If Your Baby Has Torticollis, What Should You Do?

When a baby with torticollis has tight, contracted neck muscles, discomfort is common and can make the baby unsettled. Torticollis can develop in several ways during infancy.

Newborns may show torticollis related to position in the womb or after a difficult birth. Acquired torticollis can appear shortly after birth from preferred lying positions that shorten the SCM muscle, or from bruising related to delivery.

This guide explains practical next steps if your baby has torticollis—steps that can help reduce uneven face and skull growth and improve head and neck range of motion.

Torticollis Signs

One of the main signs is that your baby’s head tilts toward one side while the chin points toward the opposite shoulder. For example, the head may consistently tilt right while the chin faces the left shoulder.

You may also notice difficulty turning the head fully—especially to the opposite side—and limited neck range of motion.

Facial asymmetry may appear

Visually, one side of the face may look flatter from side-lying, and the face may show overall asymmetry.

You may also feel a soft lump in the affected neck muscle. This can be a small fibrous knot in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. While it can be a torticollis finding, it is not something to panic about and it does not mean cancer; such lumps often fade by around six months.

If your baby always holds the head to one side, seems uncomfortable in the neck, or looks tilted—and you wonder about torticollis—the first step is to ask your clinician. Other conditions can cause a preferred head position, so those should be ruled out first.

Can Positioning Techniques Help Treat Torticollis?

If you have medical advice and a torticollis diagnosis, several steps can support effective care.

Physiotherapy can help substantially because gentle stretching of the sternocleidomastoid muscle supports fuller neck motion. With early attention and careful management, many babies regain more even head posture and turning to both sides.

Similar to repositioning ideas used for babies with plagiocephaly, neck stretches can be woven into daily routines. For example:

During feeding, hold your baby so they must turn the chin toward the tighter side, encouraging gentle stretch through everyday feeds.

If your baby tends to sleep facing one way, rotate the crib 180° so they look the other direction to see the room.

Move toys from one side to the other during play so your baby turns the head both ways.

Done regularly, stretches like these often help over a period of weeks to months.

If your baby has both plagiocephaly and torticollis and is younger than about four or five months, repositioning may improve both. If there is no change within about a month, or the deformity worsens, further treatment for head shape may be needed.

For moderate to more advanced head flattening, a plagiocephaly (cranial) helmet may be used to gradually guide skull bones as the baby grows. Helmet therapy is a non-surgical option that many families find tolerable when indicated. The HKM Pro cranial helmet is fitted only at CranioWell Orthotics & Prosthetics Centers.

For more information about plagiocephaly helmet care—or what to do if your baby has torticollis and/or plagiocephaly—explore our website or call +90 312 283 26 91.