Baby Helmets and Torticollis

Photo Credit: Michelle Lyn Photography

Two months after my first baby was born, she was diagnosed with torticollis.

I know, I know… tort-a-whaaat?!

Well, chances are if you are a mom with young children, you probably know another mom whose kid has it or has had it and you might not even have known about it. It’s a lot more common than you’d think.

So, what is it? Torticollis is the shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle on one side of a child’s neck. Ok, ok.. still confused? Let me put it in basic terms. It’s when a baby has a tight muscle on one side of their neck, and as a result they favor turning their head to that side.

Sometimes babies are born with it and sometimes it develops after birth. In my daughter’s case, she was born with it. She was head-down in my tummy in the same position for so long towards the end of my pregnancy, that the muscle on the side she was turned towards actually developed slightly shorter than the other side, and as a result, she had a hard time holding her head straight, let alone turning it the opposite direction. Other times, babies develop it after birth. With the current recommendations to put babies to sleep on their backs, it is much more common for babies to develop flat spots on the backs of their heads, and if the flat spot (plagiocephaly) is off to one side, then it is more comfortable for them to continue turning towards the flat spot, and slowly that side of their neck tightens from never turning the other way.

It’s kind of one of those “chicken or the egg” situations. Sometimes they have tort and as a result get a flat spot, and sometimes they have a flat spot and as a result they get tort.

OR, sometimes they have torticollis and no flat spot at all, and sometimes that have a flat spot and no torticollis.

Either way, if you’re facing any of these scenarios, IT’S OK.

You didn’t do anything wrong! You’re child WILL be ok, and you CAN fix this.

Now, before I go on, let me just say that I am not an official expert. I have no medical background. I am just a mom whose baby had a very severe case of tort and who tried every possible treatment option for 14+ months until we finally got her torticollis resolved. And through the process, I learned a lot, so I wanted to share with other moms who might be going down a similar journey.

My daughter was diagnosed at 2 months by our pediatrician (her case was pretty extreme/obvious as you can see in her newborn picture above. She literally never straightened out her head). So first and foremost, if you have questions or concerns, just bring them up the next time you go into the doctor’s office. They should be able to check your child out and give you recommendations for next steps.

From there, my daughter started physical therapy, which was recommended by our pediatrician and extremely helpful. We took her about once a week, and our therapist gave us exercises and stretches to do at home to help encourage her to turn her head the opposite direction and loosen her tight muscle. More often than not, physical therapy alone will resolve torticollis. However, as I mentioned, my daughter’s case was pretty severe, so we also brought her to the chiropractor, used kinesio tape, the tot collar, and eventually ended up doing surgery to release her muscle when she was a little over a year old (this is VERY rare, and most cases resolve on their own without this).

My daughter did have a flat spot on one side of her head as well, but she never actually wore a helmet because we caught her tort so early on that the flat spot never got severe enough to need one. However, oftentimes, kids with torticollis are the ones you see wearing them. If this is the case for you, do NOT feel bad. Many cases are actually resolved with a helmet, because once the flat spot is gone, your child will feel more comfortable turning their head in both directions. And sometimes, your kid just develops a flat spot from laying on their back, and doesn’t have torticollis at all.

Either way, I know you’re probably freaking out at the thought of a helmet. Or thinking you’re somehow a bad mom. Or worried about what people will think. But, DON’T. You did the RIGHT thing by keeping your baby on their back, and wearing the helmet means you’re an even BETTER mom for caring enough to make sure your child has the brightest possible future!

I could go on and on about torticollis after the long journey we went through, but instead, I’ll leave you with this… If this is a journey you are just beginning yourself, just know that you are not alone, other moms have gone before you, and your child will be perfectly fine.

I am proof. My daughter is now 2 and 1/2 and you would never, ever know that she at one point couldn’t hold her head straight or that she had a flat spot on one side of her head.

So, whether your considering a helmet, physical therapy, or any other treatment options, just remember, one day you’ll look back and hardly remember this ever happened. But you’ll also never regret doing everything you could for your baby! You got this, mama!

(For more info, you can read all about the specifics of my daughter’s journey here and here, check out one of these Facebook support groups: Torticollis & Plagiocephaly Support or Torticollis Parent Support, or comment below with any questions or if you just need a little moral support).