14 Jul Have you noticed that baby  has a head tilt and a smaller eye 

Have you noticed that baby  has a head tilt and a smaller eye 
Or perhaps baby has a preference to look one side more and has a ear  that is more curled

If you have answered yes to the above statements then your baby  may have a tight neck muscle on one side of their neck. That muscle is called the Sternocleidomastoid muscle which goes from the chest bone and collarbone in the centre of the chest to the bone at the back of the head behind the ear. It is a condition called Torticollis and baby was born with the tight neck muscle right from Day 1. Often it happens in babies who are firstborns or in bigger babies because they were curled up stuck in one position in mummy’s tummy.

The issue with Torticollis is that the tight neck muscle tends to restricts movement of the head to one side as well as a tilt, while the neck muscles on the opposite side of the neck is not strong enough to counter the tight neck muscle. So baby will tend to only look to one side when they are lying on their backs. Over time, baby’s head shape will start to flatten on the side that they lie on all the time.  Once baby’s head becomes flatten on one side, it is harder for baby to try to turn their head the other way.

The other thing about Torticollis is that it seems to “come and go”.This is because the tight neck muscle may stretch after a few weeks and then when baby has another growth spurt, the neck muscle is not as flexible so again it becomes tight and baby’s head is pulled to one side. The cycle continues until baby stops growing which is between 18-21 years old! 

The Good News about Torticollis is that it can be easily corrected and managed with Physiotherapy! Here at My Favourite Physio, our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists sees many babies with Torticollis and get great results!  If you notice that baby is tilting their head or prefers to look to one side one, ring us on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to find out how we can help your baby overcome Torticollis today!

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