Diastasis recti is the abdominal malformation commonly occurring in infants. It’s even found in women who have been pregnant many times.
As we talk of infants getting affected with diastasis recti, there occurs a disjointing between left and right side of rectus abdominis muscle. The rectus abdominis muscle is the muscle covering front surface of belly area.
In newborns, this condition generally stands undamaging. A newborn suffering from diastasis recti doesn’t call for extreme concern or medical attention. In a few cases, some complications can be noticed.
Causes and Symptoms Diastasis recti is quite common in newborns. It is generally caused by virtual weakness of fascia between two rectus abdominus muscles. This condition heals on its own and disappears after some time. Abdominal separation or diastasis recti appear as a ridge running down to mid belly area. The ridge stretches from breastbone bottom to belly button. Its size increases as the muscle strains.
Signs of this condition become obvious when the baby strains his abdominal muscles. This could happen when he either tries to laugh or make an effort to sit. If the baby is affected by abdominal separation, the raised ridge running from sternum to groin makes an appearance. This ridge is in fact the filling of the abdomen that pushes via a split in rectus abdominus muscles. A baby, who is normally developed, won’t have this space amid the muscles and thus you won’t notice any ridge appearing when baby’s muscles strain.
Diagnosis of Diastasis RectiFor diagnosing Diastasis recti, the doctor palpates or feels frontal abdominal wall with his or her fingers. Parents can feel the ends of separated muscles when the infant is lying on the back in a relaxed position. As per University of Maryland Medical Center, this condition is common in African- American and premature babies.
As sais, diastasis recti goes away on its own as the abdominal muscles keep forming, the gap gets filled when all the muscles merge together.
Complications and TreatmentsAs diastasis recti disappear on its own, doctors seldom suggest any treatment or measure to treat the condition in newborns. A treatment is needed when in some cases few of the abdominal contents become herniated, and they further get trapped in abdominal separation gap as it closes. Though such complications are rare to see but if at all they happen, doctors suggest for surgical intervention so that hernia can be fixed and the gap can be completely closed.
This is why constant monitoring of an infant with diastasis recti is necessary as while the condition resolves itself, there’s can be a chance of trapped hernia.
Other complications
Diastasis Recti and Central Coordination Disorder (CCD): Few kinesiology (a branch of science dealing with study of human movement) practitioners hold the view that diastasis recti can lead to some complications which often get overlooked. They state that diastasis recti is linked with, and may to some extent be the reason of another health condition known as Central Coordination Disorder or CCD. It is distinguished by deferred and troubled motor development. Dynamic Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Center states that nearly 30 percent of babies with diastasis recti at birth tend to develop CCD in due course.
How CCD affects newborn? Whether CCD occurs fully or partially, it calls for lower back pain and ambulatory troubles. These back problems happen due to the asymmetric or unfinished nature of rectus abdominus muscles closing, which physicians may fail to notice. These reprehensively shaped muscles put forth unhinged or jagged forces that may ultimately misalign rib cage or lead to a slight bend in spine. Such defects can lead to chronic pain. If it’s left untreated, it can result into inappropriate motion mechanics and uncharacteristic skeletal developments.