Infant Spasms? or Mini Seizures?

T.,
One thing I would do is document what you are feeding her and watch her after you feed her. I had seizures when I was younger similar to what you are describing. I would lose feeling in my legs for about 3-4 seconds but be totally alert and could talk to you during that time. Come to find out, I am gluten intolerant. No wheat, rye or barley. So, since your daughter more likely has been introduced to newer foods recently, she may be allergic or intolerant to a food and her nervous system is responding. This is what happens in young children and this is the way their bodies show us. Also eczema, hives, diaper rash are ways through the skin. But I had no skin problems.
I would go the food route first since this is so new and that really is the only changes she has probably experienced in the last couple of months.
I wish you the best w/ your family. A.

This has never happened to my 14 mo old daughter, but I would video tape these episodes so you can show them to your ped. Poor baby. I hope it's not too serious.

Since your older daughter's seizure wasn't a genetic thing, I wouldn't worry unless your ped. tells you to. You can calm yourself down about this by reminding yourself that baby still has a very immature nervous system and as it matures, something weird things can result. I don't have any personal experience to back this up, just the research and reading I did in preparation during my pregnancies. I have come across mention of strange physical ticks and inadvertent movement on the part of infants, and every time I came across it, the advice was the same: Baby has an immature nervous system, sometimes signals get crossed or interpreted in the wrong way by the body because of this. Talk to the doctor to rule out any disorders, but don't stress too much about it. Especially if it doesn't seem to bother baby.

Best of luck.

Hi T.,
I understand your fear and concern. Especially if you are worried about seizures, that is quite a scary thought. My daughter went thru a period where she had what I called "fits". Its not exactly the same as you describe, her whole body would tense up for just a brief moment and she would arch her back and reach up. it was definitely kind of weird and I had similar worries and concerns that you seem to be having - mostly bc its weird and unexplainable. Fortunately, for us, it turned out to be nothing and no one ever really could explain it. I would say to just document every occurance, if you can video tape it for your doctor that would be great (but of course I'm sure its hard to have your video camera on time for these unexpected moments). Just try to keep a journal of everything you can think of, her sleep, her eating, her diapers. I am no doctor, so I can't tell you its nothing, but my guess is that sometimes with growth their are just strange things that happen...So, document as much as you can about her every function and tell your dr. I had a little video of my girl's "fits", and although the dr. couldn't say what it was, he was able to say it Wasn't a seizure...
good luck.

When my son was about 9 months, he used to do this thing in which his whole body would vibrate as if he had stuck his finger into a socket. My pediatrician dismissed it. Friends assured me their son did something similar around the same age and it was nothing. That happened several times and stopped when he was 2. Though never diagnosed as a seizure, I often wonder if I was watching a mini seizure. He had chronic ear infections, developed asthma, later required speech therapy and had some motor skill coordination problems. He is now 10 and still has trouble processing language and has attention deficit syndrome. I recently read a book by Jenny McCarthy, whose son was diagnosed with autism. In her book, she points out relationship between immunization, allergies, and environmental toxins affecting some children. I agree with the MAMASOURCE writer who asked you to consider wheat intolerance, because though it does not manifest as "allergy" some people do have inability to break down proteins in wheat and milk products, and you might be seeing a mini reaction of some sort if you are introducing new foods. Keep a journal, and if you can tape an episode, that might be helpful even if your pediatrician dismisses your concerns. Obviously, your daughter won't have a spasm on cue so the doctor won't be able to see what you are talking about unless you can catch it on tape somehow or present your journal. I probably wouldn't panic or alter much now, but keeping a journal helps you pinpoint abnormalities. My son also started experiencing migraines, and keeping a journal is helping us see patterns relating to video stimulation, over exertion, stress and diet. Parenthood is an ongoing journey!