Did you know that babies with torticollis are more likely to experience oral motor dysfunction?
Torticollis is a condition where the neck muscles become tight or imbalanced, often causing the head to tilt to one side. In infants, this is usually due to tightness in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. While this often raises concern for plagiocephaly (a flattened head shape), it’s also a key sign to look deeper—specifically into the baby’s oral motor function.
How Torticollis Can Impact Oral Function
Muscle imbalances in the neck and shoulders don’t just affect posture—they can extend to the muscles involved in sucking, swallowing, chewing, and speech. That’s because these systems are deeply interconnected.
Here’s how it plays out:
- Positional asymmetries from torticollis can influence the development of the orofacial structure.
- Limited head and neck movement may cause a baby to favor one side, impacting how they latch during breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
- As the child grows, these imbalances can affect jaw alignment, chewing, and speech coordination.
- Plagiocephaly, often seen alongside torticollis, can further complicate oral motor function by impacting facial and jaw symmetry.
How Might This Affect Infant Feeding?
Here are some common signs to watch for:
- Difficulty nursing or taking a bottle
- Gagging, choking, or leaking milk during feeds
- Poor sucking coordination
- Limited tongue movement
- Trouble transitioning to solids
- Speech delays or articulation challenges
Why This Matters
For therapists and caregivers alike, it’s essential to consider the whole picture. Torticollis isn’t just about a head tilt or tight muscle—it can be a clue pointing toward deeper functional challenges, including oral motor dysfunction that impacts feeding, speech development, and possibly airway.
Taking a holistic approach—one that looks at feeding, muscle function, alignment, and development together—helps us provide more effective, integrated care for the little ones we support.
