4 Month Old Baby Suddenly Shaking

by Shikha
(Bangalore/India)

Question: My baby slept when I was feeding her and suddenly she started shaking completly.
I made her wake up and she was normal.

I am scared, what this could be?
Is she is having some problem? She is already showing irritability from past few days.

Please help me

Baby Help Line Answer:

Baby Shaking When Waking Up

Have you ever experienced that when you have just fallen asleep, you dream that you are falling? Then you wake up with a jump. That may very well have been what happened to your baby. Some babies also have a slightly immature nervous system, that may cause shaking.

Sometimes shaking in babies can be warning sign of some neuro problems, but then often the shaking is combined with other indications that something is wrong, like falling behind developmental milestones, for example.

You can read about some warning signs when a baby is shaking here.

However, since you are worried and if it happens again, maybe you should take your baby to see a doctor.

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Comments for
4 Month Old Baby Suddenly Shaking

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Jan 03, 2009

Suddenly shakes
by: Del

Periodically when my daughter awakes from her nap, she shakes for about 10 to 20 seconds. It's as if her nervous system is engaged during that time.

I am not sure what causes it or even what to do about it.

Mar 12, 2009

acid reflux
by: Anonymous

our son had something similar to what you are descrbing at the end of feedings...his arm would twitch like a muscle spasm. we were very worried and even went to a nuerologist. turns out it was something called sandifor's syndrome which is basically a kind of acid reflux which he grew out of. I think the doctor prescribed previcid or something which helped, but eventually, it went away all together.

Sep 06, 2010

Same issue!
by: Anonymous

I just had the exact same thing happen- same age baby, too. She was feeding and getting sleepy and then she just started shaking. She was still making eye contact and didn't look upset, but it scared me half to death. She seems OK now, just nursing and getting sleepy. Original poster- did you ever get an answer to what it was?

Sep 07, 2010

hi
by: shikha

when i went to dr they asked me to have a neuro test and they wanted to give anesthesia to 4 month old baby which i was not interested in.

I concerned other doctor and they said sometimes kids may be dreaming about something and they start doing same action as they are doing in their dreams.

shaking part continued for almost a month but then it was all normal so i never visited the doctor who prescribed to go for neuro test

i will suggest please go to doctor once coz most of the times doctors saying bring peace to our mind

Oct 26, 2010

Similar Situation
by: Lisa

I woke my 4 month old up for feeding today, and she started shaking after being up for about 10 - 15 min and making lots of groaning noises! She is still shaking at the moment, she ate fine? Just wondering if anyone else has seen this, I am contacting my dr. tomorrow morning!
THanks

Nov 20, 2010

baby shaking
by: Alma

My baby was 4 months when it started to happen. I was nursing him, he's almost asleep, then he would shake his whole body. I was so terrified. I woke him up and the shaking stopped. It lasted maybe 4 seconds. The third time it happened, I called the doctor because I was thinking it was seizure. He said seizure last for minutes and you cannot stop it. So definitely my son's shaking was not seizure. He said babies also twitch like adults when they are asleep. With babies, their muscles are not well developed yet so if one muscle jerks, the next muscles will jerk too making the baby shake. He said it's nothing to worry about.

Feb 16, 2011

nothing to worry about
by: Rita

I just got back from my daughters ped and she was doing the same thing...I would be feeding her and she would start to fall asleep and she would start shaking, I was told that sometimes babies do this he told me some big long word that i can not remember right now sleep something but it is nothing to worry about and was not a seziure as i was afraid it was as they run in the family rest assured that this is normal in some babies!

Jun 24, 2011

thank u
by: angela from : P.I

thank god i can google all my question...what would i do without internet.im a 1st time mom,and it very hard for me to take care of my baby alone...thank u for all the comments...im learning ...

Jun 24, 2011

:)
by: Anonymous

I'm the one who posted back in Sept- for the record this happened many more times, but it was nothing. I've got a very happy, very healthy 14 month old now, and I haven't seen this issue in months. I took her to the doc when it happened and was told that it was just the result of an immature nervous system and that it was nothing at all to worry about. Always nice to hear it from the doc, though :)
What'd I'd say is this- you are the best judge of what's up with your baby. It's SO normal to be concerned, it's our lot in life as parents! However, trust your instincts and take them in if you're worried. Always better safe than sorry, but thankfully it sounds like what we all experienced was a pretty normal, harmless thing.

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