then around 3 months old one morning I was walking with her facing out in my arms and she tensed up, her arms went up and out to the side with fists clenched and her head dropped, she grunted and tried to cry--she did this a few times within 5 seconds or so and then screamed.  Now she does this every day many times, usually with no cry--but I have always noticed it only when I walk with her facing out.  Is this something to be worried about?  We did one EEG which was "within normal range"--it had one spike--she was sleep deprived and given a sedative before it.  I am worried but the ped. doesn't think this is anything to worry about.  It definitely seems abnormal--they come and go so quick.  Thank you in advance.

[nurse12hr]

I would ask for a pediatric neurology consult ASAP if you haven't already done so.  Preferably one associated with a large academic center.
A regular pediatrician may not be particularly knowledgeable about this.

Let us know what happens!  Good luck.

[nurse12hr]

I don't want to alarm you, but here is a link I found.  Bear in mind that your child had a normal EEG, which argues against this, I believe.  But it is nothing to fool around with. Get a consult if you haven't already.  

http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/infantile.html

[DESTINA]

hie, i hope everything goes well for u and your infant.  I know that this is a very terrible situationa and can be rally scared. I don't know anything about her conditions, I just wanted to say that I will pray for you and hopr that this is only a phase. God bless u and your family.

[chevyjewel]

Just another suggestion - I've heard of infants and toddlers going through seizures because of fevers and illness. The seizures themselves are harmless, and the fevers actually are what should be of concern. Being premature, has she been sick at all? I had an employee whos daughter experienced them off and on for two years and although they were scary to watch, (I saw one happen at a Christmas party) she outgrew them by age 3 and is now an intelligent, beautiful little girl. Try to stay positive, it might not be as bad is you think! I wish you all the best in your search for an answer!

[eshores23]

Thanks all--she hasn't been sick since she was born (at least not with fever or anything).  We will go back to the dr in two weeks and see from there.  I just feel at times that I am being overly cautious, but I don't know what is normal since this is my first.  We will videotape the episodes and show the dr--hopefully he will see that it seems abnormal (at least it does to me and my husband!!).

[nurse12hr]

Videotape is a great idea; however, if the doctor is not at all conversant with infantile spasms he/she may not recongize them.

If it is infantile spasms, THEY MUST BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY.
Serious, continuing damage may occur if these are untreated.  I hope and pray it is not this.

***@****  please let me know what happens.  I am very concerned.

[premiemom]

My son is a 23 week premie (four months early).  He is now about 8 months adjusted age.  He has exactly the symptoms that you described in your child.  I have video taped the "spasm" or "cramping" and shown it to his ped.  She thinks it's gas.  I then took my son to a GI specialist who also thinks it's gastro related.  I was told that when babies have seizures, they will look "out of it".  But my son definitely knows that he's in pain or in discomfort.  He's still very much "here" and reacting to the cramping.  When there's gas that couldn't be burped or vented (he has a g-tube to vent air from his tummy) from his tummy, it goes into to his intestine which goes into spasms to try and expel the gas.  Ever had gas pain as an adult?  It hurts like crazy.  My baby would clench his fists, jerk his head down to his chest, and draw his legs up into a sudden fetal position and grunt in pain.  It comes normally 2-4 hours after he eats with a pretty precise time pattern now.  It's happened for about a month now.  He is scheduled to have an Upper GI done to check reassess the condition of his G-tube internally.  I am taking hime to the surgeon who put the G-tube in to check why I can't get the air out of him completely when I vent him.  The first time he cried too because it scared him, and I too freaked out and thought it was a seizure.  Now, he doesn't cry but expects it coming and kind of gage for it with fear in his eyes and wince in pain.  But the stronger spasms will bring one or two cries from him.  Premie babies tends to have Gastro Intestinal problems along with a string of other things.  Sometimes it shows earlier sometimes it comes later.  Is your baby alergic (allergic) to a new food, or has his feeding suddenly increased?  Check the feeding & burping patterns.  I find that by massaging his tummy from his left to his right, pushing the "air" from the intestine back into the stomach helps a lot.  It has shorten my baby's cramping from 10-12 cramps to about 4-7 cramps.  But the episode is still 5-7 times a day because he sucks in so much air from nippling too fast on a bottle.  I can hear the gurgling air inside his tummy after I massage it out from the intestine or each time he has a spasm.  If you find a better way to stop this please post.  I am still searching and hopefully the tests from the GI clinic can point the finger to a way to manage this.

[premiemom]

Sorry last post so long.  But to answer your concerns regarding the arms going up and down while your baby is sleeping, it's probably nothing to fear.  Again, premie babies tends to have a systems that's not completely developed when they were born, including muscle systems, nervous systems, etc...  The symptom with the "jittery" arms while she's sleeping sounds like my son's too.  But he had the jitters mostly in his legs.  Because my son was so much more early than your daughter, most of his symptoms is much, much more severe including the length and duration of the spasms.  The jittery movements in his legs is about 99% gone now that he is older and his mucles are stronger.  However, I would suggest a visit to the neurologist if it persists too long just to assess her condition.