Really worried about limited arm movement in baby

[concernedmummytoday]

Our ten week old is smiling and cooing, and starting to lift head up when put over shoulder or Boppy pillo (hates just being put straight on tummy on floor)

I’d noticed that while she lifts one arm and waves it around, the other one she moves less. She can lift it up so that it’s sort of flopped back from elbow so her hand is by head when sleeping (maybe you know the position I mean!) and does move it and wave it around. The difference is she never seems to lift it from shoulder, so upper arm doesn’t get higher than it would when she startles.

When she is swaddled in Grosnug she likes to have one arm right up and this other one right down by her side. The more active arm has the hand she sucks although she occasionally sucks other hand.

Has anyone experienced the same? Worried sick about cerebral palsy, stroke in womb, all the worst case scenarios.

Just watching her now and she lifted hand easily to suck it naturally and smoothly enough so wonder if it’s more of a physical tightness preventing her from lifting it higher from shoulder? I’ve never seen that arm straight up in the air now I think of it but we’d not paid it much attention as still moved about lots so difference less noticeable

Surely stuff like that is checked at the 6 week check by the GP?

If you really feel something is wrong your GP will be more than happy to have a look, or you could speak to your health visitor as this type of thing is what they are there for.

Mother's instinct is a very important part of looking after children so I'm not going to say you are wrong, but is there any chance you are very sleep deprived, hormonal, internet diagnosing and worrying? Babies don't have a huge amount of control over their movements at this age it's mainly just jerky and random, and if she was in pain she would be letting you know.

Can I ask was she breach. My baby was very stiff down one side and had regular physio. The physio said it's really common in breach babies

Was it a straightforward birth?
My dd had shoulder dystocia after getting stuck.
Her left arm didn't have full range initially and she had to have physio.

I used to give her baby massage to stretch her arm and shoulder too.

To test for it, they basically dropped her back on a mattress and demonstrated that only one arm went up in fright.

I could have decked that doctor!!!

My son was born with his hand by his face and he had limited movement on that side.
We took him to an osteopath as we’d used him for my older son whose head bones had settled funny. It worked for both of them as he gently manipulated them to sort the problems.

@pastabest - entirely possible, I have form for worrying! But we’ve looked through all our photos and can’t find a single one where she has lifted that arm from the shoulder and I can’t remember ever seeing it. One way to explain it would be that I can usually wipe/dry her underarm on the other side without even lifting her arm as she waves it around so much, whereas the arm in question is never high enough for that so I always need to try and lift it. She only seems to raise it from the elbow up, but otherwise grips with it, sucks with it and seems to use it quite normally

BUT, I think maybe she just prefers one up, one down, as I rarely see the other arm down and don’t worry that she can’t put it down! I suspect she is stiff from the womb as felt very one sided in there. Her delivery was quite smooth, she was head down although was breech until around 30 weeks

At the six week check, they look for startle reflex which she has, but nothing else (she slept through it!) . I will mention it to health visitor

She’s moving her legs normally for a little one ie kicking about indiscriminately! 😀

GPS really don't mind seeing you often in the first few months.
If you are at all worried, they would be happier that you went than fret anxiously or maybe something is picked up later than it could have been.

Paediatric Cranial osteopath might be good if they do think it's tightness or if you want another opinion after GP.

Our GP is lovely so will make an appointment tomorrow perhaps just in case. I can’t see how she will learn to crawl if she is uncomfortable lifting her arm

It will be three weeks until we can get an appointment I expect though

What does she do when she startles? Doesn't that reflex involve the whole arm movement? Does that seem uncomfortable for her?
Your HV is probably as useful as your GP and should be able to refer directly to a specialist if that is required.

She moves her arms up like a penguin I think when she startles, rather than actually raising them high in the air!

She’ll allow her arm to be gently manipulated up and doesn’t seem uncomfortable, (it’s a bit stiff but so is any position we try to move her into without her choosing to!) but when released she drops it firmly back to her side

Health visitor didn’t seem massively helpful when we last saw them but to be fair we’ve whizzed through all our appointments so far as other than this touch wood all going very well and no concerns

My DS had similar. It was picked up at 8 weeks that he had torticollis and had a tightness down that side. I noticed that he didn't move the arm on that side as much as the other. We've been going to physio and a cranial osteopath and he's now 6 months and I don't notice it at all. The physio said it often just resolves itself even without treatment as they get stronger and move about more and do tummy time etc. But go get it checked out.

HV here and was also going to mention torticollis. See if your GP can refer you to the physio, unless your HV can do, we can't where I work.

Thank you. I had read about torticollis as she also has very mild plagiocephaly on one side

Everywhere describes a noticeable angle to the neck though which she doesn’t have (although sometimes turns it towards more active arm in sleep as she tends to suck that hand). It sounds like it can be more mild from these posts?

Our's was mild. I didn't notice a tilt but he did favour holding his head to one side and developed a flat spot. My DH thought I was imagining things but I'm glad I followed my instincts. They think it was caused because I had low fluid in pregnancy. The main advice we had from the physio was to keep him off his back as much as possible to strengthen his neck muscles and also to help the flat spot. So lots of tummy time, wearing in a sling etc. And to re-position his head to the other side when he's lying down.

Thank you winterwonderly

Trying to keep her off her back as much as poss already for the flat spot.

I have found one photo out of the loads I’ve taken where she has lifted that arm so the upper arm is horizontal with shoulder so she can lift it up but just doesn’t seem to choose to. I might stop swaddling her in Grosnug as she absolutely always sleeps with the active arm up high and this one by her side!

Definitely check it out with the GP and ask for a referral to a paediatric orthopaedic Consultant.

Just seen GP who has referred us for ultrasound of her shoulder. That might partly be because she cried when he went to move it which she doesn’t always do, but she will cry if anything is moved that she didn’t want to

I did mention neurological problems and he said it was good that there was no muscle wastage. I am so worried though

When is the ultrasound?

One of my nephews is ultra right handed. When he was little he barely used his left side. My sister has dealt with it by making him do masses of sports that use both sides of his body (running, swimming). He has definitely improved. He is 16 and absolutely fine.

I’m glad your nephew is doing well user. I know it’s extremely unusual for a baby of this age to show hand preference.

Re ultrasound I will receive a letter in post. I really hope it’s soon though

I can’t believe we never got it checked sooner. I was sort of aware of it but never gave it another thought as she was still using her right arm but lower. Now I go back through our photos and videos I can’t really find any of her lifting that arm from shoulder

How does your DD react if you hold both her hands while she is sitting in her bouncy chair - does she mind you doing little symmetric gym movements with both her arms?

I convinced myself dts were going to get a CP diagnosis as they both dragged their left arms. All of a sudden they just got stronger and all was fine. My midwife said it was quite normal but obviously good to get checked.

Unintentionalthreadkiller - love the name btw, glad your twins are ok. Thanks for sharing as I was hoping to google it and find loads of people have had the same and it was all fine, but I couldn’t find many of those stories!

User will check that out on bouncy chair and report back (just been to a baby class) but I suspect she won’t mind

I hope you don't have to wait too long. I know it's worrying, but it's best to get everything checked out thoroughly. We had X-rays and ultrasounds too, although thankfully all clear. Did the GP mention a physio referral? Even if it turns out you don't need it, I'd push to get on the waiting list now while they figure out if it's needed or not. It was a couple of months before we had our first physio appointment after being referred, although I had started going to the cranial osteopath by that point.