Hesperian Health Guides
Chapter 10: Muscular Dystrophy: Gradual, Progressive Muscle Loss
HealthWiki > Disabled Village Children > Chapter 10: Muscular Dystrophy: Gradual, Progressive Muscle Loss
How to Recognize If Muscle Weakness Is Caused by Muscular Dystrophy
shoulders and arms are held back awkwardly when walking
swayback
weak butt muscles (hip straighteners)
knees may bend back to take weight.
enlarged lower leg muscles which contain a mix of fat and muscle and are weaker than they appear
tight heel cord (contracture); child may walk on toes
weak muscles in front of leg cause ‘foot drop’ and tiptoe contractures
belly sticks out due to weak belly muscles (child has difficulty with sit-ups)
thin, weak thighs (especially front part)
poor balance; falls often
awkward, clumsy if walking
- The most common form (about half of all cases) is Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It mostly affects boys (rarely girls).
- Often brothers or male relatives have same condition.
- First signs appear around ages 3 to 5: the child may seem awkward or clumsy, or he begins to walk “tiptoe”because he cannot put his feet flat. Falls often.
- Condition gets steadily worse over the next several years.
- Muscle weakness first affects feet, fronts of thighs, hips, belly, shoulders, and elbows. Later, it affects hands, face, and neck muscles.
- Most children become unable to walk by age 10.
- May develop a severe curve of the spine.
- Heart and breathing muscles also get weak. A child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy usually dies before age 20 from heart failure or pneumonia.
Early common sign of muscular dystrophy
- To get up from the ground, the child ‘walks up’ his thighs with his hands.
- This is mainly because of weak thigh muscles.
This page was updated:04 Apr 2024