How to correct torticollis in children?

If parents find that their child's neck is crooked, they will definitely be very worried. Although they will not say it, they will definitely wonder if the child has congenital torticollis. In fact, the child's tilted neck may indeed be congenital torticollis, but it may also be caused by bad habits. At this time, what is most needed is to find out the cause. If it is a habit problem, it can be improved through education. If it is torticollis, there are also professional treatment measures.

First, the baby's torticollis scares the mother

When Ms. Guo's baby was one month old, the family suddenly discovered that something was wrong with the right side of the child's neck and they could feel a small hard lump with their hand. The child's head was always tilted towards the side with the lump, while his face was facing the normal side. When the symptoms first appeared, Ms. Guo didn't take it seriously, thinking it was no big deal.

But gradually the baby's right eye seemed to be smaller than the left eye, and his cheeks became asymmetrical. This scared Ms. Guo, so she quickly took the child to the hospital for examination. It turned out to be muscular torticollis. The doctor initially diagnosed the child with congenital muscular torticollis, commonly known as "crooked neck", and said that the earlier the torticollis is corrected, the better the treatment effect.

In fact, torticollis is not hereditary. The most likely cause of torticollis in children is congenital hypoplasia of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (the muscle from behind the ear to the clavicle), resulting in birth trauma during delivery; or it may be an abnormality of the fetus in the uterus, which limits the fetal movement and puts it under greater pressure, leading to contracture of the muscles from behind the ear to the clavicle on one side, which is asymmetrical with the normal muscle length and thickness on the other side, so the child's head will always tilt to one side.

Second, common treatment methods for torticollis

There are two common treatments for muscular torticollis: one is surgical treatment and the other is correction through massage. Torticollis is a congenital disease, and the earlier the intervention, the better the treatment effect.

1. Massage and correction. When the child is a few months old and the symptoms are still mild, many families will use massage to correct the condition. Some maternal and child hospitals have doctors who specialize in massage treatment. Generally, babies under three months old cannot straighten their necks, and their muscles have not become very hard and developed. During this period, giving the baby massage to correct the problem is most effective, and the baby will not resist violently.

2. Surgical treatment. If the crooked neck is not corrected after conservative treatment, or if the child starts treatment after the age of one, doctors will generally recommend surgical treatment. Only surgical treatment can correct the already fibrotic muscles. The best age for surgery for muscular torticollis is 1-5 years old. If the child undergoes surgery after the age of five, the facial deformity will be more difficult to recover.

Third, tips for correcting torticollis

In addition to intervention and treatment of the baby through the above two methods, daily correction is also very important. Parents can use the following three methods at home to help the baby correct the bad habit of crooked neck.

1. When the baby is sleeping, use a pillow to fix his head and neck in the correct position. Many mothers on the Internet have shared that it is very useful to prepare a heavy Xiaomi pillow for the baby. You can first turn the child's face to the side with the lump, and then use a pillow to block the side without the lump to temporarily correct the head to its normal position.

2. When breastfeeding or sleeping, let the baby lie on the affected side. The mother can also lie on the side where the child has the lump to attract the baby to turn his head and pay attention to help the baby correct the wrong posture;

3. Place attractive things such as lights and toys on the side of the child with the lump to attract the child to turn his head.