repost from pregnancy board..

Today someone asked me if my son's head always is tilted to one side. My son is two months old and his head does normally tilt to the right. Is this normal. She said that it wasn't and if it presisits i should go to the doctor... can anyone please tell me if this is true. Thanks

Re: repost from pregnancy board..

No, it is not normal, however, it is common. It can result in the muscles on one side of the head being shorter than the other, however, he's only two months old, and you need to start giving him a lot of tummy time NOW. My SIL did not heed the ped.'s advice on this, and now she has a 4 month old baby who cannot hold his head up. The worst case scenario is they must receive early intervention services. I put special headrests in Ava's carseat so that she doesn't favor either side. I would ask your ped. for some activities you can do to help with your son's neck. The medical term is tortacolis (sp.)

Re: repost from pregnancy board..

My DD (and all children) favor one side. Its totally normal. however, if he is unable to use the other side, like to turn when he sees or hears something, I may a bit concerned. Your son is young though and may not have head control yet. but if he can control his head in only 1 direction, then you may want to have it checked out.

Jordana sleeps on one side and the doctor told me to turn her head to the other side, for symetrical purposes only.

Re: repost from pregnancy board..

What is torticollis?

Torticollis (wry neck) is a congenital or acquired condition of limited neck motion in which the child will hold the head to one side with the chin pointing to the opposite side. It is the result of the shortening of the sternocleidomastoid (neck) muscle. In early infancy, a firm, non-tender mass may be felt in the midportion of the muscle. The mass will go away and be replaced with fibrous tissue. If untreated, there can be permanent limitation of neck movement. There may be flattening of the head and face on the affected side.

How is torticollis treated?

Treatment consists of gentle stretching exercises (see below). The face is turned away from the affected muscle while the head is tilted in the opposite direction with the neck extended. This position is held for a count of 5 and repeated 10 times twice daily. The baby can be placed in the crib or playpen in a way that encourages turning the head away from the deformity in order to observe activities and interesting or favorite toys. When placed in a car seat, padding may be placed on the affected side forcing the head to turn in the opposite direction. Long term follow up is important to assess for abnormal head shape. Follow up may be necessary in six months with pediatric surgery to assess for the necessity for head molding. Please do not hesitate to call the office if you have any questions.

Re: repost from pregnancy board..

He needs to go to a physical therapist. Do a search on torticollis on the site. A few moms had the same issue with their children.