NEWBORNS & CHIROPRACTIC CARE

Many parents are unaware of the benefits of chiropractic for newborns. It seems to defy logic that a baby, brand new to this world, would have any health issues that would warrant a visit to a pediatric chiropractor, however, birth can be quite traumatic on your little one's spine. Initiating chiropractic care from the beginning of life can address any injuries or subluxations that may have occurred during the birth process and set the newborn up for a lifetime of health and well-being.

Labor and delivery isn’t just difficult for the mother—the infant also experiences the physical stress and strain of the birth process. Only about 2 percent of births in the United States result in physical injury to the infant. This percentage is extremely low as injuries often go unnoticed and injuries to the spine may be painless (or adults not recognizing discomfort/pain signs), making it difficult to identify. These injuries can cause nerve system damage or interference which in many cases leads to other health issues. The only way to determine if an injury has occurred is through an infant chiropractic care evaluation.

​

More common and noticeable injuries are brachial plexus palsy (injury to the nerves in the baby’s arm), bone fractures, cephalohematoma (hemorrhage of blood between the skull and outer membrane of the bone), facial paralysis, spinal cord injuries and caput succedaneum (swelling of the scalp). Although more noticeable, chiropractic is often not sought for care even though these injuries are directly related to the spine and therefore chiropractic care can be an effective co-treatment.

Spinal subluxation occurs when one or more spinal vertebrae move out of position, creating stress or irritation on nearby nerves, which prevents the body from functioning optimally. One of the three most common causes of subluxation is trauma.

​

Minor and/or major trauma can occur to an infant as they travel through the narrow birth canal, and even more possible if medical staff use interventions like forceps, vacuums, or using their hands to pull the baby out. Trauma from interventions are also likely happen during a caesarian section procedure. These traumas often result in subluxations—infant chiropractic care can help alleviate these issues through gentle adjustments. These adjustments remove the subluxation and allow the body to function optimally.

Birth injury may occur due to use of tools during birth. Doctors and medical staff will often use vacuum suction and forceps to reposition the baby’s head or to pull the baby out if pushing is proving ineffective. Doctors will also pull on the baby’s limbs or head. Any of these techniques can result in subluxations of the spine.

​

To give you an idea of how much pressure is put on a baby’s spine during an intervention, such as forceps or pulling baby out, imagine someone holding a baby solely by it’s head (body dangling freely) and then bouncing the child up and down. Not a situation parents would ever let their newborn baby be in, but the same type of pressure is being applied on a baby’s spine when medical interventions are used.

Immediately following or soon after birth, it’s important to have your infant checked by a pediatric chiropractor to determine if any subluxation occurred. Many chiropractors have pediatric certifications and Dr. Capes has a focus in infant and children adjustments, and chiropractic adjustments on infants are proven to be safe and gentle. Research has shown a correlation between chiropractic care and a reduction in the symptoms of colic, ear infection, ADHD and more.