Torticollis in newborns: signs of appearance, treatment methods

What does it look like

The baby can move and lead a normal life, except for those moments when he needs to turn around. To notice signs of torticollis in newborns, you need to carefully observe the baby. The main symptoms of torticollis in newborns:

the baby turns his head only in one direction, turning in the opposite direction is difficult;
one shoulder is higher than the other (ideally, the child’s body should resemble the letter “T”);
the child throws his head back;
It is difficult for a baby to hold his head straight;
on the side where the baby turns his head more often, the neck becomes hard to the touch.

If the disease is advanced, then you can observe pronounced external manifestations:

a depression may appear between the neck and shoulder;
the back of the head is oblique on one side;
The baby's face may become asymmetrical.

If you suspect torticollis, you should immediately consult a doctor!

Clinical picture in a newborn: symptoms

Not only specialists, but also parents who are attentive to the health of their child can suspect a curvature of the baby’s neck. Torticollis is expressed in the fact that the baby constantly looks or turns its neck in one direction. If such signs persist for several days, the child should be taken to the pediatrician.

Clinical signs of pathology:

A newborn turns his head only in one direction; it is constantly tilted. Trying to turn the neck in the opposite direction is difficult and causes discomfort for the little one.
The head tilts back and to the side a little. The baby twists his mouth.
Acute torticollis is accompanied by a strong tilt of the head. Children often experience pain.
The shoulders also have an asymmetrical arrangement, one of them higher than the other.
The back of the head, as a rule, has an uneven shape (crooked skull).
Neurological abnormalities (strabismus, numbness of the limbs, etc.) are often observed.

Having discovered such disorders in a newborn, you cannot postpone a visit to the hospital. Early diagnosis and treatment of torticollis helps to quickly cope with the disease without any consequences for the health of the little patient.

Read about the development of children from birth to one year in our article. Only useful information for you.

Causes of torticollis in newborns

The causes of the disease are largely due to the characteristics of pregnancy and childbirth:

incorrect position of the fetus in the uterus, in which constant pressure was placed on the neck;
fetal hypoxia and umbilical cord entanglement;
breech presentation of the fetus;
intrauterine infections;
complications during childbirth, use of vacuum forceps, caesarean section.

In addition, the causes of torticollis are directly related to its nature.

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Types of torticollis of newborns

There are two main types - congenital and acquired, and only acquired.

Congenital and acquired:

arthrogenic and osteogenic torticollis can be congenital and occurs when the vertebrae are fused or their irregular shape; it can also become acquired as a consequence of diseases or injuries (dislocations, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis);
muscular torticollis is provoked by muscle defects and can be either congenital (short sternocleidomastoid muscle) or acquired (as a consequence of diseases and injuries associated with overstrain of the neck muscles);
neurogenic torticollis occurs as a congenital one - with intrauterine infections and fetal hypoxia, as acquired, it can accompany diseases such as cerebral palsy, tumors, poliomyelitis, etc.;
Dermo-desmogenic torticollis in its congenital form is characterized by the presence of wing-shaped folds in the neck and deformation of the neck joints; the acquired form is provoked by inflammation of the lymph nodes or by chemical or thermal burns.

Only purchased:

compensatory torticollis occurs when vision and hearing deteriorate;
reflex torticollis can appear due to spasm of the neck muscles during inflammation near the neck, including the parotid glands;
installation torticollis is caused by improper organization of sleep, the child is always put to sleep on one side, and is attached only to one breast and on one side;
false torticollis is diagnosed with increased muscle tone in the neck and is not a disease as such.

In addition, there is also secondary torticollis, which can occur as a complication of various diseases.

Torticollis: symptoms and signs of the disease in children

How can parents understand that a child has torticollis and not miss the moment to start treatment on time? Disease

in the initial stage, it can be determined visually by comparing some characteristics of the child’s physical and psycho-emotional state. With age, torticollis progresses, its signs become more pronounced and more diverse. If you arrange the symptoms and signs of pathology in chronological order, you get the following picture:

1-2 months In a supine position, the baby's head is tilted towards the shoulder, and the face is turned in the opposite direction. Attempts to correct the position of the baby's head cause tears. Inspection and palpation of the neck muscles reveals a thickening in the form of a pea or spindle. The skin over the thickening is not changed, there are no signs of inflammation. The body is curved towards the tilt of the head. On this side, the handle can be clenched into a fist and the leg bent. Having laid the baby on his tummy, it is easy to notice tense, convex muscles of the back on one side, and there is an asymmetry in the location of the folds of the body - the gluteal, lower extremities. One of the legs may be shortened due to pelvic displacement. Since lying down is uncomfortable for him, sleep is disturbed, the baby often cries and is restless. Sucks sluggishly, gets tired quickly.
3-5 months Psychomotor development is slow - the child reacts poorly to sounds and tactile stimuli. The eruption of baby teeth lags behind, and the spine takes on a C-shape. Deformation of the skull is possible - the affected side becomes flattened, the hairs on it are sparse or “roll out” completely.
6-7 months When moving, he does not step on his foot completely - he walks on his toes. Moody, excitable, painful. He often suffers from colds and is prone to allergic reactions. The asymmetry of the face increases; due to the abnormal position of the head and trophic disorders, strabismus may appear. Grows and develops worse than a healthy child.
9-11 months The child does not stand well - there is a distortion of the body, and refuses to take steps independently. There are disturbances in grasping movements and orientation in space. Pronounces words indistinctly or refuses to speak - delayed psycho-speech development. There is pronounced distortion of the brow ridges, eyes, and corners of the mouth. Possible muscle atrophy on the affected side of the face, occipital muscles, and flattening of the arch.

With age, S-shaped scoliosis is detected in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine

, the child gets tired quickly, does not assimilate educational material well, verbal memory especially suffers, and attention is unfocused. There may be difficulty in nasal breathing and malocclusion.

Diagnosis of torticollis

If you suspect the development of torticollis, the doctor will prescribe a comprehensive examination, which will take place depending on the type of disease:

Questioning - the doctor must ask a series of questions to get a complete picture of the disease: were there any injuries, infectious diseases, operations, when and what symptoms were noticed, what medications were given.
Physical examination - palpation and visual assessment of the neck and head allows you to determine the degree of disease and pain, checking the hip joints.
Radiography helps determine the type of pathology.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computed tomography) are also prescribed to clarify the diagnosis.
Electroneurography – performed for neurogenic torticollis.

Treatment of torticollis in newborns

In most cases, timely treatment of torticollis in newborns will help to get rid of it completely, and in complex cases, to avoid complications. It is important not to start it and consult a doctor in time. There are two main methods of treatment – conservative and surgical.

Conservative method:

Massage of the chest and neck-shoulder girdle. Warming massage movements relieve pain and tension in the muscles. The procedures must be performed every day, without skipping, with the exception of contraindications for the baby’s health (for example, a cold). Massage should be performed only by a specialist; amateur massage at home can harm the baby. It should be remembered that for congenital types of torticollis, massage will not help; more serious treatment will be required.
Gymnastics - you can do it at home, but it is better to do it under the supervision of a specialist, at least for the first time. It is carried out for 10-15 minutes 3-4 times a day. In any case, you should start classes only after consulting with a specialist.
Orthopedic collar, or Chance collar. It is used to stretch the neck muscle. The collar is a dense ring covered with soft filling, which is fixed on the child’s neck. Thanks to this device, the load on the vertebrae is reduced, blood flow to the brain is improved, and damaged vertebrae are restored to the correct position.
Physiotherapy – this may be prescribed after the child is 2 months old. During the procedures, potassium iodide is used to dissolve compactions in the muscles. UHF sessions are also indicated for this disease. They are carried out no more than once every 3-4 months.
Head fixation (or head positioning according to A. A. Kozlovsky) is carried out in children under 6 months using special sandbags that are placed on the child’s head, fixing it in a certain position. It is carried out by specialists in a medical office.

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Surgery:

If conservative treatment methods do not produce results within a year or two, surgery is performed. There are two types of operations:

Myotomy – cutting of muscles. It is performed under general anesthesia; after the operation, the neck is fixed with a bandage.
Plastic muscle lengthening is performed only after 4 years. Done to restore muscle symmetry.

At home you can also help treat torticollis.:

Attention! Before any manipulation, be sure to consult a doctor, since some types of disease can easily harm your child:

Organization of sleep - the child is placed in a crib on a hard mattress and without a pillow, while ensuring that the child’s head is turned towards the sore muscle.
Swimming with a circle - purchase a special circle for swimming infants, which is fixed around the neck, and wear it when bathing in the bathroom. Swimming has a beneficial effect on muscle development and stress relief.
Massage – mom can use soft massage movements to warm up the muscles, thereby relieving tension. The main thing is to do everything very gently and carefully every day.
Positioning when feeding - be sure to change the sides on which the baby lies when feeding.
Stimulation of head turns - place something interesting for the baby on the side of the sore muscle so that he has an incentive to turn his head in the other direction.
Laying on the stomach - the more often the baby lies on the tummy, the lower the risk of developing asymmetry of the head and face.

How to choose a pillow for a baby with torticollis?

For torticollis, it is prohibited to use ordinary feather or synthetic pillows, as this can lead to a worsening of the child’s condition.

It is recommended to purchase special orthopedic pillows. Moreover, such a pillow should have a special crescent-shaped hole through which the child’s head can be inserted.

The pillow is corrective and does not allow the newborn to sleep in one position on the affected side.