What's going on with the newborn baby's head always crooked to the side?

Torticollis is a very common phenomenon in newborns, what causes torticollis in newborns? How to correct the child's torticollis?

Torticollis is a phenomenon caused by inconsistent muscle strength on both sides of the neck, resulting in a tilted head or turning to one side. Torticollis is a very common phenomenon for newborns. As the fetus curls up in a small space, as it grows, the neck will gradually twist to coordinate the body and adapt to the space in the womb. After birth, the head will be biased towards the shorter side of the neck, which is prone to complications. The angle of the head and midline formation of the body is a sign of the torticollis.

Why do children often tilt their heads

The child's crooked head can be called "torticollis".

Torticollis literally means "twisted neck"; medically describes the phenomenon of tilting or turning the head to one side due to inconsistent muscle strength on both sides of the neck.

Torticollis is a very common phenomenon for newborns. Because the fetus is curled up in the womb, as the fetus grows day by day, the space becomes smaller and smaller, and the neck of the fetus will gradually twist to coordinate the body and adapt to the space in the womb.

As a result of the twisting of the neck, the sternocleidomastoid muscle, one side of the neck, is gradually elongated, resulting in a difference in the length of the sternocleidomastoid muscle on both sides of the neck. After the baby is born, the head is naturally biased towards the shorter side of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. If your child's head is kept in the middle or turned to the other side, the shorter sternocleidomastoid muscles will be pulled.

A week or two after the birth of the child, the muscles that have been pulled continue to swell, forming a large hard lump. At this time, the child likes to tilt his head to the damaged side, because this position can keep the damaged muscles in the most relaxed state, so as not to feel pulled. As the swelling gradually subsides, the traumatized muscles return to normal completely or form fibrous cords. Because the fibrous cord is stiffer and less elastic than uninjured muscles, your child's neck muscle movement is limited.

In addition to the above reasons, torticollis may also be caused by some reasons after birth. For example, when the child's head is relatively flat, he will be tilted, because it is more comfortable to lie down; or parents always let the child lie in the same position, and for a long time, the child will like to keep the head in the same position, because of the orthostatic torticollis.

Orthostatic torticollis can cause the neck to twist in one direction repeatedly, causing the muscles on one side of the neck to gradually shorten.

How to correct the baby's torticollis

Doctors can determine whether a child has a torticollis through a simple physical examination. If the shorter side of your child's neck does not touch a small lump that resembles an olive, just correct your child's sleeping posture frequently and keep your child's head in the middle as much as possible. If a small lump appears on the child's neck, parents should give the child neck massage and stretching exercises at home under the guidance of a doctor.

If the neck muscle tone and length are still inconsistent 2 to 3 months after the birth of the child, the doctor will ask a physical therapist to intervene. The physiotherapist will use coordinated exercises to stretch the shorter side of the neck muscle, the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Usually after 2 to 3 months of treatment, the torticollis can be corrected.

For the very small number of children who do not improve after physical therapy, the surgeon will consider surgical procedures to properly incise the tight sternocleidomastoid muscle on the shorter side of the neck to achieve the purpose of muscle extension.

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