Neck Restrictions Part 2

It is easy for parents to allow their baby to default to his or her favourite neck position. Babies feel more comfortable in their patterns of dysfunction. After treatment, we want parents to encourage the baby's new range of neck motion at home. The baby should be allowed to cuddle or fall asleep chest-to-chest on the parent slightly more often towards the side of restriction.

• Stand up and hold the baby with one hand under the sacrum and one under the head.
• Maintain some length through the baby's body (make sure the baby isn't too "scrunched up and flexed".
• Tip forward with the baby and use soft bouncing to create calmness.
• Be patient and wait for the baby to turn the proper cheek, UP.
• Parents get mixed up about this, so make a clear statement for them to remember. This keeps the guesswork out of it.

When the neck needs to trend toward left rotation, tell the parent: "Get her RIGHT CHEEK on YOUR CHEST". Clearly, you say the opposite when the baby needs to trend better to the right: "Get her LEFT CHEEK on YOUR CHEST".

• Lean down towards the baby to make full-body contact.
• The hand on the head is ready to gently maintain cheek-to-chest contact and thus, provide a neck "stretch". No one should ever force it down. 
• Tip back upward and then slightly back into extension as the baby settles.

This technique is harder to do when babies are more stimulated and awake. This video proves it. When they are sleepy, it is much easier. Showing you a video that isn't a perfect scenario shows you what not to do (in my opinion). Notice how I didn't push or force the baby to stay cheek-to-chest on me. 

Communication tips:

• I always make sure the parents understand that they don't have to force anything. If the baby lifts its head, it shouldn't be forced back down. Try again later.
• I remind the parents that the baby is allowed to turn in both directions. We don't want parents to inadvertently assume their baby must be constantly corrected. Our goal is to ensure the baby isn't always in its default position (especially when treating cases of plagiocephaly).
• At the end of treatment, before they go, I like to repeat the phrase they need to remember, "RIGHT cheek on YOUR chest", for example. After a busy and informative visit, it's nice to recap the homework.