It is hard to watch your child struggle with everyday activities like climbing stairs, running, or even standing up while you wonder if it’s clumsiness or something more.
These small struggles could be early signs of muscular dystrophy, which weakens muscles over time. Managing and treating MD completely depends on how proactive you are in diagnosing and treating it.
You will be able to take action when you know the signs and symptoms of it and the right treatment at the right time will slow disease progression and boost your child’s self-reliance.
Now, let’s learn about the signs and symptoms of muscular dystrophy in detail:
Key Takeaways
- Learn about the early signs of muscular dystrophy.
- What are the signs of MD in a toddler?
- Muscular dystrophy symptoms progress from delayed walking in early childhood to severe weakness and possible organ involvement in adolescence.
- Early diagnosis involves tests and biopsies.
- Seek medical advice for ongoing weakness, slow growth, fatigue, or a family history of neuromuscular disorders
- Physical therapy, a nutritious diet, and other advanced therapies are important for managing muscular dystrophy symptoms.
- Early identification and timely intervention can improve outcomes for children with muscular dystrophy.
What are the Early Signs of Muscular Dystrophy in Children?
The early signs of muscular dystrophy may be different for different people depending on the type of it. But here are some of the common signs and symptoms that will help you in early diagnosis, treatment, and management of MD. These symptoms worsen with time if not treated properly. So, here are the signs:
- Muscle weakness starts in the hips, shoulders, or legs and progressively worsens
- The child finds it difficult to walk. Frequent falls, waddling gait, or trouble with stairs are some of the symptoms.
- They may have delayed motor skills like difficulty sitting, standing, or walking which are expected developmental milestones.
- Enlarged calf muscles are caused by muscle tissue being replaced with fat and connective tissue. It is called pseudohypertrophy.
- Difficulty running, jumping, or climbing.
- Weak muscles may lead to excessive tiredness and fatigue.
- Some types, like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, may be associated with cognitive delays.
- The child may have weakness in respiratory muscles, which can appear later but might start subtly.
- They may also have trouble swallowing.
- They may have learning disorders.
What are the Signs of Muscular Dystrophy in Toddlers?
Some signs of muscular dystrophy in toddlers are:
- Frequent falls and trouble standing up
- Enlarged calf muscles (pseudohypertrophy)
- Clumsiness in movements like frequent falls, tripping, and waddling
- Large calf muscles
- Toe walking
- Difficulty climbing stairs
- Leg pain
- Scoliosis (a sideways curve of the spine)
How do Muscular Dystrophy Symptoms Vary by Age?
The symptoms and signs of MD change with age depending on the type and its progression. Here’s how symptoms of MD may show at different age groups:
Infants (Birth- 1 Year) And Toddlers (1-3 Years)
Muscular Dystrophy can show its symptoms very early in the case of some types. One such type is Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (CMD). Parents and caregivers of these little children will see developmental delays.
So if you suspect the toddler has CMD or any other form, you need to look for these:
- Feeding difficulties, including trouble sucking or swallowing
- Muscle weakness (hypotonia)
- Delayed motor milestones like rolling over, sitting up, or walking
- Joint stiffness
Children (4-12 years)
MD is commonly recognized in children if the child has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) or Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD). At this stage, the child is busy with exploration and movement. That’s why the delays become more visible. Parents will notice that their child is lagging behind their peers in activities like running or climbing stairs.
You will see these symptoms:
- Delayed walking
- Frequent falls
- Trouble climbing stairs or standing up
- Enlarged calf muscles due to fat and scar tissue buildup
- Waddling wait
The symptoms will deteriorate very fast for children with DMD.
Adolescence (13-19 Years)
In adolescence, your child will face progressive muscle weakness and challenges related to mobility and independence. Cardiac and respiratory issues also start in many types of MDs like Duchenne and Becker.
Common symptoms during adolescence are:
- Loss of walking ability. Some people need to use wheelchairs in DMD.
- Development of scoliosis due to weakened back muscles
- Breathing difficulties caused by declining respiratory muscle strength
- Cardiac complications, such as arrhythmias (issues related to the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat) or cardiomyopathy (disease of heart muscle)
Adults (20 and above)
MD doesn’t appear until adulthood for some people. Types of MD like Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy (MMD), Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD), and Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSM D) may develop in the late teens, twenties, or beyond.
The symptoms will be different for people suffering from different types of MD.
- People suffering from MMD experience weakness in the face, neck, and hands. They also have difficulty relaxing muscles (myotonia), and cardiac or endocrine issues.
- LGMD patients experience gradual weakness in the shoulder and hip areas which leads to difficulty climbing stairs or raising their arms.
- People suffering from FSMD experience weakness in the face, shoulders, and upper arms, progressing to the lower body over time
How to Diagnose Muscular Dystrophy Early?
Parents and caregivers should look for the symptoms in their children and approach a doctor immediately. Doctors will check the child’s medical history and perform a physical examination. Then they would use some of these tests:
- Genetic testing is one of the ways doctors try to confirm MD. They will collect Blood samples and examine it for mutations in some of the genes that cause types of MD.
- An enzyme test is done to find out whether damaged muscle releases enzymes like creatine Kinase. If the child has not had any traumatic injury, the presence of this enzyme means a muscle disease is there.
- A heart monitoring test is done for people diagnosed with MMD. it is used to check how the heart is functioning.
- A lung monitoring test is also done to check lung function.
- Muscle biopsy is another procedure in which a small piece of muscle tissue is taken from the patient to find out whether the child has muscular dystrophy or some other muscle disease.
When to Consult a Doctor for Muscle Weakness and Mobility Issues?
If you notice muscle weakness and mobility issues in your child, you should immediately consult a doctor. The doctor will refer to the tests needed to confirm whether the child has MD.
Many parents struggle with how to share this diagnosis of MD with their children, other family members, and friends. But instead of carrying the burden alone when you share the diagnosis you can create a support system around you.
While talking to the child, create a safe space for them where they feel safe to ask questions. Children handle challenges better than we expect, so providing accurate and age-appropriate information helps them cope and prevent misunderstandings.
How to Manage Early Signs of Muscular Dystrophy?
It is hard for you as a parent to see your child losing muscle strength and struggling to do things that their peers can do easily. That doesn’t mean you should lose hope. Currently, many advanced treatments and therapies are available that will help your child fight the challenges that come with MD live their life independently, and manage the symptoms.
Stem cell therapy is one such advanced treatment option. To know more about the treatment and therapy options, check our blog on the same: https://www.medicoexperts.com/muscular-dystrophy/
You can do many things at home to comfort your child. Let’s have a look at them:
Take Care Of Your Child’s Diet
A nutritious, well-balanced diet benefits your child’s health and helps maintain a healthy weight. It also gives relief from breathing difficulties and other symptoms. You also need to consult a dietician If your child has trouble chewing or swallowing.
Help Them Get Enough Sleep
Concentrate on giving your child all the comfort they need so that they can sleep well. If needed, you can approach your child’s doctor and ask them for recommendations on beds or pads that can give your child comfort.
Help Them Stay Active
Exercise can boost your child’s muscle strength and help them feel better. You can consider low-impact activities such as swimming. You can take the help of a physical therapist who will help create an exercise plan to strengthen and stretch your child’s muscles.
Make Their Life Easier With Tools
You can give your child mobility aids like wheelchairs, crutches, or electric scooters to help them with mobility issues and live independently. Apart from that, mobility aids help reduce physical strain and fatigue and make their life more comfortable. But you should consult the doctor to know which tool will be the best for your child’s condition.
Takeaway
Early diagnosis and proper management of signs and symptoms of MD will help you handle the challenges of it efficiently. It will also help you give your child comfort and ease in their daily life.
Understanding the early signs is the first step toward your child’s better health.
You should be providing your child with the right support, therapies, and love to assist them in overcoming obstacles and living a self-reliant life.
MediciExperts can help you connect with the best specialists in India for consultation and treatment of your child.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q1. What are the causes of muscle weakness in children?
A. Muscle weakness in children can be caused by genetic disorders like Muscular Dystrophy or Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), A genetic disorder affecting the nerve cells in the spinal cord.
It can also be caused by nutritional deficiencies, neurological disorders, autoimmune conditions, or infections (some viruses can temporarily weaken muscles).
Q2. What are progressive muscle weakness signs?
A. Some of the signs of progressive muscle weakness are difficulty moving, muscle atrophy, muscle cramps or spasms, a curved spine, heart problems, swallowing problems, and fatigue.
Q3. What is muscle degeneration in kids?
A. Muscle degeneration in kids means weakening and loss of muscle mass and function that happen very slowly as the child grows. It can be caused by genetic, metabolic, and other disorders.
Q4. What are the genetic causes of muscular dystrophy?
A. Muscular dystrophy (MD) is caused by genetic mutations that affect your muscle proteins. This genetic mutation is triggered by conditions and disorders like:
1. Duchenne & Becker MD which are mutations in the DMD gene (X-linked) affecting dystrophin.
2. Myotonic muscular dystrophy is caused by changes (mutations) in specific genes: DMPK (type 1) or CNBP (type 2). These changes are inherited in an autosomal dominant way which means a child can get the condition if just one parent passes down the faulty gene.
3. Limb-Girdle MD Mutations in various genes.
Q5. What are early childhood neuromuscular disorders?
A. Early childhood neuromuscular disorders are conditions that affect the nerves and muscles of the child leading to weakness, delayed motor skills, or muscle wasting. Muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, and congenital myopathies are some examples of childhood neuromuscular disorders.
Q6. What are the symptoms of inherited muscle disorders?
A. Some symptoms of inherited muscle disorders are muscle weakness, difficulty walking or climbing, frequent falls, delayed motor skills, muscle cramps, stiffness, and progressive muscle wasting.
References
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/default.html
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-requirements
https://www.webmd.com/obesity/healthy-weight
https://www.medicoexperts.com/muscular-dystrophy/
https://www.webmd.com/children/what-is-muscular-dystrophy
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/muscular-dystrophy
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Medically Reviewed By MedicoExperts Editorial & Clinical Review Board On 6 December 2024
