title: Comparison of clinical severity of congenital muscular torticollis based on the method of child birth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical severity of congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) based on the method of child birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children diagnosed with CMT and who were < 6-years-of-age at the time of their first visit at the Center for Torticollis, Ajou Medical Center, were included in this study. The medical records were retrospectively reviewed with reference to the method of child birth and the clinical severity of CMT. The clinical severity of CMT was determined either by whether stretching exercises were needed for the children <6-month-of-age or whether surgical release was required for the children ≥6-months-of-age at the time of the first visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred seventy eight subjects with CMT were enrolled. There was no significant difference in the rate of surgical release according to the method of child birth. For 132 patients <6-month-of-age there was also no significant difference in the rate of stretching exercises.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no significant difference in the clinical severity of CMT based on the method of child birth. This finding suggests that prenatal factors alone could be a cause of CMT and that the clinical severity of CMT in children delivered by Cesarean section is not different when compared with the severity of CMT in children born through vaginal delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon 442-749, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae Deok
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Han Byul
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jee Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Se Yon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myong Chul
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Shin-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yim