Causes of hypotonia

Hypotonia (decreased muscle tone) is a symptom rather than a condition. It can be

caused by a number of underlying problems.
One main problem that can cause hypotonia is disruption of the signals between nerves and
muscles.
To function normally, muscles depend on signals from motor nerves. These signals can
become disrupted at the level of the brain and spinal cord (known as "central hypotonia"),
or as a result of nerve damage between the spinal cord and muscle (known as "peripheral
hypotonia").
Other problems that can cause hypotonia include:

disorders affecting hormones and other substances essential for muscles to work
properly

disorders of connective tissue connective tissue, such as collagen, provides the

body's tissues with strength and support, and is found in ligaments and cartilage

being born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy) premature babies
sometimes have hypotonia because their muscles are not fully developed by the time
they are born

Examples of some of the many health conditions that can cause hypotonia are described
below, although some of these are rare.

Conditions that cause hypotonia

Hypotonia in babies and young children
Some of the conditions that can cause hypotonia in newborn babies and young children
include:

cerebral palsy several non-progressive neurological (brain-related) problems

present at birth that affect a child's movement and co-ordination

brain and spinal cord injury, including bleeding into the brain

serious infections, such as meningitis (an infection of the outside membrane of the
brain) and encephalitis (an infection of the brain itself)

Down's syndrome a genetic disorder present at birth that affects a person's normal
physical development and causes learning difficulties

Prader-Willi syndrome a rare genetic condition that causes a wide range of

symptoms, including permanent hunger, restricted growth and learning difficulties

Tay-Sachs disease a rare and usually fatal genetic disorder that causes progressive
damage to the nervous system

congenital hypothyroidism where a baby is born with an underactive thyroid

gland; babies are screened for this and treated early in the UK

spinal muscular atrophy a genetic condition that causes muscle weakness and a
progressive loss of movement

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease an inherited condition that affects a substance called

myelin that covers nerves and helps carry messages to and from your brain

myasthenia gravis in adults, myasthenia gravis causes weakness and increased

fatigue rather than hypotonia; babies born to mothers who have myasthenia gravis
may also be affected and, if so, will usually have hypotonia

muscular dystrophy a group of genetic conditions that gradually cause the muscles
to weaken, leading to increasing but variable levels of disability

Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome inherited conditions affecting the

connective tissues that provide support and structure to other tissue and organs

Hypotonia in later life

Although less common, hypotonia can develop in older children and adults. This can be
caused by some of the problems listed above, but other possible causes include:

multiple sclerosis where the myelin coverings of nerve fibres are damaged,
interfering with their ability to transfer signals

motor neurone disease a rare condition that progressively damages the motor
nerves and causes the muscles to waste away

Weakness and problems with mobility and balance are common in these conditions, but
muscle tone may also be affected.