Baby Tensing Up

[BigGrannyPants]

I have twin 1 year olds, since my girl twin could sit up, she would tense up whenever we put her in the high chair, clench her thighs, pull her whole body inwards, her face would go red and hot and then she would appear to pass out! We assumed she was pulling against the high chair and cutting off her blood supply so we changed it for a high chair that she couldn't pull her legs behind. However the tensing up carried on although she hasn't passed out since then. But it then started happening in her car seat as well. So we came to the conclusion she didn't like the position so we ditched the high chair and bought toddler table and chairs and bought a car seat that we could tilt back. Everything has been fine since then. Until the last few weeks. The twins are 20 months old, and she has started tensing up in her tilted car seat and then today she has done it just while nodding off on the couch which is new! Does anyone have any idea what it could be?

If youre worried about herb definately take her tl the gp and get her checked. Maybe try and video am episode so you can show that exactly what happens? I could be totally wrong but have you heard of gratification disorder? That might be a possibility that would be harmless but if youre concerned get her seen.

I did video it, but it's really subtle on the video, hard to see. I called the GP and they just kept telling me to give her calpol 🙄 she seems absolutely fine in between times. I have read about self gratification but she looks uncomfortable, upset when it's happening. It's almost like she's holding her breath and clenching at the same time, it's really hard to explain..

If I were you, I would definitely get back to the GP and insist on a diagnosis or definite explanation of what's going on. There are so many things that this could be. It could be totally harmless, it could be behavioural, or it could be something more worrying. I'm not trying to scare you, it probably is nothing to worry about, but it's always, always better to be safe than sorry. Someone posted something a few months ago now about infant spasms. There is a video on YouTube I believe. Does it look like that?

With you saying it's subtle, that is what made me think of the infantile spasms. Lots of people commented that they were surprised how subtle and barely noticeable the spasms were in the video. But they do require medical attention urgently because they can have quite serious implications in terms of development.

Thank you, we have a doctors appointment on Monday. Thanks for the heads up on infantile spasms, I've watched a few videos of it and I'm sort of relieved to say I'm 99% sure it's not that. It's hard to describe, I'd post a video of it but putting my kids online makes me feel a bit icky

I think if it happens again over the weekend I will call nhs24

Saw the GP who is arranging for her to been seen at the hospital, she says it could be habit but she wants to rule out anything more serious.

Hi BigGrannyPants

My LO is 9 months and has just started to do this tensing thing in high chair, pushchair and car seat. I have spoken to my HV who didn’t seem concerned but it’s worrying me.
I was wondering if you got any answers from the hospital?
Thanks

Your post made me think about a little
girl I'd heard about once, who used to clench up in her pushchair similarly to how you describe and I think she had hypermobility. Is your dd mobile/walking or showing signs that she wants to be?

Oh wait...I've just seen the OP is almost a year old...

Thanks for the reply
My little one isn’t crawing yet but is showing signs she wants to. She sits up very well and doesn’t seem to have low muscle tone so I don’t think it is that.

I never came back to this but she was diagnosed with infantile gratification disorder, apparently she will just grow out of it, she's almost 3 and still doing it. Funny someone mentioned hyper mobility, I have this, amount other things.. wonder if it's related!