Title: Abnormal Head Position - American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
Headings: Abnormal Head Position
Abnormal Head Position
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What is an abnormal head posture?
What are some of the ocular causes of an abnormal head position?
Can my child see when the head is in an abnormal position?
Can a longstanding head turn lead to any permanent problems?
What are some of the non-ocular causes of an abnormal head position?
Are there any treatments for abnormal head postures?
Updated 04/2021
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Content: Yes, most children adopt a head posture to improve their vision if the head turn is from an ocular cause. Therefore, in general, it is important to not discourage the abnormal head posture in these children until the problem can be fixed. Can a longstanding head turn lead to any permanent problems? Yes, a significant abnormal head posture could cause permanent tightening of neck muscles that can lead to chronic neck ache or headache. An abnormal head posture may also cause the facial bones to grow abnormally leading to facial asymmetry. What are some of the non-ocular causes of an abnormal head position? Congenital shortening of the neck muscles (sternocleidomastoid) can cause a head tilt. This is typically called congenital torticollis. A patch test in the office can confirm this diagnosis. If the head tilt is due to tight neck muscles, then the tilt will remain the same with the patch on.