Overcoming Low Muscle Tone: Gear

This post is third in the series Overcoming Low Muscle Tone. To read the previous post in the series,  "Toys", please click here. To read the first post, in the series, "Activities", please click here.

GEAR:

a) Ankle/Foot Orthotics (AFOs)

One thing that helped Patrick to stand and walk were his braces. I was told by the Physical Therapist that Patrick needed ankle support, because his feet pronate quite significantly. She said this was common in low muscle tone children, and recommended me to take him to Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics, to get his measurements. When I called to make the appointment, I was told that a prescription by his Pediatrician was needed beforehand.

That was because they don't necessarily diagnose, rather they just take measurements and order the product. Their expertise helps them decide which type of AFO will be best for your child. The price you pay for the braces includes the appointments needed (measurements, pick-up and any follow-ups) so all these office visits are free of charge. The person who sees Patrick there told us that after using the braces for a little while, we would start seeing significant improvement in Patrick, and he would be walking in no time. He was right!

They suggested that Patrick used the SureStep brand, and while all the information is on the website, let me tell you our personal experience. I'm happy with the product. Patrick didn't mind using them at all, and they seem comfortable. Definitely provided the support he was needing. For some reason I thought the braces would help to correct the problem, but later I was told that mostly they provide support (his body is definitely more stable when he is wearing them.) I think my only complaint is that the straps on his second pair ripped... for something that's billed so high to our insurance (2k+) you would think the straps would be made of a better material.

The first pair of AFOs lasted about 6 months until he outgrew them. He is now on his second pair since the beginning of February. He had to wear the first pair almost all the time, but he isn't required to wear it as much now. I was under the impression that he would need to use the braces for a number of years, but surprisingly we have been told that this may be his last pair. As his muscles get stronger, his ankles should get better, but the problem won't disappear completely. It isn't so bad, considering that there are many people, including athletes that have pronation but are able to perform physical activity just fine.

b) Shorts (Hip Helpers)

One thing that got Patrick started on the crawling were this shorts. They were suggested to me by his physical therapist. This shorts help kids force kids to crawl, or at least, prevent them from scooting, which was Patrick's favorite way to move around, as you could see in the video I showed on the first post on the series.

On the Hip Helpers website you will find that the shorts are also a good aid for children that like to sit with their legs wide open or in W position. Patrick used them briefly, but I think it was worth buying them... he really couldn't scoot the way he wanted, so he had to figure out other ways! It's too bad I actually don't have pictures/videos of him wearing them so you could see, and right now they are too small for him. I hope you can get a good enough idea on what they are like on their website!

c) Chewy Tubes

Also, per suggestion of Patrick's therapist, we bought him a chewy tube, more specifically, a "P" chewy tube. That's the website that was suggested to us, but I believe I found it cheaper (or at least with free shipping!) on Amazon, so you can check there too.

Chewy tubes are great alternatives for little ones who need to practice their biting and chewing skills. Patrick had low muscle tone in his mouth -it was difficult for him to chew food that wasn't soft. Also, he liked (still does to some extent) putting everything in his mouth, more so than the reasonable stage that every baby goes through when exploring new surfaces. The chewy tube is hard, and has some scent/flavor that makes it more attractive to the child, giving the sensory input needed to aid in the mouthing.

I have to say, though, Patrick wasn't a fan of the chewy tube. His jaw eventually got stronger, mostly by the fact that we kept introducing progressively food that wasn't too soft, and by the fact that he likes mouthing so much to the point that anything would go to his mouth, including blocks and other hard things. If you do try it, I hope you get better luck with this product!

Overcoming Low Muscle Tone: Toys

This post is second in the series Overcoming Low Muscle Tone. To read the previous post in the series, "Activities", please click here.

a) Shopping cart
We got this shopping cart for Patrick, although I found it at a goodwill for $7. I have to say, he was interested in using it only until he had learned to stand with support and he had started to give a couple side steps with support of the furniture. This toy is great because it motivated him to move (we used it outside -he loves outdoors) and you can add weight to it to fit your kid's needs, like putting toys or things he wants to move around.

A cheaper alternative? You can use a lightweight stroller if you have one. Also, the Trader Joe's store by our house has little shopping carts, and I heard some Giant stores do too (not the one by us though). Check at the stores near you if they have any and let your little one help you with some shopping.

b) Ride-on toys
Ride-on toys are GREAT for toddlers with low muscle tone. If they want to go anywhere, they will have to use their legs. A friend of us gave Patrick this one, which was great because he liked the noises every time he bounced, so he was constantly bouncing, making his legs stronger. Also, there are other ride-on toys that have a little storage area, and you could place cans or something heavy inside to make your child work harder to move, once he has mastered the use of it.

Patrick has now a lil quad, but I would not recommend this for your low muscle tone child, until he has gotten strong enough to walk and move around on ride-on toys. You can read this post I wrote to learn why.

c) Trampoline
I bought this trampoline for Patrick and despite the not so good reviews, he likes it. It is a bit expensive though, but he has had it for almost a year and still looks like new. He used to get on it everyday, but not much anymore. At first, when he couldn't stand on his own, he liked climbing on it and getting out of there (it has padding so it is safe) so even then it was entertaining and helpful for his low muscle tone. Then eventually he learned to jump on it and he enjoys it and I'm sure little Robbie will get some use out of it as well.

d) Gym ball.
Children with hypotonia lack strength and balance. A gym ball will help with both. There are exercises you can have your child do on a gym ball, here are two ideas:

1.- Place your child upside down on top of the gym ball. Slowly, move the ball forward, and help your kid to not fall by placing his/her hands on the ground. This activity will help mostly with the upper side of his/her body.

2.- Place your child sitting on the ball. Slowly move the ball to all sides. Your child will try to stay on top without falling, therefore making him learn to get more balance and more strength.

An alternative? Your back or your partner's back. Place your child sitting on your back while you bend on knees and hands on the floor, then move around while he rides on. The more you move your back, the more balance he will need, and it is fun, too! It helps if you have your partner or someone with you to help hold your child while you move to prevent falling, or at least try to do this activity on a padding surface and be ready to catch your child in case he looses balance.

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These toys are helpful for hypotonia kids that already stand with support. We addressed Patrick's hypotonia until he was 1 year old, so I don't have much insight for infants. However, I may write about  hypotonia in infants in the upcoming months, as it looks like our baby Robert also has hypotonia.

Overcoming Low Muscle Tone: Activities

Many people are drawn to my blog searching for information on Hypotonia. I have been writing a series of posts about the things that helped Patrick in this regard, which I will be posting throughout March. We have been working on his hypotonia for a little over a year... He went from not rolling over, not crawling and not standing even with support at one year of age, to completely running by age 2. It isn't a quick process. He has come a long way, but there is still much to do, like making his legs stronger so that he doesn't fall too often when running or walking on uneven surfaces.

From activities, to specific toys and clothing, there were a number of things that helped Patrick improve his low muscle tone significantly. There is a lot of information out there about what is hypotonia (here is a great compilation) so I will just focus on the specific things that helped my son.

To begin the series, below are some activities:

a) Climbing stairs

If you have stairs at home, teach your child to climb! There is no better exercise for his legs than this. It helps if you can place toys or things of his interest on the second or third step, so he will have to stand to try to reach them. Even if your child doesn't climb at the beginning, just by standing and going back to the floor will be good enough... imagine all the squads!

Take him to playgrounds and make him try to go up and down the steps to get to the slide.

Patrick wasn't interested at first, it took a little while for him to be interested on going up the stairs, so don't get desperate. Just keep trying!

b) Soft playroom


There is a RECenter near my house that has a soft playroom. It's awesome. The fee is $5 and Patrick can play there for as long as he wants. It's totally worth it. It's the perfect place for children with low muscle tone because they can't get hurt if they fall. The only problem? When is time to leave. Patrick loves it so much he never wants to leave!

If your ReCenter doesn't have a soft playroom, check out your nearest mall. Some malls have children areas, and usually everything in it is soft and safe -perfect for hypotonia kids! The best part is that these areas are free of charge. In the video below, Patrick (at around 18 months old) is playing at one of these areas at the mall. By then he had learned to crawl up the slide, but scooting on his buttocks was still his favorite and easiest way to move from one place to another (he couldn't crawl or walk). You may also be able to see his ankle/foot orthotics which he is wearing to help with his pronation.

You can buy the soft play shapes online in sites like this one, but as you can see, these things are pretty pricey. An alternative? Pillows at home. You can recreate your own soft playroom at home by placing pillows and blankets on the floor. Make your child work his way through a pillow if he wants to reach a toy, or reach you. Place soft obstacles in between baby and you, and he will be crawling/climbing in no time!

c) Parks!

Why are parks, water parks and overall outdoor activities so important? Please read this post I wrote not too long ago.

d) Cruise around furniture

You may have to re-arrange your furniture in a way that your child can cruise around. Place sturdy furniture close to another piece of sturdy furniture so that your child can cruise from one to another, like moving from a couch to the coffee table, or from the couch to a chair. You can also try placing him standing on one end of the couch, and put toys on the other end and encourage him to reach it. With Patrick, it helped to put the laptop on the other end... he wouldn't move to reach the toys, but he did move to reach my laptop!

This post, "activities", is just Part 1 on the series, stay tuned for the following posts!

Developmental Evaluation Results

The title of this blog, Overcoming Tiny Obstacles, couldn't have been more accurate to what we are experiencing... as the times goes by, I get more convinced about it. It's one obstacle after another. Tiny obstacles, but obstacles at last. Trying to overcome each one as they present, and praying and hoping that they don't get bigger, or more difficult, and that once and for all, they all disappear. But that's not happening... not just yet.

Just when we got all excited about the huge improvement of Patrick's low muscle tone, we discovered that his ability to talk was affected too. We thought that by being able to explore (by running, climbing...) the same way as his friends, he would reach the same developmental stage as them. But then speech delay came along and we realized how important was language in the learning process. How can he understand abstract concepts, like counting or feelings, when he can't even name the very basic ones?

Friendship helps overcome obstacles

So much is going on with Patrick right now that I have tons of posts to write... I just can't seem to find the time to do it! He recently had his 1 year evaluation with the Early Intervention Services from the Infant and Toddler Connection. He also had his 6 month evaluation with the Developmental Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital. Some were good news and some... not so much. Patrick has also increased his Speech therapies to 3 times a month (things aren't going so well in that regard) and he still has his physical therapies once a month, so he is now receiving weekly services.

I hope my husband finds some free time to help me with the kiddos so that I can write all about that. In the meantime, I want to talk about how friendship has been a life saver to our family. Since I became a stay-at-home mom, I wanted to be able to hang out with other stay-at-home moms, and I was so lucky to find a group of  moms that met less than 2 miles from my house! I want to dedicate this post to give a shout out to the wonderful moms group at St. Louis Catholic Church. Being part of this group is great in so many ways. Here are a few reasons:

My Christmas miracle! (December 2012 Recap)

Happy New Year! (It's still January, so it still counts, right?)

A number of things happened this past December but right now I just want to talk about the most important one: Our baby Robert Louis was born.

On the 23rd, my sister and nephew came from Mexico to spend the holidays with us, and as we went to pick her up from the airport, I posted on my facebook page "On our way to the airport to pick up my sis and nephew!! BTW, no baby  yet, due date is tomorrow but doesn't look like is going to happen soon..."

Doesn't look like is going to happen soon?