Causes Of Hypotonia In The Newborn

A newborn child may be hypotonic and a number of different causes are associated with this condition. The following are the important causes of hypotonia in a newborn child.

Central Causes

• Neonatal encephalopathy
• Intracranial haemorrhage
• Infection – generalized sepsis, meningitis, encephalitis.
• Chromosomal abnormalities – trisomy 21, 18 or 13.
• Structural brain abnormalities – neuronal migration disorders etc
• Metabolic diseases – amino and organic acidaemias, urea cycle defects, galactosemia, non-ketotic hyperglycinaemia, mitochondrial disorders.
• Drugs – opiates, barbiturates benzodiazepienes etc
• Prader-Willi syndrome
• Hypothyroidism
• Early Kernicterus

Spinal Cord Lesions

• Trauma to the cervical spinal cord during delivery- usually involves traction and rotation with forceps.
• Tumors, cysts and vascular malformation of spinal cord.

Neuromuscular Diseases

• Spinal muscular atrophy
• Congenital myotonic dystrophy
• Congenital Myopathies
• Myasthenia gravis