Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) is the most common type of torticollis. CMT is present at birth and is the third highest incidence of congenital musculoskeletal abnormalities in infants.  

Possible risk factors for developing CMT:

• Constraint position or extreme head posturing in the womb
• Difficult or prolonged labor and delivery
• Large birth weight and/or long birth length
• Multiple births
• Low amniotic fluid

Torticollis can also occur or be exacerbated after birth as a consequence of positional preference and handling by the caregiver, which biases turning of the head towards one side more than the other.

Parents who observe the signs and symptoms in their child should seek an evaluation from a pediatric physical therapist to determine whether the child has muscular torticollis. The child's pediatrician will be able to rule out any additional medical causes that may contribute to the torticollis such as anatomical/spinal, neurological, optical, or gastrointestinal disorders.