Written by: Mikella Gauthier, Physiotherapy Resident, MHSc PT, BSc Kin

Torticollis has become more and more of a conversation topic in the Pediatric world.

Let’s look at history for a moment. Back in 1994, the Back to Sleep Campaign (now the Safe to Sleep Campaign) began as a recommendation for babies to sleep on their backs to decrease the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). With the decrease of SIDS also came an increase in torticollis.

 Why is that?

With babies now recommended to sleep on their backs, the neck is often being neglected. With parental and baby preference, babies will tend to place their heads in a certain rotation or tilt and can develop or progress torticollis and plagiocephaly (flat head).

An association has also been made with increase torticollis in kids who have a tongue or lip tie and show difficulty with bottle or breastfeeding.

When a baby spends time on their stomach they are stretching neck muscles that may have been shortened in utero. Babies are curious little ones! When on their stomachs, babies will increase their neck strength by looking around. This means that tummy time can help to prevent and treat torticollis.

What does this look like?

The sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) is the responsible muscle for this condition. This muscle is located in front of the neck and attaches from behind the ear to the clavicle. The muscles action is side tilting the head and turning the head to the opposite direction. When a baby presents with torticollis, they may present with a side tilt, a decreased ability to look to one side, or a combination of both.

Early intervention can help to decrease unwanted secondary effects, improve feeding and ensure proper motor milestones are reached.