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Original poster

8 wk old dd - head always on one side

11 replies

ollypooh · 30/06/2006 13:59

I'm getting really worried about dd's head/neck as she always hangs her head to one side and always lies with head on same side. She can turn the other way but very very rarely does. Anyone alse experienced this with their babies and what did you do?

OP posts:

waterfalls · 30/06/2006 14:02

My dt did this for around her first 3 months, it is something to do with the position they were when in the womb, but worth getting checked out to be sure.

waterfalls · 30/06/2006 14:03

I was told to help her by, if she took interest in a certain object, to turn her around bit by bit, to encourage her to move her neck.

expatinscotland · 30/06/2006 14:06

dd2 did this for about the first 3 months, too. she prefered to turn to the right. she also liked to put her right hand up by her ear.

LeahE · 30/06/2006 14:06

DS was the same. We took him to our chiropractor (DH and I both go regularly and knew the chiropractor had a lot of experience with babies) and it righted itself after one treatment. (Note: chiropractic treatments for babies are not the major gymnastic sessions that they can be for adults -- there's just a bit of holding up and jiggling and a bit of pressure on the right points).

KBear · 30/06/2006 14:07

yes and my dd's head was a little flatter on one side too! They told me to lay her slightly on the other side with a rolled blanket behind her so she couldn't roll back to encourage her to look the other way. Also put her teddy or something to stimulate her on the other side to encourage to look that way too. Also to lay on the floor with her and play with her with you and the toys only on one side.

These things did work and soon she was fine!

Gem13 · 30/06/2006 14:07

We had this with DS but when he was younger; days rather than weeks. He had his hand by his head when he was born and I was already several centimetres dilated (and in established labour!) when I went for a sweep so I think he'd been stuck for a while.

We were advised to put him round a different way (the way he wasn't looking) in his cot (next to my bed) or on his sheepskin to encourage him to turn. It worked within a couple of days!

WigWamBam · 30/06/2006 14:08

The dd of a friend of mine had symptoms like this - she had something called torticollis, caused by slight damage to the neck muscles when she was born. The baby was referred for physiotherapy, and her mother was given stretching exercises to do - which the baby hated, but which sorted the problem out within a few months.

It's worth getting the GP to have a look because if this is what your dd has it's easier to treat, but the sooner it is treated the better.

waterfalls · 30/06/2006 14:13

I was born with my hand on my head, and stayed that way for around 12 months, my mum had to strap my arm to my side when feeding me in the highchair, but I would aalways manage to wriggle free, And for many years I slept with my hand on my head, it slowly started to come down, and I now sleep with my hand on the side of my face, and I feel calm if someone else puts thier hand on my head.

LeahE · 30/06/2006 14:22

Should also have said that (a) we checked with a doctor first before going to the chiropractor and (b) our chiropractor is a doctor herself.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 30/06/2006 14:32

DS had torticolis and we did some NHS physio with him. He's absolutely fine now.

Gem13 · 30/06/2006 15:45

waterfalls - DS is a hairtwirler, I wonder if this is why? We do joke that he was probably twirling his hair in utero.

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