Question
Why does my baby’s neck always turn to the left?
Answer
Based on your description, your child may have torticollis. Torticollis is usually caused by fibrosis of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, which leads to neck deviation. It is important to treat it before facial development and growth. For infants under six months old, non-surgical treatment usually achieves good results, including regional cold compress, massage, sleep position fixation, and manual traction. The specific method of manual traction is: place the child flat on the mother’s lap, tilt the child’s head back, use the mother’s right hand to gently press on the child’s chest, and use the left hand to firmly hold the child’s head, turning the child’s face as much as possible towards the affected side, with the occipital bone turning towards the healthy side shoulder peak. The technique should be gentle to achieve maximum muscle stretching. When the child is lying down, adopt a supine position and use a small sandbag to fix the head towards the affected side, with the occipital bone towards the healthy side. If there is no improvement after strict treatment for six months, surgical treatment can be considered. I hope my explanation is helpful.