“SuperBaby” Will G. Crushes Torticollis
With a little help from BrindaRathod at Home Base Physical Therapy in Morristown, little Will overcomes his severe case of Torticollis. Torticollis is a condition that is not uncommon in new born babies (about 1 in 300). It can be conservatively treated with pediatric physical therapy. Torticollis is a condition where the SCM (sternocleidomastoid) muscle becomes shortened or tight. This can be caused by several different reasons, not limited to: The way your baby was positioned in the womb before birth, abnormal development of the SCM muscle, and trauma or damage to the muscle during birth.
Some babies with torticollis will also develop a flat head (positional plagiocephaly) on one or both sides from lying in one direction all the time. Or they might develop a small neck lump or bump, which is similar to a “knot” in a tense muscle. Both of these conditions tend to go away as the torticollis improves.
Other signs of Torticollis include:
- tilt the head in one direction (this can be difficult to notice in very young infants)
- prefer looking at you over one shoulder instead of turning to follow you with his or her eyes
if breastfed, have difficulty breastfeeding on one side (or prefers one breast only) - work hard to turn toward you and get frustrated when unable turn his or her head completely
If you suspect that your baby may have torticollis it is a good idea to seek a consultation with a physical therapist that specializes in pediatrics, more specifically developmental pediatrics.
Brinda Rathod, PT, MSPT, CLT
Brinda graduated from Saint Joseph’s Univeristy in 2003 in Interdisciplinary Health Services. She then received her Master’s in Physical Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University in 2005. Since graduating, she has worked primarily with children and adults with developmental disabilities. She has pediatric experience in early intervention, outpatient, inpatient, and school settings. She became a certified lymphedema therapist in 2016 to help people manage their lymphedema with complete decongestive therapy including manual lymph drainage and multi-layer compression bandaging.