Torticollis (Tilted Head) in Infant, Possible Hip Dysplasia

My 4-month old daughter has hip dysplasia and is in week 7 of wearing the Pavlik harness full time. The orthopedist also checked for torticollis and my daughter had a very slight preference for turning her head to the right side. But the doctor wasn't too concerned and we try to keep up with strengthening her left side with at-home exercises. She seems to turn her head better now.

The good news with the hip dysplasia is that the harness has worked and her hip socket has almost completely formed (since her diagnosis was that it was shallow and needed to stay in the correct position so that it grows properly) There are different types of hip dysplasia and depending on your daughters case, I think most treatments involve a brace which has a high effectiveness rate (somewhere between 80-90% works if caught early) . I think 3 months is still a great window of opportunity for your daughter to develop properly with a harness and therapy. They are growing so rapidly at this stage. I think it's later on after 6 months or a year, from what I've researched where more steps are required to correct the hips.

While there are many inconveniences to wearing the brace full-time, like sponge baths only, not rolling over yet and other delays, mild discomfort you may need to watch for with the baby such as skin contact with the brace-- just remember that it is temporary and treatable. It usually is harder on me than it is my little one. But I am just powering through it and doing whats best for her now to avoid more serious problems in the future.

I can go on and on about specifics but if you have any questions or just need support getting through it from a momma who's been there- please message me.

Best of luck and try not to worry too much. I was there with you worrying away not so long ago and we're almost done with her treatment now. :)

Also- the way they check for hip dysplasia and how my daughters was caught was the dr. rotates the hip joint and feels for a slight click. That is the indicator that the joint is off. I had a hard time feeling for it myself but then they order an ultrasound to take a look at the hip in more detail to see what is going on. Overall, never really painful for her, maybe slight discomfort but it's more of a growth issue like a cast or braces. She still kicks and moves her legs just fine.

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Have you considered chiropractic care??? I know a lot of families that start having their children adjusted soon after birth. They are some of the healthiest kids I know.

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Hi: my son who is now almost 7 had this at age 4 months. We did both PT but I also took him to my chiropractor and I think that is the best thing we did for him. He started showing faster improvement when we did that. Both boys see the chiropractor for check ups and it helps alot with all the little shifts in their bodies. They can also check the hips as well. My guy is now a very healthy 6 yr old who runs everywhere. Good Luck and feel free to write back if you need more info on Chiropractor care. It has been great for my family!!!

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The ped will always check hips at regular appointments. They do it so
nonchalantly that you probably did not even notice. I would try to relax right
now and just give a call. Think you are jumping the gun right now.

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I understand your worries, however, you caught everything early!

my daughter had torticollis, we diagnosed it at 9 weeks old and started PT. She will be a year in 2 weeks. She now does PT in home once every 4 weeks to keep an eye on her (I am a worry wart of a parent! She also had reflux. At 5 months, PT decided that she needed a helmet for her tilt, it was the BEST thing we ever did for her. It was on for 7 weeks (the quickest 7 weeks of her life) and she has flourished since. We now have an in-home pediatric PT for her. Also the best thing we did was in-home, she uses our toys and my daughter is that much more comfortable with her and doesn't even realize she is "working".

I've meet a bunch of parents with children with torticollis, the back to sleep campaign isn't helping these kids! but there is so much out there to help, just make sure that you find a good PT, both you and your child must be comfortable, my daughter wasn't doing what she could at PT (she would come home and do so much more).

Good luck with everything!!

The web can be a dangerous thing. I can't tell you how many people worry about things they may have becuase they have read stuff on line. Torticollis can be treated with physcial therapy. As for hip dysplasia, I think all pediatricians check ALL children for this. I would call your doctor and discuss your concerns with him/her. Best of luck and don't believe you read everything online.

Try not to worry too much! My son had torticollis too, and it was very easily corrected with physical therapy. I think he only had to do like 6 weeks of it and some exercises at home. No one ever mentioned hip dysplasia to us either. I think doctors look for that at every check up. Have you noticed when she has had a check up they grab their legs and hips, mine have anyways. Try not to research anything on the interenet, it will drive you crazy! Call her doctor and say you want to have her checked, dont jump to conclusions. This is easily corrected. He is 2.5 years old now and perfect.

My daughter's ped thought she had hip dysplasia. She had to be monitored with ultrasound but she did not have it. They check the hips by rotating them at every visit and at hospital before you are discharged - it's standard. If they have dysplasia they can tell. My daughter's hip had a click. If there was a problem with her hips I am sure you would know by know. Torticollis is fairly common. I am sure she'll be fine!

A lot of people have these conditions, it's good news you're catching it early. Childrens bones and spines are more flexible and easier to retrain! Definitely go to the chiropractor too! My kids have been adjusted since birth and will be as long as they have a spine! It's like dentistry is to teeth. Keep what youve got in proper working order. Especially with conditions like these you want to make sure they don't stay or come back later when it's harder to fix.

According to my best friend who is in the physical therapy field torticollis is usually correctable with PT.

My daughter was sent for an X-ray for possible hip dysplasia but never needed treatment. She walked on the later side but at age 2 is walking and running normally.

A good friends daughter had this and wore a harness for 12 weeks. This was when she was very young. She was a little delayed in her development bc of this (it restricts movement quite a bit) but was caught up by 15 months. I would press your doctor to evaluate further. The sooner the better you get started if she needs further intervention. She(friends daughter) is now 4 years old and in perfect health.

Your doctor should be checking your daughter's hips at every appointment. Is it possible that he checked and you didn't notice/realize that's what he was doing? My doctor will hold my daughter's calves and move her legs around to check her hips.

Hip dysplasia is most common is first born girls. One way to tell is to count the number of folds/rolls in her thighs (between the hip and knee). In babies with hip dysplasia, one leg often has one less fold/roll than the other. Sometimes, it can be corrected by wearing a harness for a few months; in other cases, surgery may be required. The earlier it is caught, the better the chance that it can be fixed with just a harness. Also, you want to correct it as soon as possible so it doesn't delay gross motor skills too much.

My friend's daughter had hip dysplasia and wore a harness starting at about 5-6 months of age. I believe she wore it for about 4 months, taking it off only for a brief bath every day. She was a little late to walk - I think around 15-16 months, but is now a perfectly normal, healthy 4 year old. She never needed physical therapy of any kind.

Check her legs ASAP and call the doc for a follow up if needed. Good luck.