〰In congenital cases of torticollis crooked neck disease, the ear on the side with torticollis approaches the collarbone on that side. On the opposite side, the chin looks sideways and upwards towards the other side. This is because the sternocleidomastoid (SKM) muscle in our neck is tight and shortened.
〰Although the case is congenital, it is usually noticed within 1 month.
〰Causes: 30-60% birth trauma, such as the wrong position of the baby in the uterus, various syndromes or spinal development disorders, inflammation of the neck muscle membrane.
〰There are 3 types of muscle-related muscular torticollis.
1. A swelling is felt in the muscle.
2. There is only brevity and tension.
3. Postural torticollis. Shortness of the muscle is not detected.
▪The frequency of occurrence is around 1 or 2 cases in 100 live births.
▪In cases where it is not treated or the disorder is overlooked, this curvature becomes permanent, or it is found during the development period. Over time, permanent and disturbing problems may arise in the baby, such as the failure of the slanted area to develop, incomplete development, and facial asymmetry. Therefore, not ignoring this discomfort and consulting a specialist without wasting time is an important situation for the child's future life.
▪For congenital torticollis, short-term stretching and stretching applied to the baby's neck muscles by a physiotherapist for 15 minutes a day, three days a week. Joint movements can solve the problem without progressing. In mild cases, a 15-day treatment may be sufficient.
▪If there is swelling and stiffness in the muscle after the treatment, it is expected that this will improve and the baby will gain a correct neck position. However, in some cases, the baby may continue to tend to bend his neck to the same side due to habit. Families also have a great responsibility here. It is necessary to feed the baby from the side where the muscle is long (opposite to the side where the neck is bent), and if he is watching TV, to gain a correct posture habit by laying him in a position that will allow him to look at the side where the muscle is long.
▪The other option is to lengthen the SCM muscle with surgery. It is recommended to receive physiotherapy after this procedure.
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