Torticollis in Infants

The joy of watching your baby grow cannot be explained in words. Though watching your baby take those baby steps or talk in the cute baby language leaves you completely overjoyed, parenting involves taking lots of responsibilities as well. You need to pay attention to every aspect of child development. At times, a baby's growth might be hampered due to certain birth defects or ailments, therefore, it is the duty of the parents to keep an eye on infant development month by month. You must increase your awareness regarding medical conditions that can affect your baby. Torticollis, also known as wryneck, is a condition that might affect some infants. Does your baby's neck seems to be tilted to one side? If your baby's chin seems to be pointing towards one shoulder whereas his/her head tilts towards the opposite shoulder, then your baby is suffering from this condition. This condition could be congenital or acquired. The symptoms may be present at birth or develop shortly after birth. Such an infant might not be able to move his/her head as well as healthy babies. In case of acquired torticollis, the symptoms can develop anytime later. If you notice such symptoms in your little one, you must visit a pediatric specialist soon.

Causes

Wryneck is caused due to the shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The sternocleidomastoid muscle connects the base of the skull to the collarbone and facilitates the movement of head. This particular muscle might get affected if the baby is positioned with the head tilted to one side in the uterus. Another possible reason could be trauma or damage to the muscles during childbirth. If your baby is suffering from this condition, you must consult a doctor soon. There are several exercises that might help the shortened muscle to grow. Once the muscle stretches back to its normal state, the child will be able to move his head normally, but if left untreated, this condition might become permanent. Since infants have tender skin, the infant's head might also get flattened if the infant sleeps with the head always turned on one side. It can also lead to facial asymmetry. Sometimes this condition can also be caused due to eye problems such as misalignment of the eyes, nystagmus or visual field defects. This is known as ocular torticollis.

Treatment

If you feel that your baby's head remains tilted to one side only, you must consult a pediatrician soon. There are certain exercises that could help in treating this condition. These include gentle neck rotation and side bending. Parents can learn these stretches from a physiotherapist. They must also try different ways to encourage the infant to turn the head on the other side. Position the baby crib or carry the baby in such a manner that encourages the child to look on the other side. During feeding, you must hold your baby in such a manner that will make him/her rotate the chin to the correct position. Similarly, place your child's favorite toys so that your baby has to turn his/her head to see them and play with them. You could also lay the baby on her back and very gently tilt the head to the other side. Be very gentle. Since babies are very delicate, pay attention to the aspect of baby care. You should ask the pediatrician to give you baby care tips on how to handle the baby while dealing with this condition. An early diagnosis and treatment of this condition is very essential. If you notice any abnormality in your child's movements or child development, consult a doctor soon. When discovered early, gentle stretches, positioning methods and exercises can help in correcting this abnormality to a great extent. In case of ocular type, parents must consult an eye doctor. Klippel-Feil syndrome is one of the risk factors for this congenital form of this condition. Once the baby has completed the age of 18 months, and the baby's head is still tilted to one side, then the doctors might suggest surgery to treat this condition.

So, this was some information on the causes, symptoms and treatment of torticollis in infants. If you notice the aforementioned symptoms in your baby, consult a pediatrician soon.