Chiropractic Care For Newborn Babies
Posted on: 9 December 2016
If you already attend a chiropractic clinic as an adult, you may be wondering if registering your baby for a check-up would be worthwhile. So, what could your local children's chiropractor do for your little one? Read on for more information.
Chiropractic care for babies
Just like adults, kids can be subject to musculoskeletal problems that can cause pain or limit movement; even newborns can suffer cranial or spinal trauma during their journey down the birth canal.
Most chiropractors are qualified and experienced in 'baby massage', more correctly known as 'cranial adjustment'. This practice involves gentle, hands-on treatment and massage of the baby's head. No forceful, manipulative techniques are used, and drugs are not prescribed.
Your newborn baby's head is made from cartilage, rather than bone. This cartilage sets down the foundation upon which the child's skull develops, and it can be gently moved around. Sometimes during birth, the plates of cartilage can become misaligned, causing the underlying cranial nerves and membranes to be compromised. The cranial nerves control many bodily functions, including:
- swallowing and sucking
- movement of the head
- eye movement (focus and tracking)
- respiratory function
- heart function
- digestive tract function
Often problems in these areas arise following forceps, Ventouse or Cesarean-section deliveries. You may find that your baby has trouble sucking or is reluctant to settle and sleep; perhaps they are proving slow to focus on their surroundings, even after a few weeks.
Baby massage can help to detect and correct misaligned nerves, relieving pain and solving problems that have no obvious physical cause. During your baby's consultation, the chiropractor will also carry out a pelvic and spinal assessment and a full orthopaedic and neurological examination.
Because a young baby's tissues and bones are soft and malleable, they will typically respond much more quickly to chiropractic treatment than an adult. For this reason, many babies only require a few treatments in order to make notable differences to their wellbeing.
In conclusion
You may find it extremely beneficial for your baby to visit your chiropractor for an assessment, particularly if you had a traumatic experience during childbirth. Clearly, a newborn baby can't 'tell' you if they is feeling pain or having difficulty in feeding. However, these problems may be due to trauma to the baby's cranial nerves during birth, and a visit to your children's chiropractor for an assessment and a baby massage might be all it takes to put things right.
For more advice and information about chiropractics for newborn and very young babies, why not have a chat with your local chiropractor today?
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