SOUTH
SHORE FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC
Monthly News - March 2010
"Chiropractic for Newborns?"
Recently my niece had a beautiful baby girl. My mother suggested to her and her family that Dr. Bill check the newborn for vertebral subluxations and the answer that she received was “Really??!!” I hear this same exact response all the time when I suggest to new mothers or to mothers with young children that their children get checked. I know that Dr. Bill receives similar responses from his patients. This got me thinking. So I ask you, If you are seeing results from being under Chiropractic care and are experiencing relief from symptoms you may have been having, wouldn't you want the same for the young children you know, even the newborns? These little ones are at the beginning stages of what will become degenerative changes, so it is so imperative to halt the progress as soon as possible. Children who have been under chiropractic care from very early ages show significantly less signs of the symptoms and ramifications associated with degenerative vertebrae. So, here is my response to those who reply “Really??!!” to Chiropractic care for newborns.
The examination and chiropractic care for newborns are unique. Newborns have not been exposed to the usual stresses and lifestyles of an adult patient; however, they have just completed one of the greatest but most demanding experiences we make as humans…Birth! There is a simple evaluation done by some chiropractors which is done instead of taking x-rays and exposing the baby to unnecessary radiation. The test is referred to as the “Reverse Fencer Maneuver” and it works for babies up to six months of age. Many factors may affect the upper cervical spine (upper neck) during birth. The mother’s pelvis might not always have an ideal shape and size to accommodate to the stresses of delivering the baby with ease. The head of the newborn can sometimes be too big. Whatever the circumstances, some newborns are pulled into the world with too much force, too much twisting, etc. The process of helping a newborn come out of the mother easily forces the small bones of the neck out of their normal alignment, creating a vertebral subluxation. Early detection and correction of vertebral subluxation is paramount to proper infant development, leading to a happy & healthy child. Studies suggest that colic, unusual crying, poor appetite, ear infections or erratic sleeping habits can be signs of spinal distress. Pediatric adjustments are gentle. Knowing exactly where to adjust, the doctor applies no more pressure than you would use to test the ripeness of a tomato.
Lori Byrnes |
