Head tilt is a situation that results in a baby maintaining her head or neck in a twisted or any other case atypical function. She may additionally lean her head closer to one shoulder and, when lying down, continually turn the same thing towards the mattress i.e. to always turn the same side of her face. This may lead her head to get flattened on one facet and her face to appear choppy or uneven. This tilt may become permanent if left untreated resulting in permanent face deformity.
Most instances of head tilt are related to a situation known as torticollis, even though in some instances it may be because of different reasons including hearing loss, misalignment of the eyes, reflux (returning stomach acid into the oesophagus), a throat or lymph node contamination, or, extremely rare, a brain tumour.
Torticollis
This generally occurs in older children, around the age of 9-10. Such kinds of torticollis are the consequences of throat inflammation due to upper respiratory infection, an injury, a sore throat, or any other factor.
The swelling, for unknown reasons till now, makes the upper spine surrounding tissues lose, thus causing vertebral bones to get displaced. When this takes place, the neck muscle tissues move into spasm, causing the tilting of the head to one side.
This condition is very painful.
Congenital muscular torticollis
Till today, the single largest cause of head tilt amongst kids under five is congenital torticollis. This circumstance generally occurs because of positioning while the unborn was in the womb and seldom may also occur at some point of start (especially breech and tough first-time deliveries). Whatever the cause, this circumstance normally is detected within the first six to eight weeks after birth, when the paediatrician notices tightness in one of the muscle tissues of the neck.
About half the time there can be a small lump inside the muscle. The affected muscle is the sternocleidomastoid muscle, which connects the breastbone, head, and neck. Later the muscle contracts and causes the head to get tilted to one side.
Treatment
The way to treat head tilt differs as head tilt differs. It could be very critical to treat the problem early or it may cause permanent deformity. After examining the baby’s neck, the paediatrician may suggest X-rays of the part to identify the factor. X rays or ultrasound of hips can also be suggested as some kids diagnosed with this development can be developmental dysplasia of the hip.
If the medical doctor decides that the main problem is congenital muscular torticollis, you’ll study an exercise program to stretch the neck muscle mass. The physician will
display you the way to lightly pass your toddler’s head through the opposite tilt direction. You’ll need to do this numerous times daily. Head tilt can be cured using these simple tricks preventing you from surgery.
In some rare cases, where the tilt is not caused by Torticollis and X-rays are not showing any deformity, other treatments like stretching, massage and medication including surgery (extremely rare) are necessary.
For treating torticollis caused due to infections or injuries, you may be advised to apply heat, in addition to the use of massage and stretching to relieve head and neck pain. You may be referred to a consultant for proper analysis and remedy application.
