Infants and Babies
Healthy Babies
You do so many things to ensure your baby's health during pregnancy and beyond. You eat right and avoid drugs, alcohol and excessive caffeine when pregnant to ensure the proper growth and development of your baby. Once your baby is born you do everything to make sure your baby is safe, healthy and happy. Your child's pediatrician most likely analyzes every ounce they gain, the food you feed them and how they are sleeping. But how often do you think about your baby's central nervous system, the system that controls every cell, tissue and organ in their body? Just like adults, your baby's spine protects this delicate system, so it is important that you help maintain a healthy alignment with regular chiropractic adjustments.
Have you had your baby's spine checked? How do you know if it's healthy? This is especially difficult when your child is too young to tell you what hurts or how they are feeling. Dr. Clugston is specially trained to check your child's spine for areas of distortion causing nerve damage- subluxations, which can affect your child for his/her entire life. Having your child's spine checked and adjusted is a great way to help maintain their health during these crucial years of development.
The Spine & Infant Health
Research confirms chiropractors' observations that infants may suffer from spinal subluxations. In one study, 1,250 babies were examined five days after birth; 211 of them suffered from vomiting, hyperactivity and sleeplessness. Subluxations were found in 95% of this group. Although the researchers in this study were MDs, they recognized the power of chiropractic care and these babies were given the care they needed. These spinal adjustments "frequently resulted in immediate quieting, cessation of crying, muscular relaxation and sleepiness." The authors noted that an unhealthy spine causes "many clinical features from central motor impairment to lower resistance to infections- especially ear, nose and throat infections" (Gutman). Quite often, babies are born with subluxations. Subluxation damage can be caused by a constricted uterus, a breech presentation or a difficult delivery. Health problems in childhood or even adulthood have been traced back to spinal and structural damage at birth. This is why Dr. Clugston recommends you bring your child in starting at infancy to have their spine checked and adjusted.
Torticollis
If you notice that your infant consistently favors one side of his head, it is likely that he suffers from a relatively common condition known as Torticollis. About one in 250 children are born with this condition, but the good news is the ailment is usually pain-free and can be easily corrected with chiropractic care.
Torticollis occurs when the muscle that connects the collarbone to the skull tightens up to the point where movement is constricted. This could happen due to the positioning of the baby in utero during the different developmental stages, or during possible birth trauma. Receiving chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy is a good preventative measure. These adjustments help position mothers hips correctly, making more space for the baby and helping to get baby head down and in the optimal position for birth.
The first step to correcting Torticollis is getting your child checked and diagnosed if you suspect a problem. If Torticollis is left untreated it can cause your child's head to be asymmetrical due to constant pressure on one side. X-rays, ultrasounds and other examinations are often needed to diagnose this condition.
Many pediatricians will refer their infant patients to a physical therapist to treat Torticollis. While physical therapy can be a great form of treatment for some ailments, it is often too harsh on the already tense muscles of an infants neck if they suffer from Torticollis. Stretching out the neck muscles also does not get at the root of the problem: Misalignment of the bones in the upper neck! This misalignment puts a lot of pressure on the nerves, which can lead to a slew of other issues in infancy, such as ear infections and difficult breast feeding.
Pediatric Chiropractic is NOT the same as chiropractic for adults. Many parents are afraid to take their infant to a chiropractor because they believe their baby will get the exact same treatment they do. This is completely false. An infant does not need much applied pressure to correct a subluxation of the spine. Pediatric adjustments are gentle and often only require fingertip pressure to realign their tiny spines.
The bottom line is: If you can restore some movement in the cervical spine, the muscles will go back into a state of ease on their own, preventing the physical therapy and surgery many infants with Torticollis would require without chiropractic care.
When Does A Baby Need A Chiropractic Checkup?
According to the chiropractic pediatric specialist Larry Webster, DC, there are six times in a baby's first year of life when chiropractic examinations are especially important:
You do so many things to ensure your baby's health during pregnancy and beyond. You eat right and avoid drugs, alcohol and excessive caffeine when pregnant to ensure the proper growth and development of your baby. Once your baby is born you do everything to make sure your baby is safe, healthy and happy. Your child's pediatrician most likely analyzes every ounce they gain, the food you feed them and how they are sleeping. But how often do you think about your baby's central nervous system, the system that controls every cell, tissue and organ in their body? Just like adults, your baby's spine protects this delicate system, so it is important that you help maintain a healthy alignment with regular chiropractic adjustments.
Have you had your baby's spine checked? How do you know if it's healthy? This is especially difficult when your child is too young to tell you what hurts or how they are feeling. Dr. Clugston is specially trained to check your child's spine for areas of distortion causing nerve damage- subluxations, which can affect your child for his/her entire life. Having your child's spine checked and adjusted is a great way to help maintain their health during these crucial years of development.
The Spine & Infant Health
Research confirms chiropractors' observations that infants may suffer from spinal subluxations. In one study, 1,250 babies were examined five days after birth; 211 of them suffered from vomiting, hyperactivity and sleeplessness. Subluxations were found in 95% of this group. Although the researchers in this study were MDs, they recognized the power of chiropractic care and these babies were given the care they needed. These spinal adjustments "frequently resulted in immediate quieting, cessation of crying, muscular relaxation and sleepiness." The authors noted that an unhealthy spine causes "many clinical features from central motor impairment to lower resistance to infections- especially ear, nose and throat infections" (Gutman). Quite often, babies are born with subluxations. Subluxation damage can be caused by a constricted uterus, a breech presentation or a difficult delivery. Health problems in childhood or even adulthood have been traced back to spinal and structural damage at birth. This is why Dr. Clugston recommends you bring your child in starting at infancy to have their spine checked and adjusted.
Torticollis
If you notice that your infant consistently favors one side of his head, it is likely that he suffers from a relatively common condition known as Torticollis. About one in 250 children are born with this condition, but the good news is the ailment is usually pain-free and can be easily corrected with chiropractic care.
Torticollis occurs when the muscle that connects the collarbone to the skull tightens up to the point where movement is constricted. This could happen due to the positioning of the baby in utero during the different developmental stages, or during possible birth trauma. Receiving chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy is a good preventative measure. These adjustments help position mothers hips correctly, making more space for the baby and helping to get baby head down and in the optimal position for birth.
The first step to correcting Torticollis is getting your child checked and diagnosed if you suspect a problem. If Torticollis is left untreated it can cause your child's head to be asymmetrical due to constant pressure on one side. X-rays, ultrasounds and other examinations are often needed to diagnose this condition.
Many pediatricians will refer their infant patients to a physical therapist to treat Torticollis. While physical therapy can be a great form of treatment for some ailments, it is often too harsh on the already tense muscles of an infants neck if they suffer from Torticollis. Stretching out the neck muscles also does not get at the root of the problem: Misalignment of the bones in the upper neck! This misalignment puts a lot of pressure on the nerves, which can lead to a slew of other issues in infancy, such as ear infections and difficult breast feeding.
Pediatric Chiropractic is NOT the same as chiropractic for adults. Many parents are afraid to take their infant to a chiropractor because they believe their baby will get the exact same treatment they do. This is completely false. An infant does not need much applied pressure to correct a subluxation of the spine. Pediatric adjustments are gentle and often only require fingertip pressure to realign their tiny spines.
The bottom line is: If you can restore some movement in the cervical spine, the muscles will go back into a state of ease on their own, preventing the physical therapy and surgery many infants with Torticollis would require without chiropractic care.
When Does A Baby Need A Chiropractic Checkup?
According to the chiropractic pediatric specialist Larry Webster, DC, there are six times in a baby's first year of life when chiropractic examinations are especially important:
- After the birth process
- When the baby starts to hold his/her head up
- When the baby sits up
- When the baby starts to crawl
- When the baby starts to stand
- When the baby starts to walk
Healthier Children
Most parents are extremely diligent when it comes to regular checkups for their children's teeth, hearing and vision. Maintaining a child's healthy spine is unfortunately often overlooked. The spine and structural system protect billions of nerve fibers that send messages to every part of their growing bodies. It is crucial that your child's spine is properly aligned to keep their nervous system performing its best. A chiropractic checkup could be one of the most important checkups your child receives!
Just as adults can have blockage of the nerves in the body, causing all kinds of health issues, children can too! Your children may have subluxations in their bodies and may not know it. Babies and young children are also usually incapable of explaining their source of pain. Periodic chiropractic checkups will give you the peace of mind that your child's body is functioning properly and they are free of pain and inflammation.
Whole Family Care
Dr. Clugston loves to see the whole family, from babies to grandparents, coming in for checkups. Many "chiropractic families" report having more energy, improved health and rely less on drugs and medication. It is not unusual to hear parents state that since starting chiropractic care their children are sick less, recover faster from colds, have less ear infections and take less antibiotics and other drugs than their peers.
Physical and Psychological Benefits
For years parents, clinicians and researchers have noticed positive changes in the behavioral, physical and emotional health of children under chiropractic care. Among the observed benefits are improvements in children with hyperactivity, low mental stamina, autism, anxiety, asthma, lack of concentration and discipline problems.
Chiropractic Checkups are Vital
If your child is suffering from any of the following common conditions, it is essential to get his/her spine and body checked for subluxations. Being free of blockages to the flow of energy and information over his/her nervous system can make a big difference in your child's physical and emotional health.
Just as adults can have blockage of the nerves in the body, causing all kinds of health issues, children can too! Your children may have subluxations in their bodies and may not know it. Babies and young children are also usually incapable of explaining their source of pain. Periodic chiropractic checkups will give you the peace of mind that your child's body is functioning properly and they are free of pain and inflammation.
Whole Family Care
Dr. Clugston loves to see the whole family, from babies to grandparents, coming in for checkups. Many "chiropractic families" report having more energy, improved health and rely less on drugs and medication. It is not unusual to hear parents state that since starting chiropractic care their children are sick less, recover faster from colds, have less ear infections and take less antibiotics and other drugs than their peers.
Physical and Psychological Benefits
For years parents, clinicians and researchers have noticed positive changes in the behavioral, physical and emotional health of children under chiropractic care. Among the observed benefits are improvements in children with hyperactivity, low mental stamina, autism, anxiety, asthma, lack of concentration and discipline problems.
Chiropractic Checkups are Vital
If your child is suffering from any of the following common conditions, it is essential to get his/her spine and body checked for subluxations. Being free of blockages to the flow of energy and information over his/her nervous system can make a big difference in your child's physical and emotional health.
|
|
Dr. Clugston's children, Liam (5) and Allie (2.5) have both been adjusted since birth. They receive regular, gentle adjustments and love visiting the office to see dad at work. But Liam and Allie are not the only children Dr. Clugston adjusts. He encourages his patients to bring in their entire family for care and truly enjoys educating them on the benefits of pediatric chiropractic, including: preventing and treating ear infections, asthma, colic and bed wetting; improving sleep; supporting a healthy immune system; and aiding proper growth and development. The nervous system controls every cell, tissue and organ in your entire body, so it is very important that the spine, which protects it, is in proper alignment. If the spine is misaligned it can not only lead to inflammation and pain, but it can damage the nerves, which deliver important messages to the rest of the body. Blocking these messages results in the common health issues children experience such as the ones listed above. Spinal manipulation results in a properly aligned spine and functioning nervous system. When we are proactive with our children’s health and keep their nervous systems working at their optimal levels from early on, we can prevent many problems down the road. After all, "the preservation of health is easier than the cure of the disease" -Dr. B.J. Palmer.