Restless Legs Syndrome in Babies

Is your baby not sleeping properly? Is he/ she quite restless? Is your baby throwing around their legs a lot? This may all sound very common a reaction from babies. But this is ironical when it comes to baby care. When you think it to be just nothing, it turns out to be a critical and complicated situation. When you notice any such symptoms in your baby, it means there is a need to consult a doctor. Your child might be suffering with RLS. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder, which gives creepy, crawly, itchy sensation accompanied by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs. The uneasiness aggravates as the day falls and it restricts the sufferer from sleeping. Therefore it is also known as �sleep or evening disorder� and experts refer to it as �Ekbom�s syndrome�. In children, this disorder is associated with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder that results due to inattention. We can also associate RLS with Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. This disorder can prove out to be too irritable for your baby if it is not attended at the earliest and cured.

Restless Legs Syndrome In Infants

Diagnosis
Diagnosis of the syndrome depends upon the manifestation of physical symptoms, child�s description of what they feel and a polysomnogram showing typical limb movements.

Causes
RLS in adults could be due to many reasons. But in children, RLS is mostly due to deficiency of iron content in the body. Genetic predisposition can also be a reason for children to suffer from the syndrome, and at times it can be the combined affect that leads to the syndrome.

Symptoms
Being offensive, absent-mindedness, inability to sleep at night, are few of the behavioral symptoms shown by children suffering from RLS. This all might be accompanied with pains and aches. These symptoms might be considered as a psychiatric disorder and might lead to misdiagnosis, increasing the risk. If your child is suffering from restlessness and agitations in the evening and fails to get sleep continuously then it should be taken as an alarming situation. If the family has any history of RLS, then the babies are at larger risk of getting the syndrome.

Precaution & Treatment
There are several opinions regarding the treatment or precautions to be taken to curb the affect of the disorder. There are several opinions and suggestions because RLS shows overlapping symptoms of PMLD and ADHD, so when it comes to medication, the medical practitioners experiment various drugs and methods on the patient. This uncertainty and cluelessness may lead to other complications. So it is always better to take precautions than opt for some cure. The iron content in infants should be regularly measured and taken care of. If required, food supplements and multivitamin tablets can be provided. There should be a routine life maintained for your child. There should be a time for everything, their sleep, food, play, etc. but the precaution and treatment of RLS is not at all a cake walk. Firstly detect the symptoms of the syndrome, which calls in for a lot of alertness and care on part of the parents.