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Child (now 3years old) Twiches/Jerks During Sleep Several Times Since Birth

My son has is now 3 years old and since birth, he had what was first identified as the "startle reflex" and then what his ped referred to as my son continuing to have a startle reflex well after it should have went away. My son, born at 37 weeks on the dot, and then on oxygen for 12 hours after his birth has been healthy except for extensive behavorial problems. However, his startle reflex has NEVER gone away while sleeping during naps or at night. He doesn't sleep well at night and this startle reflex is like a full body jerk or tremble, very fast, very short. I have consulted 4 doctors about this, 1  and a pychologist, none seem to think its and issue. Is this an issue, should I look to someone else, for help, is there anyone else to look to? I feel that maybe this may be a link to other problems my son is having, i.e. behavorial issues, lack of sleep... and I just want so much to give him the help he needs.

Thanks for any help you may offer.
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Avatar universal
My son has started this last night and here I am searching for answers he did about 3 or 4 times. It was a hard short jerk reflex and it scared me. I have not noticed him ever do this before. Now he did start potty training recently and woke up crying cause he needed to pee but was very tired so maybe it could be that he just realized he needed to pee?
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Avatar universal
I can help you i need see video of it
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Avatar universal
Also, I don't have a false sense of security that my children will not get these diseases. I can not say if they will get them or not. But I am willing to take the risk, believing that having one of these diseases (read common symptoms) is a better alternative than putting my child at risk of getting autism or possibly death (research dramatic increase in autism rate paralleled with intensity and number of vaccines dramatically increasing in recent years). Those are not common symptoms of the diseases that the vaccines are supposed to prevent. Also, my first child was vaccinated, and I believe she had a reaction to the vaccine. I won't go into detail, but it was too serious for Mommy to want to put the second child at risk. Also, she had what looked like the measles rash all over her body AFTER being vaccinated. :/ Why, oh why would I want to put the LIVE viruses into a beautiful, healthy little body? And why weren't my eyes opened before? I don't know. Anyway, I just wanted to clarify that. Thank you! :)
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Avatar universal
I am sorry, I wanted to clarify something that I said. You stated that I said that more people have died from vaccines than the disease that they prevented. But I did not say that, or at least I did not mean to say that. I simply said that there are more horror stories of the terrible reactions to vaccines than of the diseases themselves. Supposedly, Mommys are not talking about the terrible permanent danger that the measles had on their children (when measles was more rampant). Instead, Mommys were having measles parties ( like in the 50s, 60s) so that all of the children would catch the sickness and get it over with, and go on to lead a healthy, normal life with a lifelong immunization to the sickness. Doesn't sound so bad. Especially since the vaccine doesn't promise lifelong immunization. Sorry, just wanted to clarify! :) thanks!
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it. :) You are well informed and knowledgeable about the benefits of vaccines.

I just want people to read for themselves what vaccines are doing to our population. I would like for people to read first hand accounts from Mommys who had to go through the horrors of watching their children's lives be destroyed by vaccines. I want people to be AWARE that this is in fact happening, and it is happening at a higher rate than it once was. Autism is on the rise. American children are changing right before our eyes. These are not the same children of 20, 30 years ago. And, yes, diet plays a HUGE part, so does the type of entertainment we are exposing them to. But vaccines are also one of the culprits of the decline in overall health in America's precious little ones, behavioral health included. I just want those who are RESPONSIBLE for making the RIGHT choices for their children to MAKE THE CHOICE THEMSELVES, instead of doing something only because they were FORCED to do it by a health care practitioner, or anyone else. All of us have, and should have a choice. Unfortunately, that may be changing as well. Please, everyone, do your homework. And make the right choice. Whatever that may be. But make an informed choice. You were given a brain, and you can use it, I know it is a good brain! It is very rewarding to use your brain and control your thoughts and your choices, rather than letting someone or something control what you think! You will be glad you did  in 5, 10, 20 years! :)

Again, thank you Heiferly, for your input. May you have a wonderful day.
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612876 tn?1355514495
You are right that vaccines, like anything in life, present some risks. Yes, those risks include death. That's quite serious, and it's something we have to consider when looking at the big picture about vaccines. But you are misinformed when you say that more children die from vaccines than from measles, mumps, rubella, diptheria, polio, etc. Before vaccines were invented for these diseases, massive numbers of children were crippled and died due to these conditions. I have several older friends who lived in assisted living with me who are forced operate their wheelchairs with a chin switch because it's the only part of their body they can move anymore, because of a childhood bout of polio. Make no mistake, these vaccines were made to eradicate some horrific conditions, and there is a lot to be said for the concept of "herd immunity," which is in fact what's giving you the false sense of security that your children won't get these diseases even if you don't vaccinate them. If everyone else is vaccinated, your children are ostensibly at no risk. Unfortunately, as numbers of anti-vaccine adherents rise, so too do the rates of these nearly-forgotten diseases.

I'm aware that there are many people who will never be convinced that vaccines are the lesser of evils. But I would be remiss as a person with a degree in the medical field, a person who has devoted her life to helping children in particular, if I sat by and did not respond when blatant falsehoods were posted on medical forum such as this.
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Avatar universal
I believe that these disorders are related to VACCINES. Please, please do your research on vaccines. You can NOT over-research the topic! There have been so many vaccine injuries, even death from vaccines. www.nvic.org is a very good place to start. I encourage you to read the Vaccine Victim Memorial! This is serious business. Vaccines are a BIG BUSINESS for the drug companies. Yet they are destroying lives! Please do NOT trust everything your Doctor says! You were given a brain, too! Please use it and do your own research-it is very rewarding and you might be surprised what you find out. There are way more horror stories from Moms whose children got their vaccines, than from Moms whose children got the Measles, or Rubella, or any other disease that vaccines supposedly prevent. :/
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612876 tn?1355514495
Community member ruth691 has not posted on MedHelp at all since 2009. It's extremely unlikely that they're going to see your question or respond to you.

Have you spoken to your pediatrician about this issue? They should be able to differentiate between myoclonic jerks, seizures, etc. It may be helpful to take video recordings of these events to the appointment with you. They may want to admit him to a hospital for observation and/or video EEG.

Best wishes, H.
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Avatar universal
Hello,
I realize your post is from many years ago. I have recently experienced the exact same situation with my 2 and a half yr old son. I would love to hear from you as to whether you ever figured out or got some answers to your experience. I would appreciate it so very much. Thank you :)
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Avatar universal
Your son sounds exactly like mine.  Mine is 4 and experiences the same thing.   No one seems to know what is wrong with him. they say they aren't seizures but it goes on ALL night long...sometimes just the jerks but other times he will sit straight up in bed then lay back down.  yawn REAL loud and big. toss and turn from side to side....his behavior is so defiant.  he can be sooooooo loving and the next minute stabbing his sister with a pencil.....I continue to research but nothing.....
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Avatar universal
I feel so sorry for u. May Allah bless her and increase ur patience ameen. Try homeopathic medicines. My son has ts disorder and thanx to Allah he is now much better. Showed alot progress. I live in australia but my doctor is in pakistan. If u r interested i can give u all the details. My email address is ***@****  my son had probs when he was four and now he is five. Ive seen great progress. This treatment might be slow but is effective. When she takes her medicine read "ya qawi " alot times. It means the must strong one. Name of Allah. Inshallah ull fine the differece and she will go to sleep.
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5648487 tn?1371623649
Hi. Do you live in California? I Have heard of cases in the 2valleys that I have lived and am concerned in regards to my son. Very similar reactions and so basically what I want to know is - do you just ask your doctor for the lyme disease test? Do you get funny looks when asked? Is there a better facility to go to that wont judge- I am just a mother very concerned- not crazy. I lived in Gilroy CA where there was an issue of the disease and now live deeper  in centrL California so I am dealing with trying to find out if one- that issue and 2- allergy issues. Please advise  Thanks
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Avatar universal
Can someone help me out here I am so scared that there is something wrong with my 3 year old son,he is jerking,jumping,hitting his self in his sleep,when he wakes up he runs as fast as he can to my room and screams a monster in my room,can someone please help me cope with this.
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Avatar universal
HI i am 32 and have the following symptoms in my sleep I jerk, punch and kick out, shout,swear,get up through things around, bang my head and grind my teeth. I have been doing this since i was a kid doctors have not heard of this it stuffs up relationships and i am sick off it can some one please help me.
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Avatar universal
HI i am 32 and am still doing theses same things i seen a doctor but they do not know what the cause is i am trying to find out a cure any suggestions.
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone,
I have found the answer to my son's sleep twitches. I too read message boards since day one of my now 4 year olds birth wondering the source of his bodies behavior as he slept. Never got any answers nor did he grow out of these mysterious symptoms. Here are a few symptoms he had. He would fall asleep and sweat for the first 20 minutes of rest (not all the time, but enough to get my attention), his hair would get wet. Soon after he fell asleep his body would twitch, the twitching bounced all around his body. He was a "Colicky" baby (breast fed). Around 2 years old he started having night terrors, not all the time but he has had them off and on since about 2 years old. He'd wake up from naps really groggy. But in the morning he woke up just fine. For a few months in a row he would get a fever of about 101 for one night once a month and than it would just go away over night (the fevers never bothered him), I thought it was teething related (I went to a ped for this and she was perplexed as the frequency of fevers were uncommon, she was no help). But other than those few sleep related issues he was and is super fun, happy, healthy, energetic kid who has a great vocabulary and loves to be active. I would have never guessed he had what he has. Long story short I was tipped off by a good friend who had just been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Her symptoms sounded just like how I feel, I thought I had a thyroid disease (Hashimoto's thyroiditis, my mother has it). I never felt terrible just a little tired, I just thought that was motherhood. But sure enough I got tested by a LLMD and I have Lyme and coinfections. I had my son tested and he has Lyme, Babesia and two other coinfections I can't list off the top of my head. These diseases all had twitching as apart of their symptoms (he only twitches in his sleep). Night sweats, night terrors, everything was a symptom related to tick born diseases. He was bit by a tick or I possibly passed these diseases to him while pregnant (we also have dogs that could be a possibility). I don't know when I got bit. Never saw the tick and we live in Coastal California where I never knew lyme disease exist! It does just in case you're wondering, Lyme is in every one of our states here in the US. Knowing what I know now it's an epidemic.
The few things that alarmed me of your post Katherine is the mention of your thyroid and the ADHD. Lyme is being linked to ADHD, Asperger's, Alzheimer's, Thyroid, fibromyalgia and many more. It's showing up in autopsy research related to Lyme. You would never know my son has it. He's a really energetic happy kid. Anyone interested in more information please use the information from  ILADS.
http://www.ilads.org/
The government ran sites are not up to date on Lyme info. It's gone to epidemic proportions as you'll see if you dig into lyme research. This may not be what your children have. I only feel responsible to share my findings with you all as I never once came across Lyme Disease or tick born related illnesses as a possible cause to my son's mysterious symptoms.
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Avatar universal
Having similar problem with my 1yr old son his fontanelle closed early since then he makes at night  screaming has violent  her jerks when sleeping night and day is lashing out bitting himself  and everyone and everything fearless never really cries when things seem sore this is my second child and never experienced this with my first any advice ADHD  has crossed  my mind
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Avatar universal
Having similar problem with my 1yr old son his fontanelle closed early since then he makes at night  screaming has violent  her jerks when sleeping night and day is lashing out bitting himself  and everyone and everything fearless never really cries when things seem sore this is my second child and never experienced this with my first any advice ADHD  has crossed  my mind
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Avatar universal
I stumbled upon this forum while researching reasons why my non-verbal 4.5 year old has spasms/movements/startle reflex in his sleep. He does not have an autistic DX but it's likely he has ADHD and some cognitive delays
He is being seen by every imaginable Dr., we r exhausted
I have to say that I'm amazed by the number of you who didn't mention the need to see a professional/Dr
I read one post that goes way back to 2010 where the child would vomit after what appeared to be seizure like activity
Its been years...but I hope he is ok. Many folks seemed to be describing what could be infantile spasms
Also...it would be important for any who have not consulted w an expert to see a neurologist ASAP
My concerns would be...infantile spasms, CP, ASD or ADHD
I'm not a physician but found it concerning that some were advised that these seizure- like activities could just b typical 2 year old behavior. Good grief!
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Avatar universal
Hi how are you? I just came across this message and my 5 year old has been doing the same jerking when he falls asleep and it comes and goes with different twitches thorughout the evening.  And he moves around his bed often.  I was just wondering how your child is doing and what you found out. Thank you.  
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Avatar universal
My son displays very similar symptoms and we have found homeopathy has helped enormously. You have to stick at it as its ongoing treatment but if you find a good, supportive homeopath it can change your child's life! It helps them to rid the body of toxins which block their development etc. Also a diet gluten and dairy free and dare I say it avoiding sugar as much as possible is essential along with daily probiotics. I wish doctors were more informed, they will catch up soon hopefully.
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Avatar universal
My son displays very similar symptoms and we have found homeopathy has helped enormously. You have to stick at it as its ongoing treatment but if you find a good, supportive homeopath it can change your child's life! It helps them to rid the body of toxins which block their development etc. Also a diet gluten and dairy free and dare I say it avoiding sugar as much as possible is essential along with daily probiotics. I wish doctors were more informed, they will catch up soon hopefully.
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Avatar universal
Hi, since my 2 1/2 was a baby I had a handful experiences where he'd shake in his sleep . I told his pediatric and he told me that it was normal. Well tonight, (mind you it's about 5:30 am) his dad slepted on the coach and my son and I slepted in bed. I heard I'm call out for me in his sleep, I cuddled him noticed he hardly was covered. While I was warming him up he started to shake. It was less than ten seconds because I hovered over him then about three minutes later it happened again lasting around the same time. I picked him up noticed he was kind of breathless And I took him to his room layer him on his bed watched his breathing then I woke him up from his sleep asking him if he's o.k. . He's now tossing and turning because I have the lights on. How far should I take this can someone help us.
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Avatar universal
Hi.  My 3 year old son had 2 bad seizures in 5 days.  He used to twitch all night.  We just had an EEG done.  No meds yet. We have put him on a raw diet.  It has been amazing.  I have learned that food is key.  Vitamin E, Omega 3, Omega 6, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12.  Here is a link that a Master Herbalist said was great.
http://www.herbsfirst.com/descriptionsformulas/nerveformula.html

You may want to look into MSG and the effects on the brain.  Here is a video on Google for you.  What I have learned is that as a parent we have to be informed.  The MSG is disturbing but may be an important thing for you to examine.

http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbEh3_JBDErw

May the Lord Bless you in your quest for knowledge.
A friend from Colorado
FYI: my 3 year old is now seizure free.  Find a good naturopath.  We do acupuncture, Chiropractic, Massage, and raw food, and vitamin supplements.
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