Chiropractic care for the whole family, Part 2

Part 2, Newborns and Infants

It may seem odd, the thought of having a newborn baby or infant getting their spine checked.  On the contrary chiropractic care can have significant benefits for the newborn baby and infant as it can for the adult. As chiropractors we look to remove stress or strain on the nervous systems of babies and infants by restoring normal function and posture to the spine.  The physiology on this subject can be rather difficult to grasp, but it does exist as several studies have been able to confirm it.  In fact there is even medical literature that describes a relationship between dysfunction of the upper neck vertebrae and possible negative effects on brain stem functions.   These functions mostly are cardiac or pulmonary regulation, which is heart and lung function. This is an important area of the nervous system to have functioning properly without any stress or strain.

How can a newborn have an injury to their spine that causes stress or strain on their nervous system?  The answer can be best described in a picture.

This is the image of a C-Section birth, see how the newborn is being held up by its head.  How much stress or strain is that on its neck, spinal cord, and brain stem?  It may not take much pressure to stress or strain that babies neck so after birth is a good time to get his or her spine checked.  Even in the cases of a normal birth the head or neck may be stressed and strained, try a google images search on birth and see for yourself. 



I would like to add that I do not believe its common practice for OB's pull or twist a babies head while it is being born.  In our case, our daughter was basically caught by our OB, without the use of any aids such as forceps or a vacuum extraction.  This is a conversation that any pregnant mother should have with their OB to have the most minimally invasive birth that is possible with regards to the safety and health of both mother and baby.

Our job as chiropractors is to examine the newborn or infants for normal posture, alignment and symmetry.  We do this through observing the child in various positions.  We look for asymmetry of structure and of the spine.  When we find a need to adjust we use very light pressure, usually with just our pinkie finger or thumbs.  Babies do not need, nor do we give them, an adult type of adjustment, just a subtle correction to help reduce that stress or strain on their nervous system. 

Typically we have successfully treated babies and infants for a wide range of conditions, first and foremost is just to be certain there is no stress and strain after birth.  Besides that parents bring babies and infants in for colic, digestive problems, ear aches, coughs and colds just to name a few conditions. A lot of times, some of these symptoms have been checked out by the families pediatrician with no resolution.

Next time you come in and want to know more about how we care for babies and infants, feel free to ask us.