My daughter Julia shows a strong preference to lean her head to the left. When she's doing tummy time, she will even lift her head with it completely to the left so that the sides of her head are parallel to the floor. I don't think it's congenital torticollis because she will let us turn it to the right (when she's not pissed off!), and we do sometimes catch her turning to the right on her own and staying that way for awhile, particularly when she's sleeping. So I'm thinking she'll outgrow it and it's due to her positioning in the womb (her identical twin was on her left, and they were always resting their heads together).

But in the meantime, did anybody else's child have this issue, and did you have any exercises you did? We block her from turning left when she's in the car seat or swing with blankets, and turn her head to the right when she's asleep. But any stretching exercises? The ones I keep finding on the internet are more for adults who woke up with a crick in their neck.

Amy


Julia, ^Caitlin^ (stillborn due to encephalocele complications) & Gabrielle
February 17, 2009 @ 30.2 weeks

One of my trio had mild torticollis from womb position and they recommended gently turning her head each way, moving her head to the unfavored side while sleeping, positioning her so that the attractions (mobile or toys) make her look to the unfavored side and finally, when she was older and could sit up...sit her at a bit of an angle (immagine sitting on a slide...perpendicular to the slope...and trying to keep your head level) to strengthen the muscle on the "long" side...the side she leaned away from.

She grew out of it just after 9m, when she started to scoot around in her walker more and began to pull up.

Yours sounds like it is mild too and will resolve as easily as ours did.

Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




http://www.thedivinemercy.org/message

  

I don't know of any exercises, but we were told to feed one of our girls so that she turned the opposite direction. 6 to 8 feeds each day for 30 minutes offers a great amount of stretching.

Crystal
Makenna Elizabeth, Olivia Lyn, and Lauren Avery
http://familycernanec.blogspot.com/

I can't really help, just wanted to let you know I am going through the same thing right. In 2 weeks we go back to the ped to see if there are any improvement and if not we will start EI.

Sophie's is due to womb positioning as well, but it has produced a flat spot.

I use the bumbo a lot and a dancing, singing toy.

Christina

Sophia June
Emma Grace
Annabelle Kate

1/29/09



http://threelittleseminoles.blogspot.com

Yeah, she kind of has a flat slopey head on the left side. We work on that when we hold her, since she turns left then she's go no pressure on the left side. We compromise!

Amy
Julia, ^Caitlin^ (stillborn due to encephalocele complications) & Gabrielle
February 17, 2009 @ 30.2 weeks

My son favored his right side and his left muscles in his neck became pretty hardened. He has STILL a flat slopey head on the right and had to go to physio and do home exercises...which are tougher on the parent then him!

Besides all the other things mentioned above, like holding her so she HAS to turn her head the weak way...a few times a day I would lay him on his back, hold down his right shoulder and turn his face (with my hand) as far as I could and hold it for a few seconds...each time trying to make it a bit further (but not hurting him)

I will warn you they will scream bloody murder but it works...if he was really cranky I would use my own face to turn his by kissing his cheek and making him laugh but pushing with my lips to keep his head turned. I think I had to do it upwards of 6 times a day for only a few minutes at a time...but it worked really well and after a month or two he regained full range of motion.

Also, place both hands firmly on either side or her head and make her look left then right, up and down and roll it around a few times will help loosen it. And placing her on tummy time with her head facing the weak way...like in your pic above...and have all the fun toys on that side, or you lay with her so she can spend time looking at you on the weak side...make faces or sing to keep her attention.

There was a few more we tried...but I will have to find my physio papers to remember them...if you do the ones I said...be very careful...they do have quite a range of motion usually...but don't force her face with jerky motions or too far too fast.

http://lilypie.com/"><img src="
Nicholas, Delaney, Alannah
Oct 14, 2007 (29 weekers)

Thanks. Sometimes she is lose and will move easily. That's when I try to turn her. When she's stiff is when she's angry, so I never want to make her angrier, plus I feel like I am going to break her neck!
I'm sure it didn't help matters that in the NICU she was always on her sister's right side when they were co-bedded, so was always looking that way.

Amy

Julia, ^Caitlin^ (stillborn due to encephalocele complications) & Gabrielle
February 17, 2009 @ 30.2 weeks