Muscle+Hypotonia

Muscle [|hypotonia] is a condition where there is a decreased tone in the muscle. Hypotonia is different than muscular weakness, though it sounds similar. However, it is possible for a person to have both muscle hypotonia and muscle weakness. Hypotonia has multiple factors that may cause the disorder. Some [|examples] are from extreme trauma and environmental factors. Muscle hypotonia may also be caused by genetic, muscular, or central nervous system disorders. [|Muscular dystrophy], [|Tay-Sachs disease], [|Prader-Willi syndrome], [|cerebral palsy], [|Down syndrome], and [|myotonic dystrophy] are some disorders that may actually end up causing muscle hypotonia as well. Although there are many causes of muscle hypotonia, it is not always possible for the doctors who diagnose hypotonia to also identify the cause of the disease. Hypotonia not only affects adolescents and adults, but also infants. It is possible to tell hypotonia in infants because they have little muscle control and will not be able to control their head, arms, or legs. Because of the lack of muscle tone the infant cannot control muscles to lift up their head or move their arms; so instead the head will flop backwards or forwards, and the arms will hang limp by the childs side. Hypotonia in [|infants] may also cause posture and mobility problems as well as a difficulty in breathing and forming words to be able to speak properly. Lethargy, and through lethargy, indolence, as well as below average reflexes, and a weakness in ligaments and joints are only a few sympotoms that may plague a child with hypotonia. The happy news about hypotonia is that it does not take a toll on the intelligence of a person, although it may cause some children to develop slower than they normally would have.