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[Amber111788]

My husband has had rls since he was a newborn ( confirmed by his mother) and now, my son has rls aswell! My son is 5 months and his legs go go go go go. He is not my first child so I’m very well aware of the difference, ya know? But anyways one dr says it’s possible but his pediatrician says he absolutely does NOT have rls. I have done my research and it’s 100% possible that he could have it. It’s worse while he is sleeping I see his legs stiffening up and then he’s waking up and he’s very pissed off. What would Anyone suggest as a SAFE home remedy for my little baby?

[Madlegs1]

He may have two things going on- from your description.

One may well be rls ( what makes you determine that?)

The other sounds like leg movement disorder- the kicking while asleep.

They are different conditions- but often occur together.

Could you give him warm magnesium baths? About a mug of Epsom salts in a tub of warm water- play with him in it for about 15 mins. That may help.

I would be slow to recommend tpo many other things for a child.

Are you breastfeeding him- if so , check your diet for triggers that may be passed on to him.

If not- then check his diet- for msg , high salt , high sugars , artificial sweetener and colours , sulphites etc etc etc!! Really need to avoid all processed foods . Possibly go vegan ??? (Before Raffs gets in!!😉)

Firm , Stroking, calming massage may be an option also.

I hope this gives you some pointers and help.

Don't be afraid to come back with your experiences.

All the best.

[LotteM]

Good advice from Madlegs. As ever.

And if you want to, have your GP take a blood sample as have it assessed for iron levels. Especially ferritin, indicative of the bodily stores of iron. For people with rls it should not just be ‘normal’ (anywhere between roughlt 20 and 250ng/l for adults, don’t know about babies). Rather it should be above 100. Discuss with tour GP how to raise his levels if they are below average, or the middle level of the normal ones for babies. Check out the Johns Hopkins website for more info on iron and rls and let your GP do the same:

hopkinsmedicine.org/neurolo....

I hope it resolves soon! I remember feeling utterly powerless when I saw my child suffer when she was still a baby. Hang in there.

[DicCarlson]

Iron metabolism can go up and down dramatically in small children. I had iron deficiency anemia and "growing pains" as a child. It all went away 'till my 60s then RLS reared its head and iron supplements have helped me.

[LotteM]

Iron is the one and only potential cause as assessed by scientific studies. When young rats are given a low iron diet they develop an rls-like syndrome. And the low iron during ‘childhood’ is shown to cause a lower than normal amount of receptors in the cells of some part of the brain (substantia nigra or black matter). These are the very receptors that are instrumental in transmitting the neurotransmitters relevant to RLS (dopamine, glutamate and adenosine). Because of the low number of these receptors the neurotransmitter balance is off in people with RLS.

That is, for the idiopathic or familial type of rls. Don’t know if this also applies to rls caused by e.g. anti-depressants (SSRI’s), other meds or conditions.

I had always low iron as a child. Had to take iron-drink for ages (yuck!). Hopefully there are much better and permanent ways to resolve low iron in babies/children. Amber, will you keep us updated? Good luck!

[Hidden]

seeing the reply about soaking in Epsom salts baths, for a baby I would not recommend this or any other treatment without the advice of a paediatrician. one of the reasons that soaking in magnesium works for some people is that it can be absorbed through the skin. magnesium has a normal range of levels in the blood. it is not just an innocuous chemical. i would not consider potentially messing about with the biochemistry of a child and even more so a young baby. that could be very dangerous indeed. i am a grandmother of a 1 year old baby. i also have bad rls and am a retired Dr. there is no way I would give advice involving important chemicals. epsom salts by mouth ( babies will swallow anything ) can also cause severe diarrhoea. home remedies do not always mean safe remedies. please take care. never ever give to a baby, or use on a baby or child anything which does not specifically say it is recommended on the package and what the dose

The other thing you have to be careful of is that anything medicinal has had rigorous testing and regulations attached, even though side effects can become apparent later on. Anything 'herbal' or home type requires none of that so anyone can make any claim they like.

Please take care.

[Madlegs1 in reply to Hidden]

"Benefits of Epsom Salt Bath for your Toddler

Epsom salt has been used since centuries to relieve sore muscles and joint pains. Also known as Magnesium Sulphate, Epsom salt is safe for both adults and children. Epsom salt is generally added in warm water that you are taking bath with. When sprinkled into warm bath water, it acts a soothing balm and restores body’s energy levels. Epsom salt is known to treat children suffering from autism."

Epsom salts is absorbed very effectively transdermally- and is perfectly safe for babies. Naturally , if the child has issues , then a paediatricians' advice should be sought.

Hopefully any careful parent wouldn't let a toddler drink such water- but even if a teaspoon were to be swallowed, there would be no harm done. I would be far more worried about other possible ingestion materials in the bath than H2o.

In A nE , magnesium drips are commonly one of the first lines of intervention in trauma cases.

Hope this clarifies the situation.

[Hidden in reply to Madlegs1]

I'm sorry but I don't think any of us should be recommending anything for children and especially young ones without the advice of a trained professional. It is easy to ask a pharmacist - they are well trained and very knowledgable ( in the Uk anyway ). It is a risky road to follow to give advice as a non professional. It is also essential to read any packaging and follow instructions closely. Babies can drink things in an instant even while being watched closely. Epsom salts is a laxative taken by mouth. If it is absorbed through the skin then the blood level of magnesium may well rise. If magnesium drips are used in A and E for trauma cases that will be for specific reasons in specific circumstances.

Passing on advice and info to adults is a different matter completely when we are all capable of deciding whether the info is wise and helpful or not and whether we wish to try it.

If you are a professional yourself and have in depth knowledge of these matters then you may feel it is Ok to pass on advice, but I would never do this for children who I do not know and have not seen.

[Hidden]

Hi!

100% in agreement with Alison (and I'm not a doctor). Introducing anything potentially harmful to someone so pure and innocent could be harmful.

Lotte is a scientist; it is really neat to get a scientist's point of view!

Have you tried having him fall asleep to calming music? I discovered that I calm down emotionally after listening to "Whole Tones Healing Frequencies". This is music at different hertz (vibrations per second). These can be found at wholetones.com (along with the story behind them) and the albums can be purchased. There are also free samples here:

youtu.be/31iD2VPLMxQ(Not working as expected?).

(Let me know if you can't click on the link)

There is also something called "Rife Frequencies". The science behind these is that various bodily conditions respond to various frequencies. If you type "Rife Frequencies RLS" into Youtube, it should come up with some good sessions. I listen to them with earphones since they are similar to binaural beats, but I wonder if the effect would be just as good without earphones.

If you give either of these a try for your little guy, please let me know how it goes. May I ask his name?

[Amber111788 in reply to Hidden]

My little baby is Bobby, and I didn’t see your comment before but I will indeed try so hung music tomorrow night!! Ty so much for your input!

[Hidden in reply to Amber111788]

You’re welcome.😀

I hope Bobby’s nights get better!

[Amber111788]

Yes I will keep you all updated... I won’t try anything till he is quite a bit older. As for right now every night I apply baby Vick’s to his legs and give them a good rub down and for now while he is still itty bitty I will continue to do just that until it doesn’t seem to work anymore. I will also ask doctors to check his iron levels as well. Thank you everyone for the great advice..

[Madlegs1 in reply to Amber111788]

Vicks is one of the triggers for rls for some people.

Just to be aware!😢

[Amber111788 in reply to Madlegs1]

Madlegs it works really good on him. If i saw it was or did make it worse (first time use) I would have discontinued... I fully understand what you are saying. Thank you for letting me know

[Parminter]

At five months it may be possible to give the child a microdose of Floradix - assuming iron levels are too low. They are a fine company, why not write to them and ask?

[Madlegs1 in reply to Parminter]

Then he certainly will need to drink some of the tubwater!😅😈😎

[Hidden in reply to Parminter]

Again, sorry but no. that is an iron preparation. the only medicine that should be given to babies is under the direction of a pharmacist or Dr. No one knows if he is iron deficient. if he turns out to be then professional advice and treatment will be given to him. we must stop making treatment recommendations for young children. too much iron is harmful

[Amber111788 in reply to Hidden]

U are absolutely right!!! No medicine unless prescribed... that’s why I have been using Vick’s and ultimately it does wonders and he sleep through the whole night!!!

[Parminter in reply to Hidden]

Alison, I did not for one nano-moment mean a 'DIY' approach. 'Assuming iron levels are too low' means, to me, that it be medically tested. If levels are too low, then intervention is called for. I understand that iron has an important role to play in proper brain development. And, as an adult who has had difficulty with iron absorption, as did my mother who also had RLS, I have found that Floradix is the kindest by far, with no problematic nausea and stomach problems.

[Hidden]

I am very pleased to hear your little Bobby is settling now. I hope you didn't think that I was over labouring my points to you. You had already said you wouldn't try anything else till he was older.

My concern this evening was also for a wider and future audience - we have to be so careful to make sure that our empathy and desire to help folk doesn't make us overstep what is wise because we are all pretty desperate and don't want anyone else, especially a young baby, to suffer what we are suffering. It's all done with such good intentions.

That sounds as if I'm 'preaching' which I do not mean to, sorry if it comes over that way.

[Amber111788 in reply to Hidden]

Not at all “preaching”!!! Like n need the advice!!

[Swimming2018]

I have had rls since I was a child and remember my mum walking me around the kitchen and living room and then putting me to bed. It worked for me as a child

[Minkiowl]

So glad to have found this forum and advice given regarding babies. My LO is 17 months now and I've had a feeling she's got RLS for a while but it comes and goes (as it does with me) so I've not been totally confident. When the current pandemic situation eases I will try taking her to the doctor (although in my experience, doctors are pretty useless regarding RLS). If she's having a bad night in the meantime I will try that music though! So thank you all