Tortilollis & Plagiocephaley

There is a lot to know about torticolis and plagiocephaley that can help a new Mom. I am a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who deals with Moms with Newborns. Please contact me @ ____@____.com and we can talk about your sweet newborn.
S. Preston

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H.,
This is an article that talks about it. Basically, your doctor is indicating that since you place your baby on his/her back to sleep, the head is being distorted. This usually means the doctor wants to make sure you alternate the way the baby lays his/her head down each night. Also, they recommend more tummy time during the day. When my baby was 2 months old, they made mention of this and said that at that stage, I should just "watch it" by alternating the way I laid her down each nap time. But, if you don't "watch it" and the head continues to distort, you could end up having to put the baby in a helmut to control the shape of the head.

At this point, I would call your pediatrician back and get clear instructions as to how YOU are to proceed. Make sure you understand the instructions. I would think that they would just want you to alternate the head position when you lay the baby down to sleep (every time - not just at night). So,if someone else is watching her/him during the day, you need to convey the pediatrician's directions to your caregiver as well.

Good luck!
L.

hi H.-
My son also had torticollis and plagiocephaly. and just to clarify, torticolis or plagiocephaly is NOT from your baby laying on his back (that is brachycephaly). Torticollis is, in brief laymans terms, tightening of the neck muscles causing your son to turn his head to one side. Plagiocephaly is the shape of the head that results from the child always turning to one side. The head shape is more of a parallelogram. My son was flat on the back left of his head and the front right of his head.

Reposition your baby to the opposite side to help with the torticolis and the head shape. Absolutely go talk to your pediatritian and ask him/her to explain this more. If necessary, Physical Therapy can be a HUGE help for the torticolis. My son was in PT for 3-4 months. His torticolis is gone. His head shape did not improve from the repositioning and PT, and he did need a helmet. However, THIS IS NOT A BIG DEAL!!! ;-) really, i stressed about this very much for my little guy, and he is more than fine.

i am happy to answer any other questions you may have. best of luck to you!

They're correctable.

The first word is torticollis, and it means that your baby leans his head to one side because of unequal neck muscle development, or something in the muscle that's causing it to be uneven. The first treatment is usually PT (see Early Childhood Intervention) for stretching and Range of Motion exercises for his neck. He may need surgery eventually, but they start with PT.

Plagiocephaly is just a big word for a funny shaped head (like babies with flat spots on the back from Back to Sleep and carseats). The two kind of go together, when the neck is treated, the head fixes itself.

I H. this helps you feel better. :)

S.

I know it sounds scary, but in the grand scheme it isn't a big deal, especially since it was caught early. My son had it too. There are some great support groups on Yahoo Groups that can supply you with all sorts of valuable advice and support. Basically you need to do some neck stretching exercises, which your pedi should have told you about; and be sure your baby is alternating which side he or she sleeps on. You can buy some great sleep positioners to help with that. Do plenty of tummy time too. If it doesn't get better in a few months, you'll probably be asked to get an evaluation for a "helmet" or "band," again not a big deal. We had one - other than the cost it wasn't bad at all. My son barely noticed he had it on. If you have any specific questions or just need to talk to someone who has been through it feel free to message me and I'll send my phone number and email. Good luck.

I everyone - I just found this group, and am pretty excited! I am 30 and HAVE unresolved Torticollis. Had surgery at 13 years, and still have several complications and questions I can't seem to find answers to... So much so that I have been working on a website called www.mytortsupport.com I'd love the groups input on adding more content, participating in the discussion groups, and any comments or suggestions you have -- thanks, and you need to know that the work you are doing to resolve your babies, is THE most important thing you can do...to help them grow up "normal" - D.

My Tort Support
Source: www.mytortsupport.com
My Tort Support is a resource and support network for parents and caregivers of infants and children with congenital muscular torticollis, ocular tort, and other forms of torticollis, CMT