The nurse is evaluating the outcome of parent teaching for a baby born with torticollis. Which observation by the nurse indicates that parent teaching has been successful?

Choice A rationale Torticollis, or wry neck, is characterized by a shortened sternocleidomastoid muscle, causing the head to be tilted toward the affected side and the chin rotated toward the opposite shoulder. Rolling onto the side to look from the opposite direction does not directly address the muscular imbalance and positional preference. The goal of treatment is for the child to actively rotate the head away from the affected side. Choice B rationale Elevation of the shoulder of the affected muscle is a common associated postural compensation observed in children with torticollis due to the shortened muscle pulling the head down and toward the same side. This observation indicates the condition is still present or that the compensatory posture persists, rather than signifying successful teaching or resolution of the underlying muscular tightness. Choice C rationale The child looking in the direction opposite of the affected muscle is the desired outcome of treatment for torticollis, which involves stretching the tight sternocleidomastoid muscle and strengthening the opposing neck muscles. This observation indicates that the parents are correctly implementing positioning and stretching exercises that encourage active rotation away from the limited side. Choice D rationale The child looking in the direction of the affected muscle is the natural resting posture or preferred head position caused by the shortened sternocleidomastoid muscle in torticollis. This observation would indicate that the parent teaching has not been successful, as the therapeutic goal is to encourage the child to actively stretch the affected muscle by rotating the head toward the unaffected side.