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Alternative names Return to top
Floppy; Decreased muscle tone; Hypotonic infantDefinition Return to top
Hypotonia involves decreased muscle tone. Infants with hypotonia seem floppy and feel like a "rag doll" does when held.Considerations Return to top
Hypotonia is often a sign of a worrisome abnormality and may suggest the presence of central nervous system dysfunction, genetic disorders, or muscle disorders.
Hypotonic infants rest with their elbows and knees loosely extended, while infants with normal tone tend to have flexed elbows and knees. Head control may be poor or absent in the floppy infant with the head falling to the side, backward, or forward.
Infants with normal tone can be lifted with the parent's hands placed under the armpits, while hypotonic infants tend to slip between the hands as the infant's arms rise unresistingly upward.
Common Causes Return to top
Home Care Return to top
Extra care must be taken when lifting and carrying a hypotonic infant to avoid causing an injury to the child.
Call your health care provider if Return to top
Call if your child appears "floppy", especially if he or she previously seemed to have normal muscle control.
What to expect at your health care provider's office Return to top
The family history and the child's medical history will be obtained. A physical examination will be performed. Most of the disorders associated with hypotonia also cause other symptoms that, when taken together, will suggest a particular disorder.
Medical history questions may include:
The physical examination will probably include a detailed nervous system and muscle function examination.
Diagnostic tests will vary depending on the suspected cause of the hypotonia.
Update Date: 5/4/2004 Updated by: Katrina McPherson, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Page last updated: 28 October 2004 |