My baby only likes to look left. No matter what we do or angle we shift her to, she only wants to look left. What do I do?

There is a condition called Torticollis (or commonly known as “wry neck”), whereby the head is tilted to one side. The symptoms include: - Baby’s head tilted to the right or the left - Baby may show a preference of looking only at right or left - Flattening of the child's head and face due to his/her preference of head position - Tightness of the Sternocleidomastoid muscle - Soft lump/tumor in the Sternocleidomastoid muscle - Restricted movement of the neck Physiotherapy is usually the recommended course of treatment. In severe cases (usually for children older than one year of age), surgery may be required. You can consult a doctor for a proper assessment if you are worried. I’m not sure if your baby has this, this is mainly just for your information. For more information on this condition: http://www.kkh.com.sg/HealthPedia/Pages/ChildhoodIllnessesCongenitalMuscularTorticollis.aspx http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/childrenhealth/Pages/Physiotherapy-for-Congenital-Muscular-Torticollis.aspx

Is she able to turn to the other side but choose not to? Here are some exercises to try: - When your baby wants to eat, offer the bottle or your breast in a way that encourages your baby to turn away from the favored side. (Use your child's desire to eat to encourage him or her along!) - When putting your baby down to sleep, position him or her to face the wall. Since babies prefer to look out onto the room, your baby will actively turn away from the wall and this will stretch the tightened muscles of the neck. Remember to always put your baby to sleep on his or her back, as this helps reduce the risk of SIDS. - During play, draw your baby's attention with toys and sounds to make him or her turn in both directions. If this is a concern to you, visit your PD and get your PD to do a physical examination for her.

Your baby may have a tight muscle in her neck and you should speak to your doctor or to a physiotherapist for more information. In the meantime, you can use brightly coloured toys or mobiles to encourage your baby to look in the less-preferred direction. Also if your baby sleeps in a crib that is against the wall, put her at opposite ends of the crib each night. If your baby's crib is not against a wall, place a crib-safe toy to encourage her to look in a different direction each night.