If you have become a new parent, then you must be worried about all the measures and precautions you have to take to keep your child safe from any potential health disorders. Well, it’s best to take safety measures, but in some cases, the conditions are already there since birth. For instance, if you notice that your infant favors a specific side of the head and, despite all the efforts, does not switch direction, there is a concerning situation.
Although it is common amongst infants to prefer a specific side, taking measures on time is the key to avoiding conditions like torticollis and plagiocephaly. But if you are already late to this and your child has already experienced the medical condition, then you must be wondering about torticollis treatment baby. If yes, read it to get proper insights into it all.
Understanding plagiocephaly
Plagiocephaly is a condition that results in abnormal head shape or flattening of one side of the skull. Now, that can happen during pregnancy, especially with multiple babies in the uterus. Because there is less room for everyone in the uterus to accommodate, such type of conditions is pretty standard.
What causes plagiocephaly?
When talking about the cause of the condition then, an increase in plagiocephaly is often associated with having newborns sleep on their backs. When an infant’s skull or head is fixed for extended periods, the pliable or soft bones in their skull flatten out. Now, if the child is born with a flat spot, they tend to gravitate to that spot while sleeping because they don’t have proper control of their neck muscles.
Understanding torticollis
Knowing about torticollis and its causes is essential so that you can take proper measures right on time. Torticollis occurs when shortening, or tightening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in an infant’s neck causes the head to tip and turn in a specific direction. Usually, the head tilts in one direction but rotates on the opposite side. It usually happen in children born with difficult delivery specially breech delivery in which slight injury to muscle on inner side of neck can cause muscle injury which in long term cause torticollis. Other cause of torticollis is spinal anomaly in neck.
Although the condition might seem extremely severe or dangerous, with proper torticollis treatment, baby things will improve, and your child will recover quickly. So, make sure that you consult the best pediatric orthopedic doctor in India at the right time.
How can torticollis and plagiocephaly be treated?
Remember that both conditions can be resolved or improved with Physical Therapy for Torticollis Treatment and repositioning the infant to keep them off the flattened portion of their head. Here are specific recommendations to help you keep your infant in the correct position throughout the day. But if it is happen because of injury and spine abnormality then might need detail evaluation by paediatric orthopaedic surgeon.
During sleep
- Make sure you always place your infant on their back. It’s better to place their head at different crib ends on the alternative nights.
- In case your infant sucks their thumb to self-soothe, then you should help them use their non-preferred hand for the same.
- Once your infant falls asleep, you can reposition their head to face their non-preferred side.
During play
- Make sure you give your child a lot of tummy time, which will help them keep off the flattened position of their head. It would help if you aimed for multiple times a day. This way, your baby’s strength will improve with repetition. Start with one minute and then increase it gradually by 15 seconds with each attempt. By 3 months, your baby should be able to tolerate 15 minutes on their belly
- Encourage your baby to sit. A baby can learn to sit with support by the time he turns 5 months and must be independent by 6 months.
- Reduce their time in swings, bouncy chairs, or other carriers.
During travel
- In the car seat, place towels or blankets to prevent the tipping and turning of the head. Most of the infants turn to look out of the window. So, ensure that they are turning to their non-preferred side.
- You can even consider the use of a front carrier. This will allow for closeness without pressure on the head.
At home
- While changing your baby’s diaper, encourage him to look at their non-preferred side.
- Make sure to alternate head positions while nursing to ensure equal use of neck rotation.
- While using a bottle to feed, help your infant to turn their head to the non-preferred side.
- While rocking or soothing your infant, place their head on the shoulder in the non-preferred direction. Also, it would help if you put your hand gently over your head to maintain this position. This will allow for stretching the tight muscles.
Suppose you feel the repositioning and these interventions don’t work. In that case, you need to consult paediatric orthopaedic surgeon for detail assessment and investigation. Torticollis treatment options for babies are comprehensive and can help ensure better relief. However, trusting the right professional and getting timely support is crucial. This way, you can provide your child with the best assistance possible and guarantee that he will avoid any severe medical conditions in the future.
Conclusion
Getting the proper assistance on time for torticollis treatment babies can make a huge difference. If you feel your baby has started experiencing a flattened head or any such concern, it’s time to schedule an appointment with a therapist for proper assistance. You can always rely on certified professionals of Trishla Ortho for the best quality treatment.
They can customize the treatment and even advise you on some tips and tricks that will help you correct the positioning of the head of the baby and guarantee recovery is faster and better. The treatment will be much smoother with them, and the issue will go away like it never happened.
