Question

My baby is now 54 days old, and I noticed a lump on the left side of his neck about half a month ago. It was diagnosed as torticollis. How should I massage it? Where should I go for treatment, and how many times a week should the massage be done?

Answer

The incidence of congenital torticollis is not very low; our clinic usually sees about 10 such children every week. Generally, if you notice a hard nodule on one side of the neck within about 10 days, the child’s head will always tilt to one side. Hospital ultrasound exams show regional thickening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle on one side, usually between 8 to 20 millimeters. A general orthopedic doctor tells parents to massage their child at home. If the condition does not improve, surgery may be performed after one year.