All signs of short neck syndrome in infants. Short neck: is it possible to visually lengthen it?

Short neck syndrome is usually treated by an osteopath. When diagnosing developmental anomalies of the cervical vertebrae non-surgical methods therapies are ineffective, but complex treatment still includes:

1. For elimination pain syndrome one of the drugs with analgesic characteristics is prescribed.
2. Symptomatic drug treatment.
3. Physical therapy that helps improve the mobility of the affected area of ​​the spine and increase muscle tone.
4. Massage.
5. Preventive or corrective wearing of a special collar (Shants collar).
6. Physiotherapeutic procedures (electrophoresis, paraffin heating).

But the main and most effective method treatment for short neck syndrome is surgical intervention. The surgeon has a technique for correcting the anomaly - cervicalization according to Bonola.

The essence of treatment for short neck syndrome is to prevent destruction of the cervical vertebrae and the subsequent development of secondary, sometimes irreversible, disorders in the human body.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

Prescribing physiotherapeutic treatment, of course, will not relieve the patient of short neck syndrome, but will help improve its mobility and activate blood circulation in this area. Electrophoresis has a neuro-reflex and humoral effect on the affected area.

The essence of the procedure is to conduct ions into the affected area of ​​the body using small electric currents. medicine, which impregnates the electrode gaskets. Penetrating into every cell, the medicine begins to affect the biochemical processes occurring in the body. Depending on the pharmacological group, to which the drug belongs, pain relief occurs, relief inflammatory process and muscle tension.

Paraffin applications warm the neck area, activating blood flow, which improves metabolism in the structures of the brain. Such compresses, as prescribed by a doctor, can be carried out at home:

1. Make a template from oilcloth for applying hot paraffin. It should cover the collar and neck area.
2. Heat a baking sheet in the oven. Take it out and lay the template on its surface.
3. Heat the paraffin in a container in a water bath and apply it to the prepared pattern. Place the resulting paraffin collar on the cervical collar area the patient, covering the top with a woolen scarf or blanket.
4. The procedure takes from half an hour to an hour, depending on the doctor’s recommendation.

Surgical treatment

The main and most effective method correction of violations of the anatomy of the cervical vertebrae is surgical treatment short neck syndrome - cervicalization according to Bonola.

During this operation, the surgeon removes the 1st - 4th ribs, and in some cases the periosteum. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. The specialist makes a paravertebral incision, passing in the space between the inner edge of the scapula and the spinous process of the spine. From the side of the scapula, the rhomboid and trapezius muscles are cut off and the 1st - 4th upper rib is resected. First, such actions are carried out on one side of the spine, then on the other.

Place surgical intervention During healing, they are placed in a plaster corset. As it heals, it is replaced with a special collar - a head holder.

A woman is not a woman if she is absolutely, 200% satisfied with her appearance! What we don’t do with our natural characteristics: we lose weight - we get fatter, we get a haircut - we do extensions, and we also change styles and images! And this article is for those Beautiful and Successful ladies who are unhappy the length of your neck. If you are one of them, you think your neck is short, and I would like visually lengthen it, we will be happy to tell you how to do it!

Hairstyles for short necks

Even a perfect “swan” neck can be “shortened” with this hairstyle! Or, on the contrary, it is possible add length and grace Absolutely any neck shape and length!

If you wear short hair, then you need to think about how to advantageously emphasize your neck when choosing a haircut. Options haircuts for short necks, which will make it much longer:

• "Like a boy". Of course, this is for brave ladies, but a completely open neck looks longer! If you have a naturally low hairline in the neck area, ask your hairdresser to raise it a little higher!
• Short bob with elongated strands near the face. This haircut will especially suit women with a high forehead. A neck open at the back, in contrast to a face framed by long strands, will look longer.
• "Cap on a foot". Classic haircut - the length of the hair at the parting reaches 7-8 cm, and gradually tapers off towards the neck. A “leg” is a small strand at the hollow of the neck, which is 1-2 cm longer than the hairline.

Well, if you can boast of hair length from shoulders and below, then direct your imagination to hairstyles and styling! Especially these ones:

• High bun. A high bun will highlight the length of your neck especially effectively if you wear bangs!
• High ponytail. Read about.
• Straight hair(at length below the shoulder blades). Smooth your hair with an iron and comb it - if you are lucky enough to have thick enough hair that does not split at the ends, then this simple styling will be very good!

• A classic braid, braided from the base of the neck.
• Low ponytail.
• “Rollers”, combs and buns lying on the neck .
• Basket braids.

Which neckline shape should you choose to visually lengthen your neck?

However, you can choose the right hairstyle and ruin everything with the wrong choice. collar or neckline of clothing! What can be recommended to lengthen the neck?

• V-neck.
• Classic turn-down collar.
• Shirts and blouses that are not buttoned on the last 1-3 buttons.

But it happens that the climate, far from the mild Parisian one, still forces you to wear a turtleneck or a turtleneck jumper. It's OK! Put it on top vest or cardigan withV-shaped neckline, and your short neck will immediately lengthen!

But the site “Beautiful and Successful” does not recommend choosing sweaters with volumetric collar, in two folds covering the neck, as well as things with a “cowl” collar.

Accessories that visually lengthen the neck

But that's not all! Do you wear pendants, beads, necklaces? But they directly affect the visual length of the neck! What accessories will create the impression of a “swan” neck?

• Long threads beads. Wear them in the style of the 20s - one turn of beads goes around the neck, but the second goes down to the waist (or even lower!).
• Pendants, pendants. They create the same triangle that visually continues the neck.
• Long thin chain earrings.
• Extended drop earrings.

However, avoid choker necklaces and large beads (or beads in several rows) at the base of the neck - they are suitable only for very long-necked owners! Round earrings and hoop earrings will also shorten your neck.

However, in the end I want to reassure those readers who have already begun to critically examine themselves in the mirror: “ What if I have a short neck??! Horrible!!!". This is not horror! And even not a disadvantage! So - a feature of the build... But we are women, which means we must always walk with our heads held high! And the neck will only help with this.

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The pearl of the New Museum in Berlin is the bust of Nefertiti. The Egyptian queen was called “Perfect,” and her swan neck played a significant role in obtaining this status.

The standard of beauty legitimized by the main wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten can still be taken as a guide to action today. Alas, alignment with a slender neck, long fingers and thin wrists may not happen by trivial reason– genetics let us down.

One can come to terms with anatomy that does not live up to expectations in the area of ​​collars and necklines. Optical illusions helped to get into the echelon of first-class beauties and not under such starting conditions. Besides, a short neck is actually an advantage...

A short neck is an advantage, but still: how to lengthen it?

In person reading girl's short neck speaks of her realistic and rationalistic attitude towards life. Such a girl thinks first and then acts.

Moving towards the goal with a confident step. He knows when to stop everything. Fundamental character provides this young lady with a calm, stable and well-fed future.

Is it long or short?

What criteria, in fact, allow us to objectively assess the length of the neck? Centimeters don't say anything. Length is determined by proportions. If the neck makes up 1/3 of the face or more, be proud, it is a swan. Briefly speaking? Forget about “thirds” and remember harmony.

As the literary critic Dobrolyubov said, “beauty lies not in individual features and lines, but in the overall facial expression.” And if the “general expression” creates a depressing impression, only then take action.

Measures regarding a short neck can be very different - from visual camouflage with clothing and accessories to surgical plastic surgery.

The longest neck on planet Earth belongs to them. And we're off to the salon!

Gulchatay, open the back of your head: haircuts for women with short necks

The life of a woman with a short neck is filled with adversity and suffering until she finds her hairdresser. With the right haircut, your neck can be significantly lengthened. True, you will have to choose between maxi and mini hair lengths.

If you are not afraid to experiment or have already appreciated the benefits for a long time short hair, pay attention to the “boyish” cuts, the bob to the cheekbones, the “cap” and the “bob with a leg”.

When choosing a short haircut, consider your anatomy. If harmony oval face it is impossible to break anything, haircuts for short necks and round face are selected with the intention of lengthening the vertical profile.

This kind of optical illusions creates a pixie with choppy bangs on the side, a “garcon” with an asymmetrical parting and a bob with an extension in the front.

Hairstyles for short necks and long hair, which, like loved ones, are never parted with, are high buns, ponytails and braids from the top of the head. That is, everything that exposes the neck and opens the back of the head.

Asian smooth hair can be kept below the shoulder blades. When loose, they also work to lengthen the vertical.

Hair middle length dissolving is contraindicated. In the “not to wear” category – too short haircuts, fluffy “caps”, intricate hairstyles (with curls, barrettes and ribbons), low ponytails and braids with the base at the neck.

A girl's best friend: jewelry for a short neck

When choosing decoration, also keep your course vertical. The neck area is lengthened by drop and chain earrings, elongated pendants and pendants, and beads hanging in a V-shape.

You can play with long beads in the manner of the 20s, with one girth “girdling” the base of the neck, and the other row lowering to the waist.

Manipulate public consciousness, looking away from the neck and drawing it to “natural” decorations - breasts, eyes or lips.

Present your striking dignity with the ferocity of a woman who is ready to do anything so that no one will ever guess about her imperfection.

Large earrings, round earrings, hoop earrings and stud earrings, “collars” and beads in one tight circle around the neck - in a box for future generations.

Oh, the neckline: wardrobe and accessories for a short neck

Wardrobe issues come down to necklines and collars. Obviously, a deep V-shaped neckline is a must-have. And what else?

Also - classic turn-down collars, blouses and shirts unbuttoned by 2-3 buttons, any clothes with a V or U neckline showing the collarbones. If there are scarves, then they are tied in the manner of a pioneer tie - not tight, with a low, loose knot.

By covering your neck completely with a scarf, covering all the buttons, choosing turtlenecks, clothes with high and stand-up collars, boat necks and cowl collars, you will steal the already missing length from a short neck.

If you want more: exercises and short neck plastic surgery

5 exercises for the swan neck

1. Throw your head back and lower lip stretch towards your nose, feeling the stretch in your neck. Lower your head, tucking your chin to your chest.
2. In a sitting position, maintaining your posture, turn your head left and right as far as it will go, gradually accelerating.
3. Complicate the previous exercise by trying to reach your chin with your shoulder while turning. Don't raise your shoulders.
4. In a sitting position, resting your elbows on the table, pull up first right side neck, then left.
5. In the same position, begin to tilt your head left and right, trying to touch your ear to your shoulder.

Pre-warming the muscles - required condition stretch marks. Massage your neck before pulling it. Perform each exercise at least 10 times, but stop training if you experience any discomfort.

Not a wheel, but a royal one

Anatomy sometimes has nothing to do with it. Take a look at portraits of beauties from previous eras. Sloping shoulders, straight posture, proud head position - and, as a result, a long neck. Learn from experience. Keep your back straight, chin raised, shoulders lowered, and the top of your head pointing upward.

By placing a stack of books on your head or laying your back flat against a doorframe, you will get a rough idea of ​​what it's like. correct posture. Spending time working on it is useful not only for the neck. The back like a wheel hides both centimeters of height and degrees of attractiveness.

Without illusions

Shorter than it is, the neck may seem banal and easy removable reason – excess weight. A double chin and fat pads in the neck make it short and thick. Just lose weight - on your own or with liposuction.

It is not weight, but age that can disfigure the neck, turning it into a “turkey neck” due to gravity. Depending on the severity of the problem, the courage of the woman and the capabilities of her wallet, age-related costs can be adjusted with meso-cocktails, biorevitalizants, thread lifting, and SMAS plastic surgery.

With pronounced age-related changes aggravated by deformation of the cervical platysma muscle, it is worth performing Hollywood platysmaplasty.

In some cases, installing a chin implant solves the problem. After increasing the volume in the chin area, the skin receives support and stops “dripping” onto the neck, hiding its centimeters.

A long neck is not an end in itself, but a way to harmonize one’s appearance. What harmony is is another question, and the answer to it is not always the reflection in the mirror. Beauty, Oscar Wilde noted, is in the eye of the beholder. Keep your head up and your perspective on many shortcomings will change.

Short neck syndrome in infants is a pathology in which the neck is less than the standard length. The head “sits” on the shoulders, leaving virtually no gap, and the chin is in contact with the baby’s chest. The pathology may look like this: the neck looks like a compressed accordion.

The anomaly disrupts the proportions of the child’s body, creating an illusion complete absence neck. Most often, cider is detected during the initial examination in the maternity hospital. With this disease, the muscles of the back of the head are very tense, the shoulders are raised, and the arteries and vessels passing inside the neck are compressed. As a result, areas of the brain do not receive enough oxygen.

If the pathology is not treated from an early age, then the neck will become longer without treatment, but the syndrome will manifest its Negative consequences in future. The newborn begins to have severe migraines, VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia) develops, and vision problems arise. In addition, due to increased load on the vertebrae, it is incorrectly distributed to the rest of the spine. This threatens scoliosis and osteochondrosis in the future. What is the cause of the disease and how to cure it?

• Doctors say heredity is one of the reasons. In most cases, parents influence genetics (70%), and other relatives exert their genetic influence by 30%.
• Pathology may occur due to a genetic disorder. In these cases, abnormal fetal development begins at 8 weeks in the mother's womb. This phenomenon is called “Klippel-Feil syndrome” among doctors. With it, the vertebrae of the neck are initially denser than those of other newborn children.
• « Short neck"is the result birth trauma, deformed cervical region child.
• The neck muscles may have become overstretched as they passed through the mother's birth canal. This usually happens during a long and difficult labor, the muscles stretch more than normal, and after the birth of the baby they reflexively contract. However, the vertebrae themselves are not damaged.

Clinical picture

To confirm or refute the diagnosis, doctors prescribe an x-ray. The doctor also visually identifies “short neck syndrome” by a number of the following signs:

• Low hairline. It practically touches the shoulders.
• There are wing-shaped folds on the neck
• The position of the infant's shoulder blades is asymmetrical. And they are located higher than required by standards.
• The spinal column of a newborn is curved
• There are pathologies of other organs.

If there was an injury during childbirth, then there is a restriction of neck mobility; the child sleeps poorly and often wakes up; the baby is capricious; observed increased tone neck muscles, touching them causes pain. Regardless of the reason for the pathology, doctors recommend starting treatment immediately to avoid further negative consequences.

Parents can check for themselves whether the child has the disease or not. To do this, the child is laid on his stomach, slightly lifting his head. At normal development there should be seven vertebrae, the distance between the shoulders and the hairline should be at least 30 mm.

• Read also:

Shants collar

To correct the pathology and treat it, doctors prescribe wearing an orthopedic collar. It helps relieve excess stress on the neck and fixes the baby's cervical spine. The bandage looks like a circle made of foam rubber with Velcro on the edges. The collar height varies from 3 to 5 centimeters. An orthopedic device is put on as soon as the disease is detected or when the child is 1–2 months old. The essence of the technique is to release the arteries of the neck, pinched by tense muscles. The collar helps eliminate oxygen starvation of the brain, improving its blood supply.

Such a splint can be ordered according to individual measurements or you can buy a ready-made bandage in a specialized store. The tire is selected taking into account the weight of the child and after measuring the volume of his body. IN otherwise a short splint, fastened to the edges of Velcro, will not fit tightly to the neck and spin, and a long one will not hold the neck well. Using a collar of the wrong size will not benefit the treatment.

• Read also: .

In mild stages of the syndrome, the splint is worn for 15–20 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour or several hours a day. And for those children whose “short neck” is more pronounced, the device is removed only during sleep or worn for days. Treatment time ranges from 2–4 weeks to several months.

Correct fitting of the splint is important. They do it this way: the collar cutout is located under the chin, and the fasteners are located at the back. In addition, the splint should not rub the baby's delicate skin, but should ensure a snug fit. When put on correctly, an adult's finger fits between the collar and neck. Additionally, the skin is lubricated with lotion to avoid irritation or chafing.

Caring for the tire is simple: it is washed in cool water baby soap or powder, rinse and lay on a flat surface to dry. You cannot speed up the drying process by placing the bandage near a radiator, stove, or heater. It becomes deformed and ceases to perform the necessary functions.

Exercise therapy and physiotherapy

Treatment of a “short neck” is carried out comprehensively: in addition to wearing an orthopedic bandage, it is recommended to perform a neck massage and a complex of exercise therapy.

Such measures help relieve tension in the neck muscles, enhancing the effect of the Shants collar. Additionally, the child is prescribed electrophoresis sessions, which are carried out in the outpatient clinic. Electrodes in a case impregnated with medications are applied to the baby's cervical region and current is applied. Drug ions pass through the child’s skin and reach required cells bodies.

Applications based on paraffin

Paraffin applications are performed at home. They are prescribed by the attending physician.

It is important that the temperature of the molten paraffin is not too hot for the baby’s delicate skin.

• Patterns are prepared from oilcloth for applying appliqué to the neck and collar area.
• Turn on the oven and place a baking sheet in it. We wait until it warms up, take it out of the oven and lay the prepared oilcloth patterns on it.
• The paraffin is heated in a container in a water bath, after which it is poured onto the patterns for applique.
• After cooling, apply a paraffin compress to the child. The applique is covered with a warm scarf, blanket, or terry towel on top to retain heat.
• Duration of one procedure: 30–60 minutes.
• After removing the paraffin, the child’s skin is lubricated with cream. Parents make baby light massage and put on an orthopedic splint.

Today we offer an article on the topic: “Short neck syndrome in infants.” We tried to describe everything clearly and in detail. If you have any questions, ask at the end of the article.

Childbirth does not always occur without complications. It happens that when a child passes through the birth canal, the spine is injured. One of the causes of short neck syndrome in infants is birth trauma.

Immediately at birth, this pathology in the newborn is noticeable and striking. It seems that the baby's neck is very short, although there is no anatomical disorder. It seems that the baby's head is located directly on the shoulders. This leads to weakening of the muscles, squeezing of the shoulders upward and, as a result, a short neck.

Later, the child may develop tension in the cervical-occipital muscles.

Immediately after the birth of the baby, the first to notice the pathology are neonatologists. A young mother does not need to worry too much about this. Pathology can be corrected, but worries can lead to lactation problems.

To correct the identified syndrome, wearing a Shants collar is prescribed. This is a soft tissue bandage that secures the cervical spine. It is put on the baby immediately after diagnosis. Wearing a collar is necessary to normalize the cervical spine. This normalizes blood flow to the brain, which means proper development baby. The collar must be properly sized. It depends on the weight of the baby. It would be better if a doctor shows you how to put on the collar.

You need to be very careful when using the collar. The duration of wearing it is determined by the doctor in accordance with the severity of the pathology. This can be from ten minutes to the whole day. It is better to put a collar on a child after a massage or physical therapy session, then the effects of the collar are more effective. The collar must be kept clean. In order to soft skin If the baby is irritated, treat it with a protective cream or lotion.

It is very good to attend physical therapy sessions with your baby. IN physical therapy includes massage, hardening procedures, gymnastics, which stimulates physiological processes in the child's body. Sessions therapeutic massage promote relaxation and relieve increased muscle tone in infants

As additional treatment Physiotherapy is prescribed. This procedure is called electrophoresis. This is the movement of charged particles in an electric field. Cloths soaked in medicine are placed on both sides of the child’s neck. There are electrodes inside the tissue. When an electric current passes through the solution, drug ions begin to move and enter the body. After this, the medicine is evenly distributed in the cells.

Parents of the baby need to be prepared for possible consequences short neck syndrome. Excessive shoulder elevation and increased tone can lead to oxygen deficiency in certain areas of the brain. This may cause the child's vision to become weak.

Short neck of a baby (photo)

1. Photo of a child and an adult with short neck syndrome

2. Short neck in a baby (photo) and a teenager

3. Photo of Klippel-Feil syndrome

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The birth is over, and the mother finally met the baby. But is it worth worrying if the baby has a clearly noticeable defect - the so-called short neck?

This syndrome is very demonstrative, the baby’s entire chest shrinks, and his head seems to be sitting on his torso. This makes most parents panic.

How to recognize a short neck in a baby in time? Why does this defect arise, and is it a defect at all?

Is treatment necessary? How can massage help with this syndrome?

The syndrome was first documented in 1912 by neurologist M. Klippel and radiologist A. Feil. In the scientific community, a short neck is called Klippel-Feil Syndrome.

This anomaly is not a disease. This is a feature of the newborn's spine.

In most cases, it goes away by the time the child turns one year old. IN in rare cases short neck syndrome develops into a severe anomaly.

Even an untrained person can notice the syndrome in a baby; it catches your eye at first glance. There is a feeling that the baby’s neck is very short, practically absent, and the head is located directly on the body.

Anatomically everything is fine. The shoulders go up and the neck becomes invisible. Subsequently, this can lead to overstrain of the muscles of the cervical-occipital region.

What can cause short neck syndrome in infants:

• Congenital chromosomal diseases, changes in chromosomes 8, 5, 12. A defect in the development of the embryonic spine appears as early as 8 weeks of pregnancy.
• In 70% of cases, the anomaly is inherited from parents, in 20% of cases - from relatives of the parents.
• Birth trauma leading to deformation of the cervical spine, as well as spinal cord.
• The symptom in infants may appear as a result of overstretching of the neck muscles during passage through the birth canal. The muscles contract reflexively, and the “accordion phenomenon” occurs. It is these children who develop significant tension in the cervical-occipital muscles.

Signs of the syndrome

Some parents notice that their baby's chubby cheeks hang over their shoulders, but consider this just a cute feature of the child. And only a neonatologist or neurologist during scheduled inspection informs mom and dad about such a feature of the baby as a short neck.

Sometimes the syndrome in infants is recognized by an obstetrician who delivers a woman based on classic symptoms. The most striking of them is the shortened neck.

Signs of Klippel-Feil syndrome in infants:

• The hairline is too low;
• Low physical activity in this area;
• The presence of a shortened neck;
• Weakening of muscles;
• The shoulder blades and shoulders are raised up;
• Fusion of the cervical vertebrae, change in their number or size;
• In a baby restless sleep.

It is still unknown what determines the number of defective vertebrae.

Treatment of the syndrome

The doctor who discovers the anomaly will explain to the parents what it means and then offer options for solving the problem.

The very first thing you need to do is purchase a Shants collar. It is a soft bandage that is placed around the baby’s neck.

Its main function is to fix the cervical vertebrae, as well as improve the blood supply to the baby’s brain.

The duration of wearing the collar, as well as its size, should be determined by a doctor. The collar must be taken care of constantly, since it is in direct contact with skin baby. If irritation or diaper rash occurs on your neck, you should smear it with lotion or baby cream.

In addition to wearing a bandage, the doctor prescribes physiotherapy, physiotherapy and massage. IN severe cases the problem has to be solved surgically.

Electrophoresis is performed on the baby as physiotherapy.

The essence of the electrophoresis procedure is that drug ions pass through electrodes soaked in a special solution.

They evenly penetrate the baby's cells.

Gymnastics and physical therapy gives excellent results. IN full course treatment includes hardening, physical exercise, as well as massage to help relieve muscle tension.

The massage regimen prescribed for infants with short neck syndrome is the same as for torticollis. It can be performed by a specially trained nurse with sufficient experience.

Be sure to find out when a massage therapist for infants is needed.

Features of the massage procedure and preparation for it:

• An hour before the massage procedure, the baby needs to be fed. You cannot do the procedure on an empty or full stomach.
• If the baby is capricious, you need to wait a while with the massage.
• If during the procedure the child shows dissatisfaction, you need to stop the massage.
• The optimal room temperature is 22–24 degrees.
• You should not massage before bedtime.

The procedure should begin with gentle stroking of the baby's entire body. Then they delicately stroke the neck and shoulders and rub them.

Do corrective exercises for the cervical spine. Then alternate stroking the tummy and legs with stroking the neck.

The same manipulations are carried out with the baby, turning him over on his stomach. Finish the procedure by gently kneading the legs and arms.

What should parents do?

If at your appointment the doctor said that your child has a short neck, the most important thing is not to panic. Now more than ever, the baby needs the love and care of his parents.

It is necessary to follow all the instructions of the pediatrician. The baby’s neck will recover by his first birthday. But there is still a small chance of complications.

The first danger of short neck syndrome is hidden anomalies internal organs. It is important to regularly undergo examinations prescribed by your pediatrician. The fact is that 40% of children with short neck syndrome have severe defects in kidney development.

The second danger lies in the increased tone of the collar area, which can cause oxygen starvation. And this can have a detrimental effect on the baby’s vision in the future.

In the worst case, the motor activity of the neck and head decreases due to changes in the spine. This can lead to complex neurological problems.

To avoid these complications, you need to recognize the syndrome in time and carry out its regular monitoring. Couples who have relatives with short neck syndrome in their family should contact specialists for examination and prevention of the birth of a child with a similar anomaly.

“Is everything okay with my baby?” – every woman asks this question when she comes to her senses after childbirth. And most often she hears with relief: “Rest, mommy! You have a wonderful baby!” But when the baby is brought in for the first feeding, some mothers notice that their baby seems to have no neck: the tiny head “sits” directly on the shoulders or the neck is compressed like an “accordion” with deep transverse folds. This pathology is called short neck syndrome.

• Most often it occurs as a consequence of long, difficult labor. When the baby squeezes through birth canal, neck muscles stretch excessively, and after birth they reflexively shrink. The structure of the child's cervical vertebrae is not disturbed.
• Another cause of short neck syndrome is genetic disorder. Congenital scoliosis of the cervical spine and its upper part thoracic called Klippel-Feil syndrome. The cervical vertebrae in this case are compacted.

As you know, important blood arteries that supply the brain with oxygen pass inside the neck, and if the shoulders are constantly raised and the muscles of the back of the head are tense, the vessels are compressed, and some parts of the brain suffer from hypoxia. If you do nothing, over time the baby's neck gradually lengthens, but the syndrome leaves behind unpleasant consequences.

Children with short necks are already early age suffer from headaches and vegetative-vascular dystonia, their vision deteriorates. Because cervical vertebrae are compressed, the load on the spine is distributed incorrectly, and children are at risk of scoliosis, and later osteochondrosis. Therefore, it is important to recognize short neck syndrome in time and begin treatment.

Shants collar

To correct the baby's neck, doctors prescribe him an orthopedic collar (splint) by Shants - a soft, dense bandage that relieves the load on the cervical spine and fixes it. It is a foam rubber circle with a height of 3 to 5 centimeters with Velcro at the ends. The splint is put on immediately or a month or two after birth, if the pediatrician notices that the child is pulling his head into his shoulders, is worried, and is sleeping poorly. The Shants collar will release the arteries clamped by spasmed muscles, and the blood supply to the brain will be normalized.

An orthopedic “collar” can be bought at a medical supply store or ordered according to individual measurements: it is selected according to the size, which depends on the weight and volume of the baby’s body. A splint that is too short “twists around the neck,” because when trying to lengthen it, the mother fixes the Velcro on the fastener at the very edge, and a splint that is too long does not hold the child’s neck tightly, and the treatment does not give results.

• For children whose short neck syndrome is mild, it is prescribed for 10-20 minutes, half an hour, an hour or several hours a day.
• Those babies whose syndrome is more pronounced will have to “endure” the collar all day (the splint is removed only while sleeping) or around the clock for several weeks or months.

Second important point when treated with a Shants splint, it must be worn correctly. The collar is fixed so that the opening is under the chin, and the Velcro fastener is at the back. It should fit tightly, but not tightly, to the skin: if it is dressed correctly, mother’s finger can easily pass under it. To prevent the neck from becoming irritated under the “collar,” it is lubricated with baby cream or protective lotion.

It is easy to care for the bandage - it can be washed by hand. cold water any detergent for children's things, rinse thoroughly and dry flat. Do not place the collar on a radiator or hang it over the stove to help it dry faster! When drying near heat sources, orthopedic products lose their shape and cease to perform their functions.

Exercise therapy and physiotherapy

In addition to treatment with the Shants collar, the baby is prescribed neck and shoulder massage and physical therapy. Massage and exercises relax tense muscles, helping the orthopedic splint “work.” In simple cases, the “collar” that is bothering the baby will be removed faster.

Additionally, the baby is prescribed electrophoresis and dry heat(paraffin heating). Electrophoresis is done in a physiotherapy room in a clinic: electrodes in cases made of drug-impregnated fabric are placed on the neck on both sides and a weak light is passed through them. electricity. Ions medicinal product begin to move and penetrate through the skin into the cells of the body.

Paraffin heating as prescribed by an orthopedist can be performed at home. Make sure the paraffin is warm, not hot!

• Cut out “patterns” from oilcloth for the compress (neck and collar area).
• Heat the baking sheet a little in the oven, take it out and place the finished patterns on it.
• Melt the paraffin in a saucepan over a water bath and carefully pour it onto the compress forms.
• When the molds have cooled, apply a compress and wrap a scarf or blanket on top.

The duration of warming up is from half an hour to an hour. After it, the skin is lubricated with baby cream, a massage is given and a Shants collar is put on.

After birth, the young mother and the neonatologist may notice that the baby has a short neck. In a newborn baby it is often quite easy to diagnose this syndrome, because you can clearly see how the child shrinks all over and the neck seems to simply disappear.

Short neck syndrome in a newborn can be a consequence of chromosomal diseases as a result of compaction of the vertebral bodies, or it can be observed in a child after suffering a birth injury, which contributed to damage to the cervical spine and spinal cord during the passage of the child through the birth canal.

Short neck syndrome: treatment

If the baby has a short neck, then an osteopathic doctor may prescribe wearing a special Shants collar. which is a bandage made of soft materials designed to fix the cervical spine. A newborn baby is put on it immediately from birth, as soon as the neonatologist noticed that the baby’s short neck causes weakening of the muscles, pressing of the shoulders up and restless sleep. In this case, wearing a collar can improve the blood supply to the brain. You should carefully consider the process of wearing such a collar. The duration of its use is determined by the doctor in each specific case in accordance with the severity of short neck syndrome in the baby.

In addition to wearing a collar, the doctor may additionally prescribe physiotherapy (electrophoresis) and therapeutic massage.

This syndrome poses a danger to child's body and requires close attention, since when the neck is shortened, there is an increased tone of the shoulders and their excessive elevation. This increased tone of the collar zone contributes to oxygen starvation certain parts of the brain, as a result of which the child may experience vision problems in the future. Therefore, it is important to recognize short neck syndrome in time and begin comprehensive treatment.

Short neck syndrome in infants photo

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