Torticollis is the medical term used to describe a twisted neck, wry neck, or loxia, and often occurs due to delivery trauma.
In newborns, torticollis often occurs due to the child’s positioning in the womb or as the result of a difficult childbirth. When a child is born with this condition, it is referred to as infant torticollis or congenital muscular torticollis.
Infant Torticollis & Medical Malpractice
Infant torticollis is usually diagnosed within the first two months of a baby’s life. Parents may notice visible symptoms in infants with torticollis, such as decreased neck movement or a head that tilts toward one side. The symptoms may not appear right away and may even occur several weeks after delivery.
There are a variety of reasons the infant may develop the condition that may not necessarily result from negligence, such as abnormalities in the cervical vertebrae (such as Klippel-Feil syndrome), the baby’s position in the uterus, or congenital causes. Some of the causes of torticollis that are often related to medical malpractice include:
- Injuries from vacuum extraction
- Improper (forceful) delivery techniques
- Delivery using forceps
- Breech births
Doctors, obstetricians, nurses, and other medical professionals are trained to look for potential pregnancy complications (including the position of the child in the uterus), and have a legal obligation to mitigate potential birth injuries when warning signs are spotted. If they fail in this responsibility and your child is injured as a result, you are well within your rights to request that the hospital cover your related expenses and financial losses.
Unfortunately, hospitals in Texas are not in the business of admitting mistakes and offering compensation to victims of medical malpractice. In order to have any chance at recovering compensation from those responsible for your child’s injuries, you need to speak with a local birth injury lawyer about your situation as soon as possible.
Treatment of torticollis.
There are treatments for torticollis, with manual therapy producing positive results in 97 percent of cases (according to a study conducted by the Journal of Manual Medicine). Surgery may be necessary if the problem continues without the administration of treatment for some time; however, there is a chance it may not provide total recovery.
Torticollis is a term sometimes used in conjunction with other similar neck and shoulder injuries, such as brachial plexus injuries like shoulder dystocia. Infants with torticollis can also develop scoliosis or positional plagiocephaly.
If torticollis is present when the infant is born, it may be necessary to stretch the shortened neck muscle on the affected side. This is called passive stretching. Stretching is frequently the only treatment available for infants under the age of three months. If stretching doesn’t work, surgery may be necessary (but this usually cannot be performed until the baby is around four years old). On the other hand, if the condition is the result of damage to the spine, nervous system, or muscle structure, the following treatments may also be helpful:
- Medication
- A neck brace
- Botox injections (usually performed every three months)
- Heat, massage therapy, and traction to the spine
While torticollis is not always the result of medical malpractice, we’re happy to review the facts of your case and inform you of the legal options available. If we feel that we can help you in your case, you can hire us with just a signature. We’ll never ask you to pay us a penny in attorneys fees unless we actually win compensation for you and your family.
To have the best chance at winning your case, you need a lawyer with an extensive history handling (and winning) birth injury claims. If you’re in the state of Texas, call the attorneys at Rasansky | McKenzie Law today at (214) 651-6100 for a free consultation.
Speak With a Texas Birth Injury Attorney For Free
The attorneys at Rasansky | McKenzie Law are happy to speak to you about your potential case free of charge. If we can help with your claim, we’ll do so for no out-of-pocket cost to you. Call us 24/7 at (214) 651-6100.