thread: is it bad for a newborn to lie with their head on one side most of the time?

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  1. #1
    Registered User
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    Nov 2007
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    Its common for new borns to favour one side over another and there head will naturally roll that way - but as their neck gets stronger they will start to turn both ways.

    HTH

    Kate

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Nov 2004
    Melbourne VIC
    1,733

    Tenar, DS has been doing the same. He's 4 weeks today and favouring his right side. Even when I put him down and have his head facing left, he will end up facing right a few minutes later. Doesn't matter where he is, in his cot, carseat, bouncer. Wish I could help, but it seems we have the same problem here. I'll be asking my Dr at our 6wk check up, but will also mention it to the MCHN next week as well.

  3. #3
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    Aug 2006
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    Sounds pretty normal to me. BUT If they continue to favor one side as their neck gets stronger you will need to have them assessed for a torticollis (see your gp/physio). Essentially it's when one set of muscles on their neck is stronger/shorter than the other. My DD did this and we had to do a few little exercises, put toys on the non-favored side, and that fixed it. Doesn't become more noticeable until their necks are stronger tho!

  4. #4
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    Jan 2005
    cowtown
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    if you think she is doing it to look at you, put her in the cot with her head at the other end, so that she has to lie on that side.
    Its worth getting it looked at by chiro/physio/osteo for torticollis as MD has mentioned.

    DS did it for a while and osteo helped a lot.

  5. #5
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    Aug 2006
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    Rayray - oh yes - Osteopath! In fact we took DD to osteopath to get her reflux sorted out around that time and I think it might have been the osteo that fixed it in the end. I had forgotten...! LOL

  6. #6
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    Feb 2008
    Down Under
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    DD is almost 12 weeks old and favours her right side, she is starting to get a little flat spot!

  7. #7
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    Its really worth getting checked out as torticollis can lead on to plagiocephaly, adnt here are lots of htings you can do to treat it especially so early.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Rural England
    855

    DD's neck was flexed at birth (resulted in needing an emergency CS) and she always favoured her left side straight after she was born.

    She even look like a banana, lying there! Her head would be on the left, neck curved to the left, torso straight and then hips curving to the left too.

    We saw a osteopath and had a number of sessions (5 or 6, all up, I think - 4 in two weeks to begin with) to help with her torticollis, and we noticed a good difference in one session, and by the end of the 2nd week, we noticed a BIG difference. Much more relaxed in her body, and could start turning her head to the right. The osteo said she had it pretty bad to begin with - very tense and contorted in her body. We started her treatment with the osteo when she was about 4-5 weeks old. Although the younger the better, my osteo told me.

    I encouraged her to then strengthen the muscles on the right side of her neck by holding her on my other side so she could look out at the world with her head on the right (both cradling her and holding her upright), and as someone said, toys on her right side, and also a little dangly music box we had attached to the side of her crib. Anything to encourage her to start turning and using the muscles on the other side.

    It took a while, but she started using both sides equally. She has a slight flat spot still, but that's difficult to get rid of completely until she's rolling/moving on her own as she now loves to suck her left thumb when sleeping - so her head is still on the left!

    Tummy time is really good too, and putting toys whilst she was on her tummy on right side. Also helps with flat spots.