My 3 month old is suddenly flailing her arms and legs in bouts many times during the day. This is accompanied by what looks like gum grinding in her mouth, clenched fists and excessive drooling. What does this mean? I'm scared that she's having some kind of seizure or neurological disorder.
She's def responsive when she's acting like this. I partly feel like it's colic coming back (she had it the first 2 months, has been really great over the last month) and maybe teething. Tonite when I was trying to rock her to sleep she kept clenching her fists and stiffening up her legs/body as she was fussing. I think that's pretty classic colic. I gave her some gripe water. Thanks for all of your responses---soooo helpful and nice to listen to all of your suggestions! I'm going to make an appt w/ our doc on Tuesday anyway---I'm a new mom and need reassurance!
Will she respond to you when she is in the midst of this? Can you distract her and break the flailing motions or does she appear not to respond to you? If she does not respond in anyway then I would say to call the doctor and tell him that you want to be seen
I could be that she is just teething. Just to be safe you should definitely record the incidents to show your Doc and make an appiontment ASAP. If it gets more intense take her to the ER immediately. My son had a bout of screaming/moaning, and we couldn't wake him up for about 5 hours. It was hard to explain to his pediatrician w/o having recorded it. Turned out to be just a really bad ear infection. It is really possible your daughter could have something just as simple. I wish you the best.
Take a video of the behavior and call your doctor. Probably nothing, but you need to find out for sure.
Could be teething or gas pains. Try some hylands and some gripe water and a good tummy rub.
Yes these could be symptoms of a seizure. Some make a "chewing" motion while having one. I certainly would make an appt with the doctor regarding it. And as another post said, I would record it and take it to the doctor with me.
Hoping for the best,
C.
if shes responding to you while shes doing it, its the same situation i was in with my daughter, i took her to the dr and was told it was all due to teething, the flailing motions were because it was the new thing for her. she enjoyed it. of course she didnt cut her first tooth until about 6 months & of course at 9 months she still does the flailing, not as often but quite a bit. If she isnt responding to you or you really feel like theres something going on, take her to the dr, if nothing else to ease your mind to let you know that everything is ok. it always helps
There is something called Moro's Reflex that infants have, but its more like a gesture one would make if startled. If she's not responding and your instinct is that something is wrong, go with that instinct. I don't know what it could be, but the bottom line is that if you're nervous and want answers then calling the pediatrician would be a good idea. They're there to help you find answers and should be able to help you.
Sounds like teething..
But always call your doctor if you think it is really serious..
Hi, M.:
Call you Ped Dr. immediately or on call Ped.
or take her to the ER now. D.
It very well might be and I would trust your instincts until you know for certain. I suggest you page your pediatic nurse and ask about it and see if they want to see her right away at the ER or at an appointment next week. Either way, I think the idea of taking a video is a very good one. However, I woudl not wait to be seen unless the doctor feels it is okay. Seizures occur for lots of reasons, but some also can cause damage. Until you know the cause, I would seek some medical advice now.
I will say at 3 months, babies change a lot and it may be just a new thing she is trying. But what you describe,the repeating pattern and the clenching, would worry me a lot. I know it can be intimidating to be a new mom and worry abot calling the doctor too much. But this is exactly the thing they will want to know about. Many moms call for far less. So my advice is call right away. And it will ease your mind.
Good luck and I hope all is well.
Response to some other comments: Siezures do not always involve eyes rolling back in convulsing!! In fact for some people, seizures present as "the stares" and unresponsiveness. So please don't look for the stereotypical writhing on the floor type of bevhaior you might see on a tv show. It is different for everyone.
Check with your doctor! However, I Googled your symptoms and found this:
Colic
Definition:
Colic means excessive crying in an infant 2 to 12 weeks of age who is otherwise healthy. It is a very common occurrence among infants, and the cause is unknown. Because many physical problems can cause excessive crying in an infant, the diagnosis of colic should be made only by a doctor.
Symptoms of Colic:
Colic usually begins by 2 to 3 weeks of age and may last 3 or 4 months. Colicky infants usually cry at least 3 hours a day. The crying may or may not occur at the same time each day, but usually happens more often in the evening. The baby does not stop crying when usual ways of comforting, such as holding and feeding, are tried.
Signs of Colic:
Crying
Flailing of arms and legs
Clenched fists
Drawing up legs toward abdomen
Bulging and tense abdomen
Struggling and angry when held
Possible Causes of Colic:
No one really knows the real cause of colic, but some things that may be related include:
Gas pains
Exposure to Tobacco Smoke
Stomach Spasms
Immature nervous system
Hormones out of balance
Immature digestive system
Intolerance or allergy to milk/ formula
Tension or emotional stress in babys environment
Reflux (GERD) and constipation may also cause similar symptoms
I think to be on the safe side you should video tape and have you pediatrician look at it. My son had seizures that involved arm flailing (and head drops) and it can be a very serious issue that needs to be addressed immediatly. It sounds from other responses you have gotten that this could be a normal teething respose but I would want a medical professional to rule out seizures.
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My son is 3 1/2 and has epilepsy that started last Nov. I don't mean to scare you anymore but it definitely sounds like seizures and may be infantile spasms. Call your dr. right away and get her to a neurologist as soon as you can. Good luck :)
I always feel better safe than sorry Take her to your pediatrician
Both of ours did this at 3 months and it was due to teething. But to be sure, make an appt. w/your pediatrician since it could be something else.
Sounds like she is teething. The excessive drooling and gum grinding sound like indicators to me. She may be having some discomfort therefore clenched fists and flailing the arms and legs. If she was having a seizure her eyes would roll back and she would be convulsing. Give your daughter some baby tylenol or motrin and hylands teething tablets and see if that helps.
