Hypotonia, also known as
floppy baby syndrome, is a state of low
muscle tone (the amount of tension or resistance to stretch in a muscle), often involving reduced muscle strength. Hypotonia is not a specific medical disorder, but a potential manifestation of many different diseases and disorders that affect
motor nerve control by the
brain or muscle strength. Recognizing hypotonia, even in early
infancy, is usually relatively straightforward, but
diagnosing the underlying cause can be difficult and often unsuccessful. The long-term effects of hypotonia on a child's development and later life depend primarily on the severity of the muscle weakness and the nature of the cause. Some disorders have a specific treatment but the principal treatment for most hypotonia of idiopathic or neurologic cause is
physical therapy,
occupational therapy for remediation, and/or
music therapy.