Is he born with it?

         Possibly, probably. The baby lives  in tight quarters before being born.  His neck is usually in one, cramped position for the last few months as he grows. This may be the start of a tight neck muscle.

         Since 1992, when the American Association of Pediatrics promoted “Back to Bed”, there has been a large increase in torticollis/plagiocephaly diagnoses⁽¹⁾. However, the incidence of SIDS dropped dramatically with babies sleeping on their backs.  With this positioning, the baby’s head lies in one position for up to 14 hours a day, in his position of comfort from in the womb.   

                             (Stellwagen,Vaux)

         The muscles on the side of his neck  tighten and when the baby is put back to bed the head goes in its shortened “position of comfort.”  The skull then begins to develop an asymmetrical shape.  It is easily remedied with parents simply making sure the head is rotated to a different side every time the baby is put to bed.

What does it look like?

       Here are descriptions of how torticollis/plagiocephaly may look in a baby. All are described on the tightened muscle, SCM, side.

• Head tilt to the side of the shortened SCM
• Flattening in the back of the head on the side of the tilt, the shortened SCM side
• Balding on the back of the head on the side of the tilt
• Vertical peak on the tight SCM side
• Shorter jaw on the tight side
• Flattening of the jaw on that side
• Forward ear position on the short SCM side
• Distance from corner of eye to ear is shorter on the tilt side
• Smaller eye on tight side
• Depression of the side of the neck under the ear
• Occasional asymmetries of the back, chest, flattened areas

    Here’s how it looks:

                                                         (Cranial Technologies, Inc)