The Relationship Between Hypotonia and Vestibular Dysfunction in Young Children: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Movement Disorders

Background:

• Infantile idiopathic hypotonia (IIH) is a condition characterized by decreased muscle tone in infants.
• While diagnostic tools have advanced, a significant percentage of hypotonic children remain without a confirmed diagnosis.
• Commonly reported issues include clumsiness and poor coordination, often addressed with physical therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive scoping review of the literature on infantile idiopathic hypotonia.
• To explore the prevalence and characteristics of IIH in young children.
• To investigate a potential association between IIH and vestibular dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• A systematic scoping review was performed adhering to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Extensive literature searches were conducted across major databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science) and grey literature sources.
• Articles reporting on children with idiopathic hypotonia or its synonyms were included.

Main Results:

• Out of 4,174 screened articles, 16 met the inclusion criteria.
• Eleven studies analyzed 1150 hypotonic children, revealing that 24% had undiagnosed conditions.
• The remaining studies detailed the characteristics and developmental challenges of children with idiopathic hypotonia.

Conclusions:

• Clumsiness and poor coordination are frequent in IIH, with therapy often recommended for muscle strength, coordination, and balance.
• Despite similarities in symptoms, no reviewed studies investigated vestibular dysfunction in relation to IIH.
• Further research is warranted to explore the potential link between infantile idiopathic hypotonia and vestibular dysfunction.