Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare - 50

SPOTLIGHT ON: COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

TLC and
Therapy

BY ELISE SIMS

Teaming up to treat
"twisted neck"

Pediatrician
Lamia Katbi,
MD

SU M M E R 2 014

CARE FOR KIDS
"We've been able to help a lot of children with the level
of pediatric therapy services we offer," says Elizabeth
Zurek, MPT, CCCE, senior physical therapist, Neonatal
Intensive Care and Pediatrics at Community Hospital.
"Early intervention is key. Our team approach
between parents, pediatricians and therapists makes
all the difference in the world with outcomes. As we
make more parents aware of what we can do for this
condition and work toward earlier interventions, we
expect to have many more success stories."

Torticollis, which means "twisted neck," is equally
common in both newborn boys and girls. The sternocleidomastoid muscle is the large, ropelike muscle
that runs on both sides of the neck from the back of
the ears to the collarbone. Shortening of this muscle
on one side can create tightness on one side of the
body, making it difﬁcult for baby to turn his head to
one side or tilt his ear toward one shoulder.
It is not known why some infants develop the condition and others do not, but doctors believe it may be
related to extra pressure on the muscle that can come
from positioning in the womb, a difﬁcult birth or, as
is the case of those who develop it later, the amount
of time spent lying on their back during the day.

RISK FACTORS
Besides torticollis, infants born in breech position
also are at increased risk for hip dysplasia because
the hip joint forms in a ﬂexed or bent position, which
can impact the hip socket and set the infant up for
dysplasia/dislocation. Babies like Evelyn and Nathan,
who have GERD, are at increased risk for developing
torticollis because their natural response to the reﬂux
is to arch the spine to elongate the esophagus and
turn their heads to the side to constrict the opening
at the back of the throat.

CALL

hen her son, Nathan, was only
1 month old, Jina Saltzman began
to see the telltale signs and symptoms that she missed when her
ﬁrst child, Evelyn, was born. Like his big sister,
Nathan had difﬁculty turning his head to one side
and favored his right side whenever he was in a lying
position. Pediatrician Lamia Katbi, MD, diagnosed
Jina's babies with torticollis-the abnormal positioning of the head and neck that is caused by tightness
in one of the neck and shoulder's major muscles.
"People tend to get squeamish with anything that
has to do with the neck," says Saltzman. "As ﬁ rsttime parents with Evelyn, we didn't feel comfortable
doing the repositioning exercises and stretching at
home by ourselves, as recommended by Dr. Katbi.
So Evelyn's outpatient therapy was delayed
until about 7 months, which delayed other
milestones too, like walking.
"With Nathan, I was on the lookout," she
says. "I knew the signs and symptoms and
how important it was to be able to get Nathan
into physical therapy much earlier. Both children are doing ﬁne today thanks to the early
referral by our pediatrician and the care we
received at Community Hospital."

For more information on physical therapy
services available at Community Hospital
in Munster, call 219-836-4527. To make
an appointment for the free Infant Massage
and Baby's Development class taught at
Fitness Pointe ®, call 219-836-3477.

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare