Opioid-exposed babies may get head tilt from neck condition, Children's study shows

Terry DeMio
Cincinnati Enquirer

Jayceon darts across his grandma's living room floor heading toward his daddy. At a year-and-a-half, he's pure action. "He's come a long way," says his dad, Reggie Hughes of Covington.

Jayceon was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, dependent on opioids because his mom had heroin addiction. He didn't have much withdrawal, Hughes said. But he did develop a head tilt.

A new study shows that Jayceon's condition isn't uncommon among babies like him.

Mon., Jan. 22, 2018: Reggie Hughes of Covington plays with his son, Jayceon. Jayceon was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, dependent on opioids because his mom had heroin addiction. He didn't have much withdrawal, Hughes said. But he did develop a head tilt. With treatment, Children's Hospital Medical Center found that this can be corrected. Researchers say that Jayceon, who has been receiving physical therapy in the Children's clinic, is a success.

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have learned that babies born with the syndrome are much more likely than other babies to have the abnormal neck condition. It's called torticollis, and it's often accompanied by a flattening of the head, known as plagiocephaly.

The condition, which can cause development delays if left untreated, can come from the infant lying on one side of the head because of the way his or her head tilts.

Children's released the study about the neck and head conditions on Monday. It's one of the first published from work done at the hospital's Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Long-term Follow-up Clinic.

Jayceon was part of the Children's clinic, and researchers followed him and other patients as they developed.

"He was stiff in his neck," as his dad puts it.

Dr. Jennifer McAllister, clinic co-director, said that most of the babies in the research group who suffered from the abnormal neck twist that causes the head tilt were diagnosed about 120 days after their birth.

So it's something for parents and caregivers to be aware of and watch for even after they bring their newborns home, she said.

It's unclear what actually causes the problem, but it could be the swaddling that these babies require, the lack of tummy time they get because of their discomfort, the fact that they often have tight muscles throughout their bodies as infants or other reasons, McAllister said.

The good news is that the condition can be treated.

Mon., Jan. 22, 2018: Reggie Hughes of Covington plays with his son, Jayceon. Jayceon was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, dependent on opioids because his mom had heroin addiction. He didn't have much withdrawal, Hughes said. But he did develop a head tilt. With treatment, Children's Hospital Medical Center found that this can be corrected. Researchers say that Jayceon, who has been receiving physical therapy in the Children's clinic, is a success.

"The majority of the babies went on to have physical therapy," McAllister said. The therapy includes various stretching and positioning of the babies so that their necks straighten out. "Usually just with those kinds of measures, you can loosen these muscles in their neck and they can be corrected."

Jayceon was treated with therapy.

Hughes was a model father, McAllister said, routinely bringing Jayceon in for therapy and learning how to do home therapy for his son.

"He fought me the whole way," Hughes said, laughing.

McAllister said Jayceon is a memorable little patient.

"He wasn't one of those really fussy, irritable kiddos, and you can tell he loves his dad," she said. "Jayceon's very lucky. His dad has been his rock."

The research will be published in the Journal of Pediatrics, McAllister said.

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