Development in Children Diagnosed With Congenital Muscular Torticollis

Investigation of Motor Development and Sensory Processing Skills in Children Diagnosed With Congenital Muscular Torticollis

It has been thought that head position may affect the shoulder, rib cage and abdominal muscles, which may have a negative effect on posture control and movement development, sensory-motor coordination and cause retardation in gross motor function. For these reasons, children with congenital muscular torticollis should be evaluated comprehensively in the early period. This study, which was planned to evaluate the motor development and sensory processing of children with torticollis, was designed according to the lack of literature.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Motor Development; Torticollis Congenital; Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Detailed Description

Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) is a common postural deformity that occurs shortly after birth and is typically characterized by ipsilateral cervical lateral flexion and contralateral cervical rotation due to unilateral shortening of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. It is a non-neurological postural disorder that usually affects 3% to 16% of infants. Theories such as intrauterine stenosis, vascular causes, fibrosis of the peripartum hemorrhage area, difficult labor, and primary myopathy of the SCM muscle have been put forward for its causes. In tissue samples taken after surgery, edema, degeneration of muscle fibers, and fibrosis have been reported. It is thought that CMT affects the muscles as well as head and facial development, causing various asymmetries, delays in gross motor functions, and disorders in posture and balance control. A bent neck position can cause plagiocephaly. Characteristic craniofacial deformities include asymmetry in the brow and cheekbones, deviation of the chin and nose tip, inferior orbital abnormality on the affected side, asymmetry in ear placement, and shortening of the vertical dimension of the ipsilateral face. In later periods, it has been shown that it may cause asymmetry in the use of the upper extremities, delay in gross motor functions, and effects on posture and balance control in children. It is thought that head position may affect the shoulder, rib cage, and abdominal muscles, which may have a negative effect on posture control and movement development, sensory-motor coordination, and cause gross motor function retardation. For these reasons, children with congenital muscular torticollis should be evaluated comprehensively in the early period. This study, which was planned to evaluate the motor development and sensory processing of children with CMT, was designed according to the lack of literature.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 40

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Ankara, Turkey
    • Gazi University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) is a common postural deformity that appears shortly after birth and is typically characterized by ipsilateral cervical lateral flexion and contralateral cervical rotation due to unilateral shortening of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. It is a non-neurological postural disorder that usually affects 3% to 16% of infants. CMT is the third most common musculoskeletal disorder of infancy, affecting 3.9% to 16% of infants. It develops due to unilateral shortening of the SCM, regardless of whether there is a mass in the SCM. CMT is characterized by lateral flexion of the affected SCM to the ipsilateral side and rotation to the contralateral side.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Infants diagnosed with congenital torticollis between 0-12 months of age,
• with parental consent,

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children with chromosomal abnormalities,
• serious congenital problems,
• vision-hearing problem
• children whose parents do not volunteer for the study will not be included in the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
torticollis; Twenty children with congenital muscular torticollis diagnosis, between 0-12 months of age, with parental consent, without any vision or hearing problems, will be included in the study.
Healthy infants; A control group of 20 healthy children without congenital muscular torticollis will be formed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Test of Sensory Functions in Infants	It was planned to use the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants to evaluate the sensory development of infants. Test of Sensory Functions in Infants is frequently used to evaluate the sensory processing functions of infants aged 4-18 months. It is used to determine whether an infant has a sensory processing problem and to what extent. It consists of 24 items.	1-12 months
Peabody Developmental Motor Scale | Second Edition	It is planned to use Peabody Motor Development Scale-2 to evaluate motor development. The test is designed to determine developmental delays in children between 0-72 months. It is used to evaluate the motor development of children with separate tests and rating scales for both gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Six subtests, reflexes, Stationary, Locomotion, Object Manipulation, Grasping, and Visual-Motor Integration, collectively measure a broad spectrum of motor functions including postural control, locomotor abilities, object manipulation, and hand-eye coordination. The subtests generate three composite scores: the Gross Motor Quotient, Fine Motor Quotient, and Total Motor Quotient, offering a comprehensive evaluation of a child's motor competence. Notably, higher scores on the Peabody Motor Development Scale-2 reflect superior motor performance, indicating better developmental outcomes.	1-12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Gazi University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Rabia ZORLULAR, Gazi University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• DeGangi, G.A. and S.I. Greenspan, Test of sensory functions in infants (TSFI). 1989: Western Psychological Services Los Angeles
• Folio, M.R. and R.R. Fewell, Peabody developmental motor scales and activity cards. 1983: DLM Teaching
• Ohman A, Nilsson S, Lagerkvist AL, Beckung E. Are infants with torticollis at risk of a delay in early motor milestones compared with a control group of healthy infants? Dev Med Child Neurol. 2009 Jul;51(7):545-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.03195.x. Epub 2009 Jan 26.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 13, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): April 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 10, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 13, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 17, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): June 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 24, 2025
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: motor development; infant; Torticollis; sensory processing skills
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Dyskinesias; Dystonia; Torticollis
• Other Study ID Numbers: torticollis RZ

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No