Babies with torticollis (tor-ti-KOLL-iss) keep their head tilted to one side and their chin tilted to the other side. They usually get better within about 6 months with treatments that can be done at home. Use these instructions to care for your baby.

• Six times a day, do the stretches that your health care provider or physical therapist showed you.
  • Doing the stretches at every diaper change is a good way to make sure you do them often enough.
  • Be gentle.
  • Stop the stretches if your baby seems uncomfortable or gets upset. Try again later when your baby is more relaxed.
• To help your baby stretch the neck muscles:
  • At least three times a day while your baby is awake, give your baby 10 to 15 minutes of "tummy time." Lay your baby on their stomach, with their head turned away from you. Your baby will lift the head to look for you, which strengthens and stretches the neck. Do not leave your baby alone during "tummy time." Do not let your baby sleep on their stomach.
  • When feeding your baby, offer the bottle or breast so your baby has to turn the chin away from the side they prefer. For example, if your baby's chin usually turns to the left, hold your baby in your left arm so your baby turns their chin to the right to feed.
  • Place toys so your baby has to turn the chin away from the side they prefer. For example, if your baby's chin usually turns to the right, put the toys on your baby's left side so your baby looks to the left.
  • At naptime, bedtime, and diaper changes, put your baby down on their back with their chin facing the wall. Your baby will want to look at the room or your face, so will likely turn away from the wall.
• To lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS or "crib death"), always put your baby to sleep on their back. Do not put a pillow, sleep positioner, blanket, bumpers, or anything else in the crib with your baby.
• Limit the time your baby spends in a baby carrier or car seat. Carriers and seats do not let your baby move the neck freely. But always use a car seat when your baby is in the car.
• Make an appointment with a physical therapist, if recommended by your health care provider.

• You do the exercises, but your baby isn't getting better within a few months or the torticollis gets worse.
• You have trouble doing the exercises with your baby. 

What causes torticollis? What causes a baby's torticollis isn't always known. Babies who have "congenital" torticollis were born with it or it was noticed in the first few weeks of life. Congenital torticollis can happen if their neck muscles get pulled or cramped in the womb during pregnancy or birth. The muscles get tight, making it hard for babies to move their head and neck normally.

What other problems can happen? Babies with torticollis may have a small lump or bump on the neck where the muscles are tight. They also might have a flat area on their head from lying on one side of it so often. Some babies with torticollis also have developmental dysplasia of the hip, another condition caused by an unusual position in the womb or a tough childbirth. Your health care provider may want to check your baby's hips with an ultrasound.

What if my baby's torticollis doesn't get better? Most babies get better from torticollis with exercises, but it usually takes months. Rarely, if a baby doesn't get better, doctors can do surgery.