INFANT TORTICOLLIS/ASYMMETRICAL HEAD SHAPE

Identifying and Managing Infant Torticollis

Infant Ttorticollis is the shortening of the anterior neck muscle on one side that can cause a baby to have an assymmetrical head shape. Parents notice that the baby has a flattened section on the skull.

If left untreated, the baby can have permanent restriction in neck movement and can develop assymetry of the face and jaw. This condition can occur as a result of position in utero, a difficult birth or delivery or can be insidious onset. It has also become more common because people are encouraged to sleep babies on their backs to reduce risk of SIDS. This is the safest sleeping option but sometimes babies develop flatness on the back of their head as a result of this as well.

Early intervention is essential. Management includes instructing parents on specific positioning and a series of stretches or sustained positions to alleviate this condition.

These postions and stretches are not painful and can be incoorporated into “play” as well as the baby’s normal routine. With careful management of home stretches the condition is usually self – limiting and rarely requires surgical intervention.

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