Why does the baby's thumb disappear inward?

Many people will judge and understand the baby's IQ development problems by the condition of the baby's thumb turning inward, because some children with cerebral palsy will have the condition of thumb turning inward that will not disappear. The specific manifestation is that the fingers are clenched tightly into a fist, and the thumb is flexed and adducted. Many parents become nervous when they see their baby's thumb turning inward, worrying that the baby has cerebral palsy. In fact, babies usually clench their fists in the first month after birth, which is a normal physiological phenomenon.

1. When a baby's thumb is inward-turned, the hand is stretched outward and the thumb muscles have poor elasticity, causing the thumb to move toward the palm of the hand. Its main manifestation is that the fingers are clenched into a fist, the thumb is flexed and adducted, and the other four fingers are outside or inside the thumb. Many people get nervous when they see their baby's thumbs curled inward, worrying that the baby has cerebral palsy. In fact, the baby has been clenching his fists while in the mother's womb, so he will often clench his fists in the first month after birth. This is a normal physiological phenomenon.

2. As time goes by, the time and degree of the baby's thumb inward retraction will gradually decrease. Therefore, if the baby continues to clench his fist for more than two months, it should be taken seriously. In addition, the baby may still have a hand grasping reflex within four months after birth, so it is normal for the baby to occasionally curl the thumb inward during this period. However, if the baby continues to clench the fist and curl the thumb inward, or the inward curling does not decrease or improve within 4-6 months, then you must be vigilant and take the baby to see a doctor as soon as possible.

3. The inward-turning thumb of infants will not only affect the development of fine functions such as grasping, gripping and pinching in the future, but will also affect the progress of training programs such as hand support, posture change, crawling, etc. in rehabilitation training, and affect motor development.

4. In daily life, parents should pay attention to their children's symptoms. If the child's thumb adduction persists for a long time, they need to take the child to a regular hospital for treatment in time to avoid affecting the child's normal life in the future.

5. Parents should be cautious when choosing a treatment method for thumb adduction for their children. Although there are many methods to treat thumb adduction, parents should choose the appropriate treatment method based on the child’s actual condition.