Babes in babies

It does not always happen that the baby is born completely healthy. Sometimes there are cases when there are serious problems that put the child's further development in jeopardy. One of such problems is torticollis in infants - a disease in which the position of the head is oblique, and the head itself is turned in the opposite direction. This disease does not pass independently, therefore, assistance and supervision of a specialist is obligatory. The most common form of this disease is congenital torticollis in the child, but there is also acquired, developing in the child later, the setting torticollis. Let us dwell on each of these forms in more detail.

Congenital torticollis in infants

There are two main reasons:

1. Because of hypertrophy of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, which is cicatrized and shortened afterwards.
2. Another cause of congenital torticollis in the baby is the wrong position of the fetus in the womb, resulting in defects in the cervical spine.
3. Intrauterine development of infectious myositis.

Acquired torticollis in infants

It is subdivided into several types: dermatogenic, desmogenic, compensatory, arthrogenic, hypoplastic, bone, neurogenic, spasmodic torticollis.

Accordingly, these species determine the causes of the appearance of the acquired torticollis:

Dermatogenic torticollis - is formed due to deep scars on the neck, caused, for example, by a burn or wound.

Desmogenic torticollis is caused by inflammatory diseases on the neck, for example inflammation of the lymph nodes.

Compensatory torticollis - possibly, it can appear in case of visual or hearing impairment.

Bone torticollis in infants-arises from the pathology of the cervical vertebrae

Neurogenic torticollis is caused by the defeat of the neuromuscular fibers of the neck.

Spastic torticollis - arising from muscle contraction (can occur in children with cerebral palsy).

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of torticollis is not always a simple task for a specialist. The fact is that in the first 10 days of life in infants, the disease is almost not expressed, signs of torticollis begin closer to 21 days of life, when the sternocleidomastoid muscle begins thickening. There is a swelling and parents, noticing this, should as soon as possible contact a specialist for early diagnosis of the disease. If the treatment has not started, then the development of torticollis goes on. The head of the child leans toward the affected muscle, and the face - on the contrary - turns in the opposite direction, and if the lesion is bilateral, then the spine deforms, then the kyphosis grows.

If the treatment of torticollis did not start at an early age, then later, during the period of intensive growth of the child, it will become even more noticeable: skull, face, and neck-collar division are asymmetric.

Diagnosis and treatment of torticollis can only be performed by an orthopedic surgeon, subsequently, in accordance with his prescriptions, the treatment can be performed by a manual therapist. Diagnosis can be carried out by visual examination, as well as by X-ray of the cervical region.

Concerning the treatment of this disease, several methods are used:

- exercise therapy with a physician-kinezoterapevtom;

- massage;

- hirudotherapy;

- Physiotherapy;

- reflexotherapy;

- pool (if it is spastic torticollis).

Parents should remember that neglected torticollis cause secondary deformations on the child's body, including scoliosis of the cervical and thoracic spine, asymmetry of the face. Therefore, do not engage in self-medication or rely on examples of those parents whose children have had their torticollis on their own during the first year of life. Only examination of the baby from a specialist is the only correct way to solve this problem.