Baby Tintu was only 3 months old when her mother noticed unusual patterns or movements of her head. Baby Tintu is the second child of Priya and Muralidhar. Priya is a housewife who loves spending time with her children taking utmost care of their growth. Priya’s pregnancy period was rather smooth with no health issues except that it was a breech delivery.
Priya noticed that her baby always turned her head to one side only. Whenever Priya moved around her baby, she observed that her child was not following her with eyes but rather was looking over one shoulder. The baby preferred to be fed from one breast only. Tintu made attempts to turn her head, but was not able to do so and this frustrated her resulting in loud whimpers.Tintu’s cries disturbed Priya and she decided to consult her doctor who referred Tintu to a paediatric neurosurgeon. Tintu was found to be suffering from Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT). In this condition, the sternocleidomastoid muscle, which helps in turning the head obliquely to the opposite side, becomes tight, hampering the head movements. It happens in some breech deliveries. The doctor suggested physiotherapy and Tintu was started on therapy when she was 5 months old. Priya took her child to the physiotherapist regularly and within a period of 7 months, Tintu’s head movements became almost normal and she was discharged with home programmes to be followed for a certain period.
Tintu’s recovery was rather fast as she was diagnosed early and intervention was started immediately. Her treatment included stretching and strengthening of SCM muscle by an experienced specialist. Early diagnosis and physiotherapy treatment can make significant changes in the conditions like Congenital Muscular Torticollis. Tintu is a happy child now thanks to her mom’s care and prompt decision.