The parents will usually complain that the head is tilted to one side and the chin turned toward the opposite side. In a newborn child a swelling will be felt anteriorly over the sternocleidomastoid,which is a hematoma (blood clot). It gets converted to fibrous tissue which leads to sternocleidomastoid contracture (shortening). Physiotherapy forms mainstay of treatment in this condition. It includes tilting the head to one side and rotation of the neck. In children more than 2 years, surgical treatment in the form of lengthening of the muscle may be required.
