It’s better to grow healthy kids than fix injured adults.
It is common to get strange looks from people I talk to about taking infants and toddlers to the chiropractor. I know what is going through their heads: Is it safe? Babies don’t have back pain. Do babies get adjusted the same way I do? These are legitimate concerns for any parent, but to answer them I will begin with the most important question: Why?
Being born is tough work. Birth in its many different forms can be quite traumatic. While each birth is unique, there is always a chance that the baby suffers some sort of strain due to a variety of reasons. Even the most natural births can result in trauma that goes undetected. Left uncorrected, this trauma continues to impact a baby’s spinal growth and development, reducing the healthy function of your baby’s nerve system. This can cause many health challenges later in life that could easily have been prevented.
A baby’s spine lengthens by 50 percent in his first year. At no other time does this growth happen so rapidly. This is a crucial time period to make sure your baby is in proper alignment, ensuring symmetrical growth and movement, development of the spinal curves for a solid foundation for life and optimal neurological development. The central nerve system consists of the brain and spinal cord, and it processes everything that your body does. Movement, a heartbeat, seeing a baby smile, feeling the sun on your skin, laughing, smelling, creativity—all are coordinated by the brain and spinal cord.
What can nerve dysfunction from birth trauma look like?
trouble breathing
reflux/frequent spitting up
irritability/colic
difficulty nursing (impaired sucking/swallowing or head positioning)
balance issues
fussiness with “tummy time”
sleeping difficulty
delayed developmental milestones
immune challenges
Chiropractors who take care of babies and toddlers look for disturbances in their nerve systems that interfere with healthy growth and development.
When adjusting a newborn, a skilled chiropractor will only use the amount of pressure that you would use to comfortably push on your eye. The child gets checked by hand, often on Mommy or Daddy’s lap, and gentle pressure is applied. That’s all there is to it. It’s simple, safe, and effective. Many parents, myself included, have their children checked regularly by chiropractors as part of a healthy lifestyle to help them develop to their potential. Chiropractic is a safe, gentle, and effective way to address nerve dysfunction and promote overall wellness in the newborn and growing child.