Why Do Babies Need Chiropractic?
Most people are surprised to learn that babies, some within hours of birth, have their spines checked by a Chiropractor. Once the facts are explained though, most parents see that having their child’s spine checked can be an important part of their healthcare.

Birth
Birth often causes the first spinal misalignments and cord tension in a child. Plenty of pressure goes on their head and neck during contractions and when the baby passes down through the birth canal. The immense compression and then stretching of the baby’s delicate spine involved in even “normal” delivery is very stressful. A difficult birth, forceps or vacuum extraction or caesarian birth can only increase the stress on a newborns delicate spine.

Babies' Health
This nerve interference can cause many health problems. In a German study of newborns with vomiting, hyperactivity or sleeplessness, manual examination revealed spinal abnormalities in 95% of the group. The authors recommend spinal adjustments and note that the newborns…“frequently resulted in immediate quieting, cessation of crying, muscle relaxation and sleepiness”. They noted that spinal misalignments in the upper neck caused “many clinical features from central motor impairment and development, vomiting and digestive problems, elimination problems, to lowered resistance to infections, especially ear, nose and throat infections.” (Gutmann G. Manuelle Medizin 1987 25:5-10)

When Does a Baby need a Spinal Checkup?
Every child goes through the stress of being born. Then in the first year of a child’s life a child’s spine grows by 50%, or between 24 and 36 centimeters. It is during this time that a child’s spine starts to develop the essential secondary curves in their neck and low back. Infants in learning to crawl, stand and walk are constantly falling and jarring their spines. Since the first year of life is so important for spinal development and the potential for trauma is high, we believe that Chiropractic spinal checkups are particularly important at this time.

When Should Children see a Chiropractor?
Children continue to grow over the years and as Chiropractors we see that spinal problems can occurr from trips, falls, carrying heavy schoolbags and hundreds of other things that kids do. We find that spinal misalignments occur in most children and can go unnoticed simply because the child has not complained of symptoms. Just as a dentist would not recommend that you wait until a child complains of a toothache before they have a dental check-up, we recommend that parents not wait for back pain before they have their children’s spine checked. Have your children checked today!

Does it hurt?
Chiropractors specializing in children use very specific, gentle techniques to care for children - our contacts are a light pressure similar to that with which you would touch your eyeball. The result is a safe, relaxing experience for children. Often babies are asleep when they’re being checked and stay asleep throughout their entrainment.

Spinal checkups are vital...
Some common conditions, which may be the result of poor spinal health, are:

Allergies, bedwetting, asthma, breastfeeding difficulties, ear infections, sinus trouble, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorders, behavior and learning difficulties, colic, scoliosis, decreased immunity, common cold, constipation, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, infantile torticollis, poor concentration, back aches, headaches, nervousness, skin disorders, pain, poor posture.