Doctor Komarovsky about obsessive movement syndrome in children. Childhood disease - nervous tic, treatment and prevention

Does your child twitch in his sleep? Why is this happening, is there a danger? There is no danger in this phenomenon: all children twitch in their sleep. To understand the cause of twitching, you need to understand what phases a person’s sleep consists of.

A baby sleeps in the same way as an adult: he falls asleep and wakes up, closes his eyes and dissolves in the world of dreams. A little person's sleep consists of phases of falling asleep, alternating shallow and deep sleep and waking up. In the world of dreams, an infant spends most of your day.

However, the baby’s rest differs in that the shallow sleep phase takes up most of the time.. In adults, on the contrary, the deep sleep phase prevails. IN deep phase In dreams, a person sleeps “like a dead man” and does not stir.

In the superficial dreaming phase, body muscles twitch and facial expressions change. This explains the baby’s behavior in his sleep: he constantly twitches and shudders at times.

How long will the baby behave this way in his sleep, until how many years or months? The child will stop twitching only by the age of five.\

Until then, he needs a phase short nap For:

1. Body growth.
2. Proper development.

However, the baby’s anxious rest may not be caused by a physiological feature:

• a child may feel discomfort in an overheated or unventilated room;
• the child spent an emotionally stormy day, his psyche was overexcited;
• the child overate/or underfed before the night's rest.

The mother must distinguish when the baby twitches in the superficial phase of sleep ( physiological process), and when - from overexcitement or malnutrition.

GOOG night kids

In order for your child to always rest peacefully, it is necessary to provide him with nighttime comfort. Follow simple rules:

1. Always ventilate the room before your baby sleeps at night: oxygen will help you fall asleep easily and sleep soundly.
2. Always bathe your baby before bed: this removes excess mental stress, and the baby will fall asleep faster.
3. Do not play emotional games with your baby before a night's rest: he has not yet developed a strong system of excitation/inhibition of the psyche.
4. Don't overfeed your baby: even adults have a hard time sleeping when their stomach is full.

Some mothers do not understand why the baby does not sleep well. The reason may be uncomfortable baby underwear, which creates discomfort.

What to do if you have provided your baby with all the necessary comfort, but he still twitches in his sleep? To find out why this happens, you need to contact your pediatrician. The doctor may refer you and your baby for a consultation to:

• neonatologist;
• somnologist;
• neurologist.

A pathological state of night rest can lead to chronic lack of sleep, because sometimes the baby wakes up from a start and cannot fall asleep for a long time. A similar pathology can be caused by the initial form of epilepsy. But don’t panic in advance - just show the baby to the doctor.

Sometimes the baby twitches in his sleep due to damaged cervical region during difficult births.

Sleepy ritual

A young mother should know that rest for a baby is a very important part of his life. Why? Because during night/day rest the body grows and develops intensively. There is also active formation cellular structures, brain development. That's why good rest crumbs are very important to him.

Create a sleep ritual and treat it very responsibly! The ritual must take place at the same time evening time and consist of a certain sequence of actions:

1. Creating a sleepy space: turn off the lights, music and family squabbles.
2. Ventilation of the room: it is imperative and absolutely necessary to fill the room with fresh oxygen.
3. Bathing the baby: you can skip it only if the baby is unwell.
4. Light body massage: stroke the body warm hand, the little one will soon get used to this procedure and will fall asleep faster.
5. Milk feeding: Give your baby breast milk or formula.
6. Lullaby song: it sets you up for a happy wave of dreams.

Some babies love to frolic in the bath; for some reason, water has an exciting effect on them. If your baby is the same type, bathe him a couple of hours before bedtime.

The meaning of the ritual is to evoke the right associations in the baby associated with a night's rest. Children quickly get used to what their mother taught them. If the mother teaches him to fall asleep at the breast, the baby will take this as a guide to action. Then don’t be surprised that he demands breasts from you before bed.

Important! The experience of thousands of happy mothers shows that the toddler quickly realizes the connection between bathing/feeding/song and sleep.

How to get rid of stretch marks after childbirth?

The little man falls asleep. What could be better for parents? Standing over the crib, mom and dad admire the sniffling baby. Suddenly the child shudders and twitches. It scares them.

Medical specialists have defined this phenomenon as myoclonus. What is it? Why is this happening? Should you panic and see a doctor if your child starts in his sleep?

A child's flinching during sleep and when falling asleep may be due to immaturity of the nervous system.

Physiology of nocturnal shuddering

Myoclonus or flinching is a sudden twitching of muscles (mainly in the legs, arms, face). Occurs during complete relaxation of the body. There is a shudder:

• Synchronous and asynchronous;
• Spontaneous;
• Rhythmic and arrhythmic;
• Reflex.

If a child starts in his sleep immediately after falling asleep, this is not a pathology. If the baby twitches throughout his sleep, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

What are the types of twitches when falling asleep?

Physiological:

• occur when a sleeping child is unexpectedly touched;
• overexcited nervous system during the day or just before bedtime;
• may be a reaction to sharp sounds;
• in infants may occur during feeding;

Pathological:

• spontaneous cessation of breathing;
• epilepsy;

• injuries spinal cord;
• often during the transition from one phase of sleep to another - compensatory twitching of the lower extremities;
• Ekbom syndrome (syndrome restless legs), which is characterized by unpleasant sensations in the feet and calf muscles;
• hereditary causes, consisting in poor blood supply to the joint apparatus; when jerking the legs, blood flow to the joints improves.

When do they arise?

The appearance of physiological twitching occurs due to a conflict between the period of complete relaxation of the body and muscle tone. Often, in young children, this may be a transition from one phase of sleep to another (indicating that deep dream hasn't arrived yet). The not yet fully formed nervous system also affects. Parents watch as the baby twitches his arms and legs, smiles and mutters in his sleep. At this moment, it is strongly recommended not to wake the baby.

That is why, if these symptoms occur, you should ensure more comfortable conditions falling asleep:

• It is advisable to take a bath with herbal infusions;
• in the room where the baby sleeps, turn on diffused light;
• organize your daily routine;
• The temperature in the bedroom should not be higher than 21˚C.

The optimal temperature in the baby’s bedroom is 18-21 °C

It is imperative to remember that only a doctor can reliably distinguish pathology from the norm. If twitching during sleep is prolonged, you should consult a specialist.

What are the causes of startling during sleep in infants?

Startling when changing phases of sleep is not a pathology (little children also have dreams). If this happens more than 10-15 times a night, this is a reason to consult a neurologist.

The cause of twitching may be a too stormy previous day, activity, or excessive crying in the evening. A premature baby twitches more often than a healthy baby.

When a child is teething or has trouble with gas, this can also be a reason for flinching. Formation and establishment of functioning digestive system may cause discomfort in the stomach - another reason. Be sure to remember that often shuddering during sleep in infants combined with high temperature can cause convulsions.

For some children in the background high temperature febrile seizures occur

That is why, in order to avoid the frequent occurrence of twitches of a physiological nature, it is necessary:

1. avoid active games before bedtime;
2. give a relaxing and soothing massage;
3. do not dry out the air in the bedroom with electric heaters;
4. avoid the appearance of mosquitoes and flies in the place where the child sleeps;
5. Clothing and bedding should, if possible, be made from natural fabrics;
6. undershirts and rompers should be loose-fitting and not restrict movement (tightness can cause shuddering);
7. bathing the baby in a warm decoction of herbs: calendula, mint, chamomile, pine needles, sea ​​salt(aimed at relaxing muscles);
8. avoid both overfeeding and underfeeding before bedtime;
9. Try to put your child to bed at the same time every day.

Why are there reasons for concern?

In some cases, this phenomenon may be a manifestation serious illnesses. Why should you sound the alarm and see a doctor? What recommendations should you follow?

There are situations when it is necessary to consult a doctor regarding a child’s shuddering in his sleep.

You need to worry in the following cases:

• when the baby twitches throughout the rest;
• on restless sleep and startling, symptoms of fear are superimposed (the child cries or screams in his sleep);
• laboratory detected increased content vitamin D or calcium deficiency;
• tremors appeared against the background of previously restful sleep;
• Twitching of arms and legs can be a symptom of a metabolic disorder, and if left untreated can lead to spontaneous seizures.

In this situation, it would be good to consult a neurologist or local pediatrician for full examination. Mom must remain calm. Do not commit sudden movements and exclude too sharp sounds (they can scare).

Why is drug treatment not used in children?

Application medicines justified only as prescribed by a doctor. This last resort in treatment.

In 50% of newborns, in the first weeks of life, small twitching of the chin and limbs is observed, which is called tremor in medicine. The article addresses the questions: why do infants experience twitching? different parts body, when tremor requires treatment and how it is carried out.

Tremor in newborns is a twitching of the chin, arms, and less often legs. Along with muscle hypertonicity, tremor is a sign of increased excitability of the child and the immaturity of his nervous system.

Why does a newborn shake: reasons for twitching of different parts of the baby’s body

Newborn tremor is a common phenomenon among children in the first year of life, which most often spreads to the baby’s chin, arms and legs. There are physiological and pathological tremor:

• Physiological tremor is a natural phenomenon that is not considered a pathology and does not require emergency therapy . This muscle twitching is associated with the immaturity of the baby’s nervous system and increased tone muscle tissue. Most often, this phenomenon lasts no more than 3 months and then disappears without a trace. In cases of longer duration of tremor, the child needs regular examinations by a neurologist. Physiological tremor lasts several minutes, does not cause concern to the baby and does not spread to other parts of the body except the limbs and chin.

• Pathological tremor manifested by involuntary twitching of both the limbs and the head, and the muscles of the body as a whole. His distinctive feature is a higher intensity of the “attack”, longer duration and frequency. Requires treatment from a specialist.

1. The causes of pathological (and partly physiological) tremor are pathologies of pregnancy and childbirth (especially those that provoke a lack of oxygen supply). These include:
   • fetal hypoxia;
   • polyhydramnios;
   • weakness of labor;
   • placental abruption;
   • umbilical cord entanglement;
   • risk of miscarriage;
   • difficult labor and;
   • weak labor activity;
   • heavy infectious diseases mothers during pregnancy.
2. Another one of causal factors tremors in infants are maternal stress during pregnancy , in which the level of norepinephrine in her blood was elevated. Wherein high level norepinephrine was also in the blood of the fetus, which ultimately manifested itself as an imbalance of this hormone in the newborn.

When and how a newborn’s body can shake: symptoms of tremor of the chin, limbs, lower lip

Features of manifestation physiological tremor in infants:

• manifests itself in moments nervous overstrain child and can be provoked by fright, fear, pain;
• is short-term in nature, low intensity;
• extends only to the chin, lower lip and limbs.

Features of the occurrence and course of pathological tremor:

• Episodes twitching can occur both at rest and during any physical stress.
• Pathological tremor differs from physiological tremor in that twitching occurs not only in the limbs and chin, but also spreads to other parts of the body (the head, tongue, eyelids, trunk muscles, fingers may twitch).
• Pathological tremor negatively affects the activity of the nervous system And general condition baby, causes: increased nervousness, irritability, sleep disturbances.

Both physiological and pathological tremor require close monitoring of the child by the parents and the attending physician. Correct and A complex approach to this problem helps to alleviate the baby’s condition and increases the success of recovery.

Why does a child shake when changing clothes?

Twitching and shaking of the child when changing clothes is associated with muscle hypertonicity. in a newborn it is increased voltage muscles, which can be physiological and pathological. Physiological increase in tone is associated with insufficient development of the nervous system, as well as with the fact that the child, being in the womb in the fetal position, instinctively takes this position after childbirth (at the same time, he bends his arms, legs and clenches his fists). The difference between physiological hypertonicity and pathological one is that it is easy for the mother to straighten the baby’s arms and legs. Normally, after 3-6 months of life, the tone begins to decrease and returns to normal.

IN separate category worth making pathological muscle hypertonicity , which can be observed not only when changing clothes, but also at rest. The twitching and bending of the limbs is intense, and it is difficult for the mother to straighten them due to strong resistance. This condition indicates serious problems in the functioning of the nervous system and requires immediate consultation with a doctor.

Other reasons for a child shaking when changing clothes may be: cold in the room, cold mother's hands, excessive “shaking” by the child when changing clothes, bright light.

What manifestations of tremor in a baby require treatment - dangerous symptoms

If the twitching is weak, not intense, short-lived and does not extend beyond the chin and limbs, then this is physiological state, which does not require any emergency care, but nevertheless, examination and consultation with a specialist are necessary.

Dangerous symptoms of tremor in newborns

Dangerous signs of tremors and muscle hypertonicity are strong, intense twitching and flexing of the limbs, in which the baby is agitated, he cries, is capricious, and does not want to eat or sleep. The baby's position in the crib can be in the form of an arc, the head is tilted to the side, he does not want to unclench his fists. In the absence of treatment, there is a delayed development of motor and motor skills, impaired general development And various diseases nervous system.

How to treat tremor in children?

Treatment of tremor should be carried out only after examining the child by a specialist and only according to his testimony.

Physiotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for tremor in infants. , which includes:

• Relaxing massage . A mother can massage her child at home on her own, but after going to a medical institution nurse or the doctor will show you how to perform it correctly. - this is light stroking and rubbing for 20 minutes. Main principle Such treatment is for the child’s comfort; if the baby feels discomfort or pain during physiotherapy, then you should not expect any therapeutic effect.
• Performing special gymnastics . Exercises include gentle shaking of the head and flexion and extension of the limbs. When performing exercises, you cannot perform flexion and extension movements through force.
• Baths with soothing herbs.
• Swimming. When swimming, the child should not dive.

If physiotherapeutic treatment is ineffective, depending on the root cause of the disease, a drug therapy.

What to do if a newborn’s chin, lip, legs, arms are shaking: expert opinions

Pediatrician E. Komarovsky

The nervous system of a newborn has a number of features; this is, perhaps, precisely the system of the body that undergoes the greatest changes during the first months of life. Reflexes, excitability, and reactions to the environment change constantly. Muscle tone It is more pronounced in the muscles that flex the arms and legs. Some signs that are completely abnormal in adults are quite natural in newborns. For example, trembling of the muscles of the limbs (the so-called tremor) is very undesirable for excited grandmothers, but for a newborn it is the norm.

Neurologist, candidate medical sciences I. Voronov:

I would like to draw the attention of parents. Tremor of the chin is not a sign of damage to the nervous system in children under 1 year of age, and is not a sign of increased intracranial pressure, as it is sometimes interpreted. Tremor in children under 1 year of age is a benign age-dependent condition that goes away on its own and does not require drug treatment. In very, very rare cases, disorders of the nervous system can be observed in children, and then there may be tremors, but let’s say after an infectious disease or a traumatic brain injury, and then in this case an examination by a neurologist is important.

I. Kolpakova, pediatrician, homeopath:

Tremor is often a symptom of something neurological disorders, a consequence of hypoxia or brain injury during childbirth, spinal cord injury. Chin tremor in a newborn baby is not considered a manifestation of pathology. If we are talking about older children, tremor may be a consequence inflammatory diseases and also injuries to the central nervous system. Trembling and flinching should not be confused.

Pediatrician O.I. Sazonova:

Tremor of the chin, lips, arms and legs usually indicates perinatal pathology of the nervous system or its insufficient maturity. In any of these cases, it is necessary to contact a pediatric neurologist for treatment or correction of the condition. In most cases, these pathologies disappear without a trace with constant dynamic monitoring and compliance with all recommendations of the attending physician. Any medications, gymnastics and massage stimulate proper development baby, and complement each other, so do not waste time and contact a specialist.

Key words: tics in children, simple and complex motor tics,
vocalisms, tic hyperkinesis, transient (transient) or
chronic tic disorder, obsessive movements,
neurotic disorder with obsessive movements, Tourette's disease

What are tics, why and when do they appear?
Tics are common! How do they look?
What is so “scary” about tics?
How, when and why you need to treat tics
Daily routine, diet and lifestyle
Recipes for preventing and combating tics

Many parents unexpectedly notice that the child suddenly began to blink his eyes, make grimaces, sniffle and twitch his shoulder... A day or two, then it passed, a month later it appeared again, for a long time... And this happens very often, look around. At first sight, visible reasons for such manifestations there is no. What is this? A new teasing game, the beginning of a bad habit, or the onset of an illness? How to react to this? Kids are hot, emotional people, they have very vivid emotions, lively facial expressions and gestures. Maybe this is normal? It would be nice to figure it out...

Tics are fast and involuntary, repetitive, irregular, short contractions of individual muscles or groups of muscles; they appear against the will of the child. The movements are excessive and violent, which is why they are sometimes also called tic hyperkinesis. Outwardly, it always looks about the same, the manifestations are usually monotonous, most often tics occur in the muscles of the face, neck... They are easy to notice. If it's tics facial muscles, the child suddenly wrinkles his forehead, frowns, closes his eyes, moves his nose, purses his lips into a tube. Tics in the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle are manifested by episodes of turning and twitching of the head, as if they were looking into the baby’s eyes long hair, or the hat is in the way; as well as movements of the shoulders and neck, as when feeling discomfort from a tight collar or uncomfortable clothing. By the way, it is precisely such problems with clothing that can serve as one of the triggers for the development of tics. Tics are most pronounced in a state of general motor immobility of the child, when he is bored; they also occur when the child is mentally concentrating, for example, when watching TV, reading a book or doing homework. On the contrary, if a child is very passionate about something, is passionately engaged in energetic play, and moves a lot, tics may weaken and even disappear.

How do parents react to this? As paradoxical as it may sound, in best case scenario, they don’t pay much attention to it, considering it ordinary children’s grimaces, pampering or new game. At worst, they suggest the development of a bad habit, which can be easily overcome with the help of strict external control.
The excited mother begins to draw the attention of the child and those around him to his grimaces and sniffling, constantly pulling him back and making comments to him. At first, everything seems to be right, it’s working out well. For some time, this helps: with some effort, the child can turn on volitional control and temporarily refrain from obsessive movements. Then the parents are completely and completely convinced that it is simple. bad habit, and there is no problem. But this is the most common mistake!

An anxious (purple) mother tries to constantly control the child’s behavior, and, in the end, the smart baby, understanding the dissatisfaction and grief of adults, begins to be burdened by his involuntary movements, and tries to restrain himself from them, not sniffle and not twitch his shoulders. But it only gets worse and worse... Mom and others around, sincerely wishing only the best, regularly make comments to the baby: “Stop blinking like that! Please don't snoop! Stop shaking your head! Sit still! The poor obedient child sincerely tries to follow these instructions, with an effort of will he manages to briefly suppress the tics, while emotional stress only grows, he is even more worried and anxious, the number and volume of obsessive involuntary movements only increases from this, new tics appear, their formula is constantly changing - it is formed vicious circle. In the future, any emotional stress and excitement can lead to an increase in tics, they become chronic, and practically cannot be controlled by will. That's it, the trap is closed, the child is “caught”!

Attention! If a child suddenly begins to blink his eyes, make grimaces, sniffle or jerk his shoulder, you cannot scold him for it! You cannot make comments to him about this, and in general, draw the child’s attention to his involuntary movements. You need to consult a neurologist.

Why and who gets tics, how often do they occur?

Most parents believe that tics arose for no reason, out of the blue. Usually, this is not the case. Parents may not be aware of some of the child’s unpleasant problems that have arisen at school or in the yard, and this is the cause of serious internal stress and anxiety. Almost every child is extremely sensitive to intra-family conflicts and has a hard time experiencing them; even those that, according to parents, are unknown to them and do not affect them at all. Any “minor” events in a child’s life, from the point of view of adults, absolutely not worthy of attention, can serve as a trigger for the development of childhood tics.
For example, a dozen kids were enthusiastically playing in the sandbox, and a very, very small dog running past suddenly barked loudly at them several times. Six kids didn’t even turn their heads, two shuddered, one girl cried, and one boy began to blink his eyes after a walk. For one in ten, is it common or rare, and why, specifically for this boy?

Many scientists note significant participation hereditary factors in the origin of supposedly “unreasonable” tics, while both mother and father can have genes in a “dormant” form; and manifest themselves in a special combination, in the form of tics, even after several generations. Some of these genes have already been “caught.” It is possible that that same boy from the sandbox, his dad had tics; or neurosis obsessive states his grandmother on his mother's side. It is important to know that tics themselves are not inherited; a combination of certain genes can only determine a predisposition to the development of tics. With such a predisposition, tics in children become “younger”: they develop relatively earlier than in their parents.

Indeed, many tics appear after serious stress, but not only negative ones (fear, grief, anxiety), but also strong ones positive emotions may cause tics. Some tics develop as a result of or after an infection or head injury, or when taking certain medications. Undoubtedly, endless “friendship” with the TV, computer and other gaming electronics, passion for buns, chocolates and soda almost certainly contribute to the development of tics. It’s trite, but one cannot fail to mention the “special” atmosphere and ecology of the city, intense information loads, a sedentary lifestyle and a tense situation in the family and school. We can talk for a long time about the possible circumstances that trigger tics, but, unfortunately, in life it often happens that real reasons the occurrence of tics remains unknown. Sometimes tics behave “like a cat walking by itself”, come suddenly, also suddenly disappear and appear again. In this case, observation by a neurologist is mandatory. Fast and complete success of therapy in currently, alas, does not always guarantee the irreversible disappearance of tics, forever.
Only one thing can be said with certainty, in most cases, even minimal and quickly passing tics are an alarm signal, a flashing red light on the dashboard of the brain, this is a telegram from the child’s nervous system, in which there are only three words “something is wrong inside”.

The statistics on tics are impressive; tics are deservedly considered one of the most common neurological disorders in children, and Lately The number of children with tics is steadily increasing, and the age of onset of tics is steadily decreasing. Tics began to occur much more often in infancy, tics are “getting younger” right before our eyes! According to latest research Transient or chronic tic disorders occur in every fourth or fifth child! According to statistics, tics occur three times more often in boys, and they are noticeably more severe than in girls.

What are the types of tics?

What colors are the sky, what shape are the waves on the sea, and what are the leaves in the forest? What is a skin rash and what is a cough? The forms and variants of tics in children are so diverse and numerous that even at the onset of the disease experienced doctor cannot immediately understand the situation and accurately predict further development events.
Tics can be simple and complex, local, widespread and generalized, motor and vocal. Local ticks observed in one muscle group (nose movements, blinking). Common - in several muscle groups, a combination of simple tics (lip curling, blinking, head twitching). Simple motor tics - frequent blinking, squinting, moving the eyes to the side and up, moving the nose and lips, turning and twitching the head, shoulders, hands, shaking the whole body and other involuntary movements.Complex motor tics - jumping and jumping, squatting, bending and turning the entire body, spontaneous gestures, obsessive touching of objects, etc.
Sound (vocal) tics are simple - continuous coughing for no reason, grunting, mooing, squealing, grunting, sniffing. Sound (vocal) tics are complex - repeated repetition of the same sounds, words, phrases, sometimes even involuntary shouting of curses (coprolalia).
A combination of complex, widespread motor and vocal tics is called generalized tics.

What is so “scary” about tics? How, when and why it is necessary to treat and whether tics can be cured

In more than half of the cases, tics are short-lived and do not appear again; in about eight out of ten children, by the age of 10-12 years, tics usually disappear without a trace. Maybe this is not a problem at all, and you don’t need to see a doctor, much less need treatment? I repeat, at the beginning of the appearance of tics, even an experienced specialist cannot always immediately understand the essence of the problem and accurately predict the further development of events. On the one hand, simple tics are a fairly harmless and not dangerous phenomenon, as usual, they quickly go away without treatment, of course. On the other hand, often in this apparent harmlessness and short duration lies real insidiousness - often, simple tics begin to intensify, imperceptibly transforming into common ones, and vocal tics join in. As a result, a child with chronic generalized tics is brought to the doctors, which are sometimes very difficult to treat.

We must not lose sight of the frequent inadequate reaction adults and children surrounding the child. For some anxious and irritable parents, children's tics, like a red rag to a bull, cause dissatisfaction, resentment and even internal aggression. With their rash behavior and wrong actions, they only aggravate the course of the tics. In kindergarten and school, peers, either completely frivolously, without meaning to harm, or purposefully and harshly, begin to tease such children. Sometimes even teachers, by chance, being outright mistaken, energetically participate in these nonsense.The child begins to pay active attention to his tics, thinks about his differences from other children, analyzes his behavior, worries and worries. Thus, against the background of tics, a deep neurotic disorder develops for the second time, and this is sometimes a greater evil and danger than the tics themselves. Like any chronic illness, prolonged tics do not allow the child to live, they torment and exhaust the soul, fatigue, irritability, sleep disturbances appear, anxiety and anxiety increase. Tension grows in the family, and other family members are gradually drawn into the orbit of tics. Quite rare, but not unique, they hide villainously under the guise of simple motor tics dangerous epileptic seizures. And now this is alreadyserious neurological problem.

Or maybe it’s better to wait a little, maybe it will go away on its own? You need to trust your mother's intuition (but only after a visit to a neurologist!). Tics after serious stress, against the background or after an illness or head injury, continue for a long time and obviously reduce the quality of life of the child and family, complex and vocal tics, widespread and generalized - all this is a reason to immediately consult a doctor. Usually, they start with a visit to a neurologist or psychiatrist. As usual, a detailed parental story and a simple neurological examination (possibly additional instrumental examination) are enough for the doctor to make sure that there is no organic reasons for the appearance of tics.

Next, the neurologist recommends changing your lifestyle and sleep patterns: it is enough to temporarily destroy the “friendship” with the TV, computer and other gaming electronics. It is advisable to limit or remove from the usual food list products containing caffeine (strong tea, cocoa, coffee, cola, chocolate), sweets and other high-calorie foods. Without a doubt, intense sports physical exercise, even simple long walks on fresh air, will be of great benefit and will help you quickly cope with the problem.

Quite often, tics serve as a kind of release valve for the child’s motor energy. Imagine a child had happy childhood, and in the summer he ran around outside all day long, his muscles enjoying life. And then the happiness ended, he went to first grade, and against his will, in nervous tension and you have to pore over your lessons motionlessly for a long time. Of course, “it’s not just about blinking and twitching...” Give the children a little physical freedom: let them continue to run around on the street as before! On the contrary, it is advisable to strictly dose strong intellectual and psycho-emotional stress. In some cases, even positive emotions, especially strong and violent ones, significantly intensify tic manifestations.
Then, as a rule, a child psychologist comes to the rescue and works with the child and his family. In the treatment of simple tics, the main task is to identify and eliminate obvious reasons the appearance of tics (problems at school and family, misunderstanding on the part of parents, deep-seated childhood fears and anxieties, etc.). Commonly used simple methods individual behavioral psychotherapy and psychorelaxation, the techniques of “voluntary tic depletion” have proven to be quite useful.

From time to time, such treatment methods are perceived with hostility by parents; it is easier to give"miracle pill" for tics, how to explain to dad that you can’t yell at the baby. The mother of the child has to apply maximum patience and perseverance, and work hard before she can destroy internal reasons ticks.
Many mothers completely misunderstand goals and objectives pediatric neurologist, and are poorly versed in the methods of its work. At a neurologist's appointment we often meet such energetic, all knowledgeable parents. “Of course, in medical reference book and on the Internet it says that we need pills, but the neurologist is trying to wean our brilliant child away from music and the computer.”

For example, I had a consultation with a boy with his mother and grandmother who complained of involuntary blinking and sniffling. According to my mother, the tics appeared suddenly, out of the blue, there was no stress. And the child is very anxious, tense, his eyes are sad, he twitches his head, constantly grunts and sniffles. The mother says: “Everything is fine in the family and in the kindergarten, there are only calm, positive adults around the child, there seem to be no visible upsets.” However, during the consultation, she pulled the child down twenty times, continuously making comments to him: “Stop blinking like that! Please don't snoop! Stop shaking your head! Sit still! She was constantly dissatisfied with her son: “he didn’t say hello right away, he said the wrong thing, he sat down the wrong way, he looked in the wrong direction.” At the same time, she managed to simultaneously quarrel with her grandmother about parenting methods and talk about complete misunderstanding on the part of her husband. A little more, and I would have “blinked and sniffled” out of chagrin right at the consultation. Yes, if I had to live even a little with such a mother, I would immediately end up in a neurosis clinic. And the baby, it turns out, is great - he “only” has tics.
An attempt to clarify the situation led nowhere; the prospect of regime and psychological correction Mother was not seduced by the tics. She became even more agitated and offended. After reading me a long “scientifically reasoned” notation about what a neurologist should do at an outpatient appointment, and without waiting for a miracle drug to be prescribed, my mother and grandmother continued their active search for a “convenient” specialist... In this family there is such blind confidence in the only possible way treating tics with pills will be the main obstacle to cure... Sad story...

In fact, drug therapy, especially serious psychotropic drugs, is required quite rarely, more often in the case of severe course tics, but even then, one cannot do without regime measures and psychological and pedagogical correction. The effectiveness of drugs will be much higher and more stable if you simultaneously decide psychological problems and lead healthy image life. Side effects real anti-tic therapy can be quite serious, and in no case should they be even close to commensurate with possible benefit. It is quite possible to destroy almost any tics and vocalisms, but to do this without side complications- this is not an easy task.

Simple effective recipes prevention and control of childhood tics

Less pedagogical violence - more love and understanding
Psychologically comfortable and calm environment in the family, kindergarten and school.
Looking for someone to blame, blaming yourself and others for the development of tics is a stupid and harmful activity.
Questions, discussions, comments, especially pestering and swearing at a child regarding tics are strictly prohibited
It is advisable to carry out psychological and pedagogical activities, resolving possible conflicts with peers and teachers at school or kindergarten under the guidance of an experienced child psychologist(otherwise you can make such a mess...)
Reasonable exercise in any kind of sports, intense physical activity, long walks in the fresh air
Restriction or temporary exclusion of communication with a TV, computer and other gaming electronics
The most important thing is a timely visit to a specialist!

Kalinov Yuri Dmitrievich

Reading time: 5 minutes

Adequate rest is important for any person. Especially if we're talking about about children, because during sleep they grow, and their nervous system and brain develop. Therefore, parents, noticing any violations in this area, begin to worry. Let's find out why a child twitches in his sleep and whether he should worry about it.

Features of children's sleep

If a child jerks his legs while falling asleep, it is called myoclonus. In fact, this phenomenon is natural and typical not only for children, but also for adults, however children's sleep has significant differences.

Human sleep consists of several phases: falling asleep and periods of superficial (fast) and deep (slow) sleep, which alternate with each other. An adult's shallow sleep is about 2 hours per night. The rest of the time the deep sleep phase continues. In a child, deep sleep does not last long and is soon replaced by superficial sleep.

During fast phase and twitching occurs, disturbing the parents; the baby may frown, sob, smile or talk.

Why does a baby twitch and wave its arms in its sleep?

The reasons why Small child jerks his legs and arms in his sleep, can be different, and most of them do not pose any danger.