Jerky movements while falling asleep ...SO WORRIED! is it seizure???

[Carmen2]

DD2 is 5 months old. I recently noticed that she has a few jerky movements when falling asleep. It's not an everyday thing but I would say maybe 1 every 2 days and only when she's falling asleep as she's finishing up her bottle. Aside from that, everything is normal with her. Her weight gain has been pretty well. She currently weight roughly 16lbs... her birth weight was 8lbs8oz. I have been scaring myself from googling signs and symptoms of seizures... does anyone else's bub go through this??? I never had this issue with DD1...

thank you

[Eenee]

as far as I know this is usually normal- it is known as the startle reflex and usually happens whilst falling asleep. I found the following info for you

Infants are born with this primitive reflex, also called the moro reflex, that helps them adapt and adjust to situations. You will often see a newborn jump when laid on a bed, even softly, showing that their muscles and reflexes are working properly. More common is having your baby startle when you start the vacuum cleaner in the room they are in, however not wake up. This is a good sign that your babies hearing is working up to par.

There are several things that may set your babies startle reflex off. They include but are definitely not limited too:

?Running the vacuum
?A telephone ringing
?Being in car seat when it is places on the floor
?Being touched while asleep
?Other children screaming
?Loud crowds
?TV/Radio turning on/off

If you aren?t sure when your newborn is demonstrating the startle reflex, look for him to quickly extend his arms and legs, and lift his neck when asleep. This may or may not also be followed by a short cry, before he is quickly quiet and back to sleep.

Generally this reflex will be apparent at birth and will generally disappear by the time your newborn is 6 months old

But if you are still concerned mention it to your doctor. HTH

[Nelle]

That's why we wrapped our babies, because their startle reflexes would wake them up. Is there a reason you've not noticed it before? Perhaps you've recently stopped wrapping or something?

I think it's common as they fall asleep too, I've noticed my 18month old twitch a little, I guess as his nervous system relaxes...not sure the reason.

If you're really worried you can always get it checked out, see what your maternal and child health nurse thinks?

[Ellie]

I was worried about this too...but SIL is a sleep technician at the Childrens Hospital and she assurred me it's totally normal.

[Mumma2three]

Yep I panicked too. Even my almost 4 year old still does it to some degree. but my DS is a big jerker. It's funny but the Doc said to me it's because I spend too much time with him when he's falling asleep (not that he meant that badly) but sure enough, now he self settles, I hardly see it at all.
Both my DD and Ds have eye rolls, mouth twitches, leg/arm twitches, you name it! xo

[diannescruffy]

My youngest twitches slightly also in her sleep but I'm a real big twitcher. I wake up myself sometimes and DH, he thought there was something seriously wrong with me .

Regards,
Dianne

[Cheeky_Monkey]

DH (who is 27) STILL does this, each and every time he falls asleep. Completely normal.

[Carmen2]

I guess DD2 is not the only one going through it then, but I was so scared that something was wrong with her as I went on a trip for 3 weeks and left her with my parents. Before then, I never realized these jerky movements and I was her primary carer... What triggered it to start? Will it go away? Even with DD2, she just doesn't have these jerky movements. They can be so scary... DD2's head jerks a little and her body jerks a few seconds as if she's getting a cold chill... does this sound normal to all of you?

The reason why I am so anxious about this whole "seizure" topic is because my friend's child had recently been diagnosed with it. He was a healthy child but one day he seized and threw up white foam and when he got to the children's hospital, they diagnosed him with seizure and he has to be on medication for 3 years. Hence my concern for this matter....

So, what DD2 is experiencing is perfectly normal then?

[minimatron]

Hehe....my husband is a classic jerker when he falls asleep and I often do it myself.....

[Cheeky_Monkey]

If you are worried about it doesn't do any harm to talk to the doctor next time you're there.

I would say it's normal though. Watched DS last night and he does the same thing, thought it was just his Daddy. But nope they both do it.

Spoke to my mum today she said I did it as a kid although I dont know if I do it now, obviously I'm asleep lol DH is always asleep first so he can't tell me.

Oh and 2 out of 3 of my sisters kids do it.

[Fleur]

When DS2 was 4 days old we noticed him twitching. Took him to the ER at hospital where they diagnosed seizure, put him on meds, ran Btests, brain scans, etc .
After 4 days we were in for an EEG & he was diagnosed with Benign Neo-natal Myoclonis. English translation = Harmless Newborn Twitching.

Turns out the fact that he only did it when asleep was a dead giveaway (the EEG confirmed it though). He stopped it about a week after we eventually came home (for the second time!).

It never hurts to get them checked if you're worried, but don't panic too much

[Carmen2]

jasp, thank for your sharing your experience. I will mention this to DD2's family doctor on her 6 months visit just to be reassured even though I feel much reassured after all the replies that I have got.

Thank you to the ladies...

I think I might overreacted... but as I have not experience this with DD1, I was in total awe when it first happened. I was blaming myself even though I didn't know what I did wrong while DD2 was still inside me. I guess I felt guilty for leaving DD2 in care of my parents when I had no choice to leave on a 3 weeks trip with DD1 and DH as we had to attend my in-laws anniversary and DD2 was too young to be traveling on such a long flight (24 hours flight). TBH, until today, I still blame myself for leaving DD2 that long when she was only 4 months old as I had to stop breastfeeding as well. I feel like a bad, awful mom! And when I came home and noticed her twitches, I just feel so down for being such an irresponsible mom...

I have a feeling that her twitches are just probably nothing as she appears to be a healthy baby and her twitches only happen when she's almost going into her deep sleep. Even then, it doesn't happen everyday, but let's just say it is scary to look at.

[Fleur]

it is scary & it's easy to over-react. Hey, the paediatrician at the ED did pretty much exactly that! He was my 3rd baby & I had never seen it before, I had no idea what was going on & like you I was blaming myself wondering what I had done wrong.

Take it easy on yourself hun none of us are perfect & it's exhausting trying to be!