How can you tell if your baby has muscular dystrophy?

Muscular dystrophy is usually diagnosed in children between 3 and 6 years of age. Early signs of the illness include a delay in walking, difficulty rising from a sitting or lying position, and frequent falling, with weakness typically affecting the shoulder and pelvic muscle as one of the initial symptoms.

Can you have a baby if you have muscular dystrophy?

Because of muscle weakness in areas that affect delivery-such as the abdomen, back, and uterus-women with muscular dystrophy may require a Caesarean section. For women whose muscular dystrophy affects their hearts, pregnancy is not advised.

Why does my baby feel floppy?

Hypotonia, or poor muscle tone, is usually detected at birth or during infancy. It’s sometimes called floppy muscle syndrome. If your infant has hypotonia, they may appear limp at birth and not be able to keep their knees and elbows bent. Many different diseases and disorders cause the symptoms of hypotonia.

How can I tell if my baby is floppy?

Symptoms and Causes

  • Your baby is unable to lift their head or control neck muscles.
  • Your baby feels limp when held.
  • Your baby cannot place weight on their legs.
  • Your baby’s arms and legs hang straight at their sides without a bend at their elbow or knee.
  • Your baby has difficulty swallowing or sucking.

What is the life expectancy of a child with muscular dystrophy?

Until recently, children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) did not often live beyond their teens. However, improvements in cardiac and respiratory care mean that life expectancy is increasing, with many DMD patients reaching their 30s, and some living into their 40s and 50s.

Who is most likely to get muscular dystrophy?

Muscular dystrophy occurs in both sexes and in all ages and races. However, the most common variety, Duchenne, usually occurs in young boys. People with a family history of muscular dystrophy are at higher risk of developing the disease or passing it on to their children.

Can you have muscular dystrophy with no family history of it?

Spontaneous gene mutations can cause MD to develop in people who don’t have a family history of the condition. Another way a child with no family history can be affected is when the condition is recessive.

Can you live a full life with muscular dystrophy?

Some types of muscular dystrophy typicallyaffect only males; some people with MD enjoy a normal life span with mild symptoms that progress very slowly; others experience swift and severe muscle weakness and wasting, dying in their late teens to early 20s. The various types of MD affect more than 50,000 Americans.