Jittering 6 week old baby

[aimskidooo]

Not sure if this is quite the right place to post, but tried in Parenting and got very little response and need help, so here gos...

Hello All, am wondering if anyone has any experience of this. My 6 week old baby jitters in his legs and arms every day. His bottom lip also trembles some times.

JimJams - I found an interesting message that you left about this in relation to vaccination and immature central nervous systems quite a while ago. Am particularly interested in your thoughts/knowledge on this as my older boy (9 yrs) is very severely autistic. My new baby is my second child.

From birth my bub has jittered. It does seem to happen more often when he's chilly (is being undressed) or cross. Midwife was concerned in the first week and so he was seen by a paediatrician who was satisfied all was well after testing his blood sugar. Nevertheless he's still jittering on a daily basis and it's really bothering me. I was told that it would soon stop/is normal in very new babies, but 5 weeks on he's still doing it.

Am currently waiting for another paediatrician appointment that I've pushed for via my GP but am wondering if anyone can help or advise in the meantime. Is very worrying and I would really like to know what's causing it, gulp.

Thank you

goes

Can I ask what you mean by 'jittering' please? I have Googled but..

Is is small, jerky movements or moving limbs all the time? My DS1 was NEVER still, from an early age. But the Paediatrician noted it as a 'constant writhing movement'. His arms and legs were never still. Unfortunately very very many tests later, I have never got a diagnosis other than GDD for him. He is in a SN school like DS2 who also had GDD and DS2 was recently diagnosed with ASD.

DS1 is 7 but still can't sit still. Even when watching tv. He rolls all over the floor, puts his legs in the air, sits upside down on a chair (so his head is on the bit you sit on). He also never stops talking - although he didn't talk until he was 3 years old.

I would be interested if you do get any answers to this 'jitter' thing. DS1 has been referred to a Behavioural Specialist now. Possible Aspergers has been mentioned.

Best wishes.

Don't be alarmed it could be a myriad of things but may I suggest as an old paediatric nurse you get your GP to look him over before the long weekend break. Probably nothing but he is very young.

My son jittered. He was, by 6 weeks old, very very stressed/fractious. Everyone from the midwife, to the HV and then the GP said, "first time mum, baby picks up on your emotional state". He went on to be diagnosed with asd at 4 after 2 and a bit years of consultations and assessment.

He's now 11. In mainstream, but transferring to secondary high school, with asd unit attached in September this year. He's bright, funny, clever and typically aspergers.

I can see him now, with his little tongue and lips "dithering" when he cried, which seemed to be all the time! Seek out your gp and let him advise but.... You are the mum and in my opinion, mums usually know their child best.

And congratulations on your new babe

Thank you all for your responses. Will definitely push for our appointment and video the jittering in the meantime as the GP didn't see him actually jitter.

Am also much more worried now!! I guess I thought someone might be able to reassure me that it's quite normal. Just keen to understand why he's doing it. He has a different father to DS1 (whose dad is on the spectrum). Am very daunted at the thought of going through it all again. Thank you again though.

Oh sorry, didn't mean to stress you.

I just know that "jitters" we're a part of ds as an infant and he is autistic. High functioning but classically autistic.

Please don't be sorry Eliza - I asked and I appreciate your responses

Sorry Lovey I didn't mean to alarm you, being paediatric trained my mind races especially as I can't see for myself. Please do not worry----your midwife has seen the jitters I haven't

Thanks 2old and again please don't be sorry. I've really made a nuisance of myself trying to get him seen for a second time but no one is taking me seriously it would seem, or at least there seems to be no sense of urgency. When he was seen by a paed in his first week she practically laughed me off the ward, but then he didn't jitter in front of her. This may sound a bit odd, but he looks a bit like a Jack Russell when he does it. Hope you know what I mean. Fingers crossed we'll get an appointment next week so I can find out what I'm dealing with /whether it's safe to relax.

I know exactly what you mean as I have a JR

DS used to "jitter" when he was tiny. They put it to him being prem and nerves then colic at first. He was like that for months but I worked it out it was noise. He hated anyone sneezing, coughing and would go sort of rigid and shake. Any wierd noise he couldnt comprehend like a drill, door shuting etc would set him off needless to say it was a daily occurance. Someone tapping a pencil would set him off.

DS currently is now dx with AS.

I would definately video like zzzzz mentioned for other possibilities like epilepsy just to be on the safe side x

Thanks coff33pot.

Pleased you got the JR thing!!

With my boy he seems to do it when he's chilly (has his nappy or clothes off) and he wasn't prem. Paediatrician and GP's surgery so bleepin hot they haven't seen him do it, hence the lack of clarity from anyone.

Thanks for sharing your experience

I agree. I sometimes think, looking back, that ds was just in a sort of "shock" being on the outside, as it were, instead of the little amniotic bag with its muffled noise and sense of enclosure.

The "outside" was just too too much. Anything and everything set him off. HV said it was colic and gp game me all manner of tips re: colic. What a time!!

I take it your baby didn't have any trauma at birth? If all ok on that front I can't see why asd is any more likely in this baby than in the general population if it's father is different from your DS if that's where the genetic link was. I am not sure if shaking is linked to asd scientifically?

Does it only happen when he is cold or upset and does wrapping him warmly stop the jitteriness? If it was a form of epilepsy changing the environment wouldn't make a difference.

Babies are poor at regulating their temperature so could this be a factor? I would certainly get him checked over properly as has been advised and at least the blood sugar concern has been ruled out. It may be a thing with some newborns which is out grown in time. Hope you get the all clear anyway

What I am saying is if the baby is cold and simply by warming the immediate environment stops the shaking then epilepsy is less likely. Unfortunately we cannot see exactly what is happening so I would find it difficult to really judge what reactions are going on.

Tremors are neurologically linked in some circumstances, again without seeing anything it's impossible to judge whether this is a tremor.

It's certainly doesn't sound like classic seizures, though they come in many shapes and sizes. Does epilepsy manifest itself so young as 6 was without brain trauma. Again I have not seen many instances. Even infantile spasms are more in the 4 to 8 month range (again generally speaking). And this jitteriness is not the usual presentation for IS.

Agree withzzzzz both ds's have epilepsy and also have seizures when startled. One also has them when sudden drop in temp. Also have seen neanates diagnosed with seizures but usually associated with traumatic birth.
Please do not worry (too much) but get your LO checked out.

Zzzz. I totally agree the baby should be checked over, which is why I advised that a second opinion from a paed, preferably a neurologist is needed. OP also says this baby has a different father than her other child and the genetic factor was connected to this father, so there is no greater increased possibility of asd than the general public.

I have also seen minor fitting in a baby on a personal basis as well as seeing fitting adults and babies/children in my job so I am not a novice in this area!

The jitteriness could be atypical fitting or it could equally be a normal reaction in a newborn. I think it is reasonable to try to reassure the op that there are possibilities other than epilepsy, but her own instincts are saying something is not right and there can be biochemical reasons for the symptoms, so she is right to seek further advice. We also taped the fits so would second that.

zzzz Sorry if I sounded rude but I was just trying to give the OP a little bit of comfort as jitteryness can have many causes and she is clearly upset by the thought of epilepsy. She needs to have her baby checked thoroughly which she will do, but I know how she feels - DGS had 60-100 vacant episodes a day for several months in his first year, but outgrew them. He fitted big time after birth and it was the fear of these restarting that caused such anxiety They used to terrify me and DD so I do know what OPs fears are like. I'm sorry your DD has difficult to control fits, it must be absolutely dreadful for you and her. Its the feeling of helplessness.

Thanks for thinking on this for me. An really l

Arggh, silly phone. Thanks for thinking on this for me. Can't wait for tomorrow when I can starting pushing for an appointment again. Really could do without the worry!