Diseases That Cause Muscle Weakness
Hypotonia or muscle weakness can occur on its own due to no other health problem, or it can occur due to an underlying health condition which causes the muscle weakness to worsen with time. The second kind of hypotonia is seen in patients suffering from muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy, and usually is diagnosed when the child is an infant. |
When an infant suffers from muscle weakness, he or she will display a floppiness when they are held. Also, where fine motor skills and gross motor skills are concerned, the child may not progress like other children. For instance, the child will not be able to hold its head up when laid on the stomach, or the child will not be able to balance when put in a sitting position.
In kids suffering from hypotonia, the muscles do not form a firm protective layer around the bones. Hence, such kids are more prone to dislocation of the hip, jaw or neck. Also, some of the kids will have problems while feeding as they will not be able to chew or suck for prolonged periods of time. In addition, a kid suffering from hypotonia will have speech problems and may also have shallow breathing.
There are many diseases that cause muscle weakness. Usually these diseases are of the central nervous system, genetic or muscular disorders. Some of the diseases that cause muscle weakness include Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, Marfan syndrome, cerebral palsy, Tay-Sachs disease, Prader-Willi syndrome and myotonic dystrophy.
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