When most parents hear the word torticollis, they picture a baby who prefers looking in one direction or has a tight neck on one side. While head position is a big part of torticollis, it is only one piece of the puzzle. Torticollis can have a major impact on feeding skills, including breastfeeding, bottle feeding, swallowing, and transitioning to purees and solid foods.
Because feeding involves the whole body, not just the mouth, untreated torticollis can make mealtimes stressful, messy, or exhausting for both baby and parent. Early occupational therapy can support healthier development, protect feeding skills, and make daily routines much easier.
What Is Torticollis?
Torticollis occurs when one of the neck muscles, most often the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), becomes tight, shortened, or imbalanced. This can cause your baby to:
- Prefer turning the head to one side
- Tilt the head in one consistent direction
- Struggle to keep the head in the middle
- Seem uncomfortable when turning the opposite way
This is more than a simple posture issue. A baby’s head position influences vision, sensory processing, motor milestones, and the way the jaw, tongue, and lips work together during feeding. That is why identifying torticollis early and addressing it with pediatric occupational therapy is so important.
Why Torticollis Impacts Feeding
Feeding is a complex full body skill. Babies need stable head control, balanced neck muscles, a well aligned jaw, and good postural support in order to suck, swallow, and breathe efficiently. When torticollis is present, several feeding challenges can appear.
1. Asymmetrical Head Position Affects Latching and Bottle Positioning
A baby with torticollis may:
- Have difficulty staying lined up with the breast or bottle
- Lose a deep, efficient latch
- Struggle to coordinate sucking and swallowing
- Seem uncomfortable turning toward the feeding source
This can lead to shorter feeds, frustration, clicking sounds during feeding, leaking milk, or frequent unlatching. Parents may feel like their baby is “fighting” the bottle or breast when the real issue is alignment and neck tightness.
2. Weak or Unbalanced Oral Muscles
If a baby always turns to the same side, the cheeks, jaw, and tongue do not get equal practice on both sides. Over time this can cause:
- Reduced tongue mobility
- Increased drooling
- Difficulty forming a strong seal around the nipple
- Fatigue during feeding
- Noisy or inefficient sucking
In the long term, these early oral motor challenges may also affect chewing patterns and even speech development.
3. Digestive Difficulties From Poor Positioning
A baby who cannot maintain a comfortable, aligned feeding position is more likely to experience:
- Reflux and spit ups
- Gas and discomfort
- Gagging or coughing
- Arching away from the bottle or breast
When feeding feels uncomfortable, babies may eat less, refuse feeds, or become upset as soon as they see the bottle or highchair. This can impact weight gain and overall growth.
4. Delayed Transition To Purees and Solids
Strong head and trunk control provide the foundation for safe chewing and swallowing. If torticollis is not addressed, children may struggle when it is time to start purees or table foods. You may notice that your child:
- Has trouble sitting upright in a highchair
- Tires quickly while chewing
- Has difficulty moving food from side to side in the mouth
- Avoids certain textures or gags frequently
These early difficulties can turn into picky eating, food refusal, or mealtime anxiety as your child grows.
How Occupational Therapy Supports Feeding With Torticollis
Pediatric occupational therapists focus on the everyday skills that allow children to eat, drink, play, and explore their world. At Crawl Walk Jump Run, our OTs look at the whole child, not just one body part. When torticollis and feeding challenges are present, therapy targets both posture and oral motor function.
1. Improving Head and Neck Alignment
Your occupational therapist may use:
- Gentle stretching and range of motion activities
- Positioning strategies for play and sleep
- Exercises to strengthen weaker neck muscles
- Activities that encourage the baby to turn toward the non preferred side
Better head and neck alignment helps your baby stay more centered during feeding, which makes latching, swallowing, and breathing more efficient.
2. Enhancing Oral Motor Skills
OT can also address the muscles of the jaw, tongue, lips, and cheeks through playful, child friendly activities that support:
- Jaw stability
- Tongue lateralization, or side to side movement
- Lip closure to prevent leaking
- Cheek strength for more powerful sucking
- Coordinated sucking and swallowing
These skills benefit breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and later chewing and drinking from cups or straws.
3. Recommending Feeding Positions That Reduce Strain
Small changes in how you hold or position your baby can make a big difference in feeding success. Occupational therapists coach families on positions that:
- Support the neck and trunk
- Improve alignment with the breast or bottle
- Reduce reflux and gagging
- Encourage calmer, more relaxed mealtimes
You leave sessions with clear, practical strategies you can use at home right away.
4. Supporting Sensory Processing Around Feeding
Babies with torticollis may experience the world from one angle and move less, which affects sensory development. OT can help your child:
- Tolerate different food textures
- Feel comfortable sitting in a highchair
- Accept touch around the face and mouth
- Explore new foods with hands and fingers
This sensory support helps prevent aversions and builds positive eating experiences.
5. Guiding a Safe Transition To Solids
When your baby is ready, occupational therapy can support:
- Learning to chew more effectively
- Gradually progressing to new textures
- Developing self feeding skills
- Reducing choking, gagging, and fear around food
- Building confidence and enjoyment at mealtimes
Early Occupational Therapy Leads To Better Outcomes
The earlier torticollis and feeding concerns are addressed, the easier it is to:
- Improve head and neck mobility
- Establish healthy oral motor patterns
- Prevent long term feeding and sensory challenges
- Support successful breastfeeding or bottle feeding
- Create positive, low stress mealtime routines
If you notice frequent head turning, a strong side preference, feeding discomfort, reflux, or difficulty moving to purees and solids, a pediatric occupational therapy evaluation is a powerful next step.
Pediatric Torticollis and Feeding Therapy in Clinton Township, Michigan
At Crawl Walk Jump Run, our pediatric occupational therapists specialize in both torticollis treatment and feeding therapy. We combine postural alignment, sensory integration, oral motor development, and family education to help your child feed more comfortably and confidently.
If your baby is showing signs of torticollis or feeding challenges, we are here to help.
