There are many benefits to bringing an infant to a chiropractor that are extremely important to talk about.
The number one thing that we always check the babies for early on is misalignment in the neck. The first thing that happens if you’re fortunate enough to have a baby head down four to six weeks prior, the baby is head down with its neck flexed for an extended period of time. That in and of itself can create a misalignment in the neck.
Then the baby comes out through the birth canal. Typically, the head will crown first, then the doctor will gently turn the child’s neck to get the shoulders to go vertical, and then they give a little pull to take the baby out through the birth canal. And sometimes that pulling and turning the neck can create a misalignment or what a chiropractor would call a subluxation. It is so important to get that cleared out early because as the twig is bent so grows the tree. Any pressure on the infant’s neck with a subluxation, if left uncleared, can actually develop into significant problems later. A lot of times you’ll see these babies with a head flop to one side, they won’t take both breasts, they have trouble latching, all these different things. It is so important to make sure that the neck is aligned immediately after birth. That would be the biggest benefit for bringing them in before the first month.
Another reason to bring an infant to a chiropractor is that chiropractic care supports their physical development. There are a lot of changes that go on in an infant in short periods of time. The lower back and the neck curves start to form when they start to sit and lift their head, and without proper alignment the spinal curves may not develop properly which can affect their physical development, and that is super important.
Chiropractic care boosts their recovery after birth. The birth process, as we said, can create misalignments and affect the nerve system in the child’s body. Gentle chiropractic adjustments for babies can help correct nerve issues, ease the tension and strain on the muscles and ligaments as well, and get their spine aligned early and properly. That way you can be assured that there is no nerve dysfunction that can lead to reflux breathing issues, sleeping difficulties, or colicky symptoms.
Chiropractic care can absolutely help ease the nerve system and bring it to a lower resting tension, which will ease colicky symptoms. An underactive, immature gastrointestinal system can lead to gas build up and indigestion. These are the primary things that we see in colicky babies. Again, the gastrointestinal system is a hundred percent run and regulated by the nerve system so irritation to the nerve system will negatively impact the digestive system and cause colicky symptoms.
Chiropractic care is going to improve the immune system. Again, another system totally run by the nerve system. Since your nerve system runs through the spine any misalignment of the spine can cause the nerve pathways to become irritated and impact all the systems, including the immune system. So, those general adjustments will realign the vertebrae and boost the little one’s immune system and immune fighting cells to really improve overall neuro regulation of the immune system.
It is so important to get these kids checked. As they get older, when they learn to walk, they fall 20 or 30 times a day. Every time there’s a force introduced to the spine it can create misalignments which can irritate the nerve system. Correcting a child’s spinal misalignments through chiropractic care offers so many health benefits and improves their wellbeing.
While searching for a chiropractor, you always want to make sure that they have some experience with infants, children, and maternity care. The ICPA is the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and that’s their website is the best way to find a chiropractor. That is where I got my Webster Certification. If you are considering bringing a child to a chiropractor, you want to look for that Webster Certification or membership to the ICPA.
So those are my tips about the benefits of getting kids checked and why it’s important to get them checked early. And if anyone needs more information, I’ll be happy to chat with them and talk more.
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