Tics or twitches are often caused by stress and in most cases are not serious

OUT of the blue, you notice your child is twitching his eyelid, shrugging his shoulder or wrinkling up his nose. It’s a spasm-like muscle movement, it’s repeated and you’re getting worried.

“Parents get a bit nervous when they see this, but simple tics are very common and most often are not serious,” says Professor Alf Nicholson, consultant paediatrician at Temple Street Children’s Hospital and co-author of When Your Child is Sick, What You Can Do to Help.

Experts find boys are three times more likely than girls to develop tics and it is estimated one in four children are affected at some point.

Children can begin displaying the involuntary movements — facial grimacing, eye-blinking, mouth twitching, squinting, throat-clearing — as early as pre-school age but mostly they are in primary school when the behaviour manifests. Some tics involve movement of arms, legs or other areas.

“They often recur if the child is nervous for any reason,” says Prof Nicholson.

To be diagnosed with short-lived tic disorder, the child must have displayed the tics almost every day for at least four weeks, but less than a year. Aside from Tourette syndrome — which is rare — other disorders needing to be ruled out include anxiety, attention deficit disorder, uncontrollable movement (myoclonus), obsessive compulsive disorder, and epilepsy.

Prof Nicholson suggests parents use their Smart Phone to capture the child’s involuntary movements via a short video clip, which he says is very helpful to an examining doctor, who can then decide whether the child needs to see a neurologist.

“Bring your child to your GP or local paediatrician for examination — very few children would need to see a neurologist.”

While tics are quite noticeable to parents, very often children aren’t even aware they’re doing them. Others beyond the family may comment too — teachers and the child’s classmates.

“It’s best not to draw too much attention to tics. Focusing too much makes it more likely a young child will continue them,” warns Prof Nicholson, who recommends exploring with the child any issue that’s causing anxiety.

“It could be a school issue or something in their home life — moving house, death of a pet.”

Generally, he says, if a child is examined and if parents are given a reasonable explanation and proper reassurance, tics tend to fizzle out in time.

TOP TIPS

* Stay calm — this is usually a benign, temporary condition and doesn’t cause complications.

* Bringing child’s attention to a tic may make it worse or cause it to persist.

* Creating a non-stressful environment can reduce frequency of tics and help them disappear faster.

* Talk to your GP if you’re concerned, particularly if the tic persists or is interfering with your child’s life.