Head and Neck Issues in Infants
Have you noticed that your baby has a flat spot on the back of their head? Or maybe you have noticed they tend to turn their head one way more than the other? If so, read on to find out more about these common conditions and how physiotherapy can help.
Plagiocephaly is when there is a flat spot on the back of baby’s head causing it to look misshapen. It can happen from baby spending lots of time with their head in one position. It can make their face and ears look asymmetrical, with one side of face/one ear more forwards than the other. The good thing is that baby’s skulls are soft and mouldable – this is so that they can move through the birth canal and to allow for their brains to grow. This also means that plagiocephaly is usually treated quite easily and over time you will see the shape of your baby’s head even out. Physiotherapy is important in plagiocephaly to determine the contributing factors to the flat spot and to provide stretches, exercises and advice regarding positioning and play to improve the shape of baby’s head.
Another condition that we often see together with plagiocephaly is congenital muscular torticollis. Torticollis is the tightening of neck muscles that typically causes a head tilt and head turn preference that appears soon after birth or in the first few months of life. It is important to visit a Physiotherapist to determine the exact cause of the torticollis. There are many things we can do to help resolve torticollis. We can teach you ways to pick up and carry your baby and different play positions to improve your baby’s neck range of movement, strength, and head control. We can also prescribe stretches and exercises to loosen the tight neck muscles and strengthen the weaker neck muscles to optimise baby’s movement and head/neck posture. Torticollis usually resolves within a few months if the underlying causes are identified and managed well.
So, what can you expect when you bring your baby to physiotherapy? We will first gain a thorough history including your concerns as well as pregnancy, birth, and developmental history. A thorough assessment will be performed to determine the exact cause of your baby’s flat spot or neck tightness which we will then use to provide evidence based advice and treatment. As well as addressing your concerns about your baby, our focus is also on enriching the connection between you and your baby and creating an engaging, fun therapy program for both their time in the clinic and at home.
It can be worrisome when changes occur in your baby, particularly when you notice physical changes to your baby’s head and face, but we are here to help. Both of these conditions are very common and can usually be managed and treated easily especially when caught early, so book in today with our Physiotherapist Lauren Jones to put your mind at ease and get your baby moving freely!
