Newborn trembling: tremulations

Startling, strange snuffling sounds, sudden cries… babies certainly know how to surprise us! Newborn trembling — known as tremulations — is one of those behaviours that can be quite puzzling.

Indeed, it often catches new parents off guard when it happens. We cover it all in this article!

Newborn trembling: a harmless phenomenon?

You may have noticed that your little one trembles in their extremities — particularly the feet and hands. But it can also occur around the lips and chin, or even in an entire leg.

Is baby cold? Is something wrong? In all likelihood, what you are seeing is what is known as tremulations — small tremors that occur in newborns during the first few months of life.

Specialists are not entirely certain of their cause, although it is thought to be linked to an immaturity of the nervous system.

Notably, these newborn tremors stop when baby is moved into a different position, or when they are touched.

When should you be concerned about tremulations?

As a general rule: no need to stress! Tremulations are a harmless behaviour that should stop by around 3 months of age.

That said, it is still worth staying alert and distinguishing them from a possible convulsion or hypocalcaemia.

In the first case, you will quickly be able to tell the difference: a convulsion does not stop when you touch baby, unlike a tremor.

As for hypocalcaemia, this refers to a lack of calcium in the child's body. It can be assessed quickly with a simple blood test. Generally speaking, trembling will be more frequent in this case.

Do not hesitate to discuss this with your paediatrician!

Newborn behaviour: decoded

There really is so much to know about babies! There is another behaviour that appears during the first months of your child's life: the Moro reflex.

Does that not ring a bell? Do take a look at our article on the subject!