Does this look like infantile spasm?

[Nam095]

My 9 week old has displayed jerky movements and head bobbing that to me seem like infantile spasms for the past week or 2, I took her to the GP last week about it and he said 99% sure she’s fine as she looked normal at the time of our visit, so pretty useless. I took her to a&e last night as my partner said when she did another bout of jerky movements one of her eyes twitched.

I explained everything that’s happened to her symptom wise and also the twitchy eye, but because I had no video (I have tried but by the time I get my phone she stops doing it!) the consultant said it sounds like silent reflux instead and that’s why she’s jerking.

My baby’s just started doing another bout of head bobbing so I managed to capture a video of it. Does this look like could be infantile spasm? And if so should I take her back to a&e today? I read online infantile spasm is a medical emergency

streamable.com/e7b7mb

Looks like normal baby movements imo, nothing out of the ordinary.

She lifting her head, what part of her eye movements are you worried about?

I can’t see anything wrong there, love

If you look on YouTube there are videos of infantile spasms and they are very different ,might put your mind at rest.

I can't see anything wrong there. I've seen infantile spasms before and they don't look to me anything like that.
I do not however have medical training - if you're unsure I'd always say check with a dr.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor it’s the videos on YouTube that have made me suspect it, there are 2 types of infantile spasms according to these videos. The ones where their arms and legs flail out, or the head dropping.

To me it looked like my baby’s head dropping was similar to the head dropping shown in the YouTube videos.

Oh I remember being convinced DD2 had this. I also ended up in A&E one night panicking. She was fine. With hindsight I was in a very anxious state due to various health issues of DD1.

Infantile spasms usually come on after 3 or 4 months so your baby is a bit young? Also they generally come in clusters rather than just one. I would say your video looks like your baby is trying to get her hand to her mouth.

I have a child with complex epilepsy and have seen most seizure types and it doesn't look like infantile spasms to me. Normally the whole body jerks with arms flung out in a star fish pattern and they occur in clusters every few seconds or a minute or so apart. The child often cries afterwards and is obviously distressed by them . Hope you get to the bottom of it soon .

My DD was investigated for infantile spasms aged 5m after having a shaking episode. Iirc they usually appear after 3-4 months and are accompanied by other developmental delays and signs as well - we were referred to paediatrics just as a precaution, who took one look at her and ruled it out completely. They thought it was probably a reflux/choking episode instead.

They also take into account other aspects of the baby’s health (like muscle tone and global development and so on), and not just the possible spasms - so if two drs have looked at her and haven’t referred you on for a further check, they must be pretty much sure it’s very unlikely! I hope that puts your mind more at rest!

Awwww she's so cute! Movements look normal to me (not a doctor, only had two kids).

Does she do the head nodding repeatedly?

@minipie this was the third head drop in the
cluster, I hadn’t caught the first two on camera. This isn’t the first time she’s done it it happens daily.

Also to note, I forgot to mention in my OP, she does the arms and legs flailing/jerking too with her eyes going wide and then crying afterwards, but still haven’t managed to catch it on camera yet.

I’ve seen a lot of infantile spasms and I don’t see anything that concerns me in the video, just normal baby movements. She’s also below the typical age range for them to develop. She’s very cute .

Paediatric nurse here. Looks completely normal.

That looks normal to me. She is absolutely gorgeous

Well your update does sound a bit more suspicious. That sounds more the typical movements seen with infantile spasms. I would film it asap and get it checked out as soon as possible afterwards. With seizures it is so hard to capture them or get them to do it at the right time as it were so that medical professionals take it seriously. You need an urgent referral to a neurologist specialising in epilepsy if it happens again so be pushy if needs be. Sorry if I am panicking you . It may well be nothing as lots of babies movements look jerky and occur in clusters so hopefully it will be nothing. X

If you're seeing a pattern of behaviour that you're concerned about - then keep filming & absolutely take her to the drs until you're satisfied with the answers.
I have history with my son & abnormal head movements at an older age... not infantile spasms though so no experience of that.

Please post some more videos to this Fb group

www.facebook.com/groups/1600888383553097/?ref=share

But if you have any doubts in your mind at all then go to a children's a&e tomorrow. Not a normal a&e. Preferably one with a paediatric neurology dept. So one of the big main hospitals.

If they say it isn't then amazing, fantastic.

If it is then you are in the hands of experts.

Infantile spasms isnt something to be messed with and need urgent medical intervention.

I'm on the fence looking at your video. But I'm not a dr.

To those saying about the age of the baby - very young babies can also present with it. Mine was 10 weeks old. I have friends who presented younger.

It's so difficult to tell from that video and it's probably fine. Please push for a referral for an EEG though, in my experience she is very young for IS but it's always better to be on the safe side.

Is it possible she has colic?

[quote Nam095]@minipie this was the third head drop in the
cluster, I hadn’t caught the first two on camera. This isn’t the first time she’s done it it happens daily.

Also to note, I forgot to mention in my OP, she does the arms and legs flailing/jerking too with her eyes going wide and then crying afterwards, but still haven’t managed to catch it on camera yet.[/quote]
This sounds more like IS than the video you linked

@GigantosaurusRex

It's so difficult to tell from that video and it's probably fine. Please push for a referral for an EEG though, in my experience she is very young for IS but it's always better to be on the safe side.

A referral for an eeg is not the way to go if you suspect IS. It will take weeks/months from a GP. You need rapid access to one. Hence a&e.

Are you sure the arms and legs jerking/flailing isn't just the Moro reflex?

That video looks normal to me, but definitely get it checked if you are worried! DD had very jittery and jerky movements as a newborn and we got sent to get blood sugar and stuff checked at the hospital but she was fine, and is totally healthy and has normal movement as a toddler.

That video looks fine, but your reports of the other movements may be a bit more suspicious. Any possibility of a baby camera recording her all the time? Without an actual video they can't really do anything. They can't do EEGs on every baby the mother is concerned about so they need evidence. As many have said that particular video is quite normal looking. IS tends to look far more obvious.