Torticollis and Infant Feeding Issues
What is Torticollis and How Can it Affect Feeding?
As a parent, you might notice your baby always turns their head to one side, prefers to nurse from only one breast, or struggles to find a comfortable feeding position. These can all be signs of torticollis, a common condition in infants that not only affects movement but can also have a big impact on feeding.
What is torticollis, how does it show up, and how it can make breast and bottle feeding more challenging?
What Is Torticollis?
Torticollis has traditionally meant “twisted neck.” In babies, it often happens when the sternocleidomastoid muscle (the long muscle that runs along each side of the neck) becomes tight or shortened. This makes it harder for your baby to turn their head evenly to both sides. HOWEVER, in my experience it is not just an issue with the neck. The entire body is impacted! This is why standard neck exercises alone don’t work. We need a holistic, whole-body approach. Each baby presents differently which is why there should not be a cookie cutter approach.
Some babies are born with torticollis (often due to positioning in the womb or delivery), and others develop it in the first few weeks or months of life.
Signs of Torticollis in Babies:
Prefers turning head to one side
Trouble turning head the opposite way
Tilts head to one side
Flat spot on one side of the head (plagiocephaly)
Difficulty latching or feeding on one breast
Appears uncomfortable or fussy during feeding
How Torticollis Impacts Feeding
Feeding is a full-body activity for babies, it’s not just about the mouth! When a baby has limited neck movement or tightness on one side, it can make positioning and coordination during feeding more difficult.
Here’s how torticollis can interfere with feeding:
Latching Difficulties: Turning the head in one direction may be uncomfortable, leading to shallow or asymmetrical latch.
Breast Preference: Baby may only nurse comfortably on one breast or in one position.
Bottle Feeding Struggles: Difficulty keeping head midline can make sucking, swallowing, and breathing coordination harder.
Increased Colic, Gassiness, or Reflux: When the body is tense or misaligned, it can affect digestion and lead to fussier feeds.
Post-Frenectomy Tension: Babies who’ve had a tongue or lip tie released may still have underlying tension, including torticollis, that makes feeding harder.
What Can Help?
Torticollis is very treatable, especially when caught early. Support may include:
Occupational or Physical Therapy: Gentle stretches, positioning strategies, and bodywork to improve range of motion and comfort during feeding.
Craniosacral Therapy: Helps release tight fascia and restore balance in the nervous system and soft tissues.
Feeding Support: Adjustments to positioning, latch, or bottle choice to make feeding easier and more efficient.
Tummy Time & Movement: Encouraging movement on both sides of the body helps relieve tightness and improve head control.
What to do???
The good news: torticollis is very treatable, especially when caught early. Support may include:
Feeding Assessment from an OT + IBCLC: I look at why breastfeeding or bottle feeding might be difficult—whether it’s tension, positioning, oral motor coordination, or structural challenges. I combine my training in lactation and occupational therapy to figure out more comfortable, effective ways to feed your baby.
Occupational Therapy: Gentle stretches, positioning strategies, and developmental support to improve your baby’s range of motion and ease during feeding and daily movement.
Craniosacral Therapy: Helps release tight fascia and restore balance in the nervous system and body, often improving feeding comfort and symmetry.
Feeding Support: Hands-on help with latch, positioning, bottle pacing, or finding the right bottle for your baby’s specific anatomical needs.
Tummy Time & Movement: Simple strategies to encourage balanced muscle use, improve head control, and support early milestones.