"Jitteriness in infants" is a common cause of concern. The thought that it could be a fit unnerves the parents. After all, they have time and again heard of severe neurological issues presenting as abnormal involuntary movements! But those that are seen during the first six months of life only rarely indicate a disease process. Most of them are due to the increased and irregular excitability of the immature nerve connections. To the parents, this translates into, "in some babies the abrupt involuntary tremors could be an early sign of underlying nervous system disorder". A wave of despair washes over them. Doctors reassure them, and ask for some tests on the baby. Yet, the parents are not satisfied. Several of their doubts remain unattended, and some more get added, "did doctor mean all is not well"? Is my baby's brain not fully formed?..... They worry, "Should I or should I not put my little baby through a battery of medical tests! Could she/he be suffering from a developmental disorder!" This book is an answer to this bewilderment. A clear explanation of "The Mimics Fits in Early Infancy" would surely help parents seek a rational approach towards the situation that steals their joy. And what could be better than a neonatologist taking you through the maze of the mimics of fits in early infancy! It describes various fit like activity commonly noted during early infancy, and how they get affected by a baby's pattern of behaviour and sleep. It also brings about the understanding that many clinical conditions other than brain injury could present with recurrent involuntary movements, which in turn would interrupt the normal behaviour of the affected infant. In short, the focus herein is to answer the range of questions that torment young parents of the infants with jitteriness. Jittery Baby is written by an experienced neonatologist, who has simplified this complex medical conditions in 28 short chapters and 37 illustrations. The meanings of unavoidable medical terms are given in Glossary.
About the Author: Renuka Chatterjee is a retired neonatal intensivist. She has often sensed parents' anxiety and have managed to clear their doubts successfully, not only during clinical practice but also through her website. Now she hopes to do the same with the book, Jittery Baby: The Mimics of Fits in Early Infancy. The number of questions that pour in on this single topic is amazing. She answered many of them through http: //www.childhealth-explanation.com/jitteriness.html and the related pages, yet a lot remained untold. Hence the book, "Jittery Baby and the Mimics of Fits in Early Infancy", which gives a deep insight into the normal and the abnormal causes of fits like activity that is commonly seen in little babies. Do visit www.childhealth-explanation.com/meet-me.html to know more about Renuka. You can also post your concerns and get answers at "Ask Doc" or "Newborn Care Forum", the Free portals of the website, which she manages personally.