Congenital Torticollis

This morning, our baby Brollin was diagnosed with Congenital Torticollis. I noticed that his head was not developing the correct way and he was very behind in rolling over and sitting up! They pretty sure it happened when he was born. Even though he was a c-section baby they still had to use a vacuum to get him out, tearing his neck muscles. The worst part about it is with our insurance, I have to wait 7-10 business days for a referral to start his physical therapy, which only puts us at 1 session before we come down to Utah. He's still perfect to me!

What is congenital torticollis?

Torticollis, also known as "wryneck," is a condition in which your baby's head is tilted. The chin points to one shoulder, while the head tilts toward the opposite shoulder. Treatment is necessary to prevent your baby's face and skull from growing unevenly and to prevent limited motion of the head and neck.

What are the symptoms?

Your baby's head is tilted to one side. The chin points to one shoulder, while the head tilts toward the opposite shoulder. Usually, the head tilts to the right and the chin points left, meaning the muscle on the right side is affected. You may notice that your baby cannot move his or her head as well as other babies. You may also notice a lump in your baby's neck muscle.

What causes congenital torticollis?

Congenital torticollis occurs when the neck muscle that runs up and toward the back of your baby's neck (sternocleidomastoid muscle) is shortened. This brings your baby's head down and to one side. This is known as congenital muscular torticollis.

Experts don't know what causes the shortened neck muscle. Some experts believe that the muscle may sometimes be stretched or torn during the baby's birth. The tear causes bleeding and swelling, and scar tissue replaces some of the muscle, making it shorter.