It’s natural for parents to be hesitant to send their infants to a chiropractor, but Doctors of Chiropractic have been treating babies and children for decades. Continuous studies and personal testimonies support both the safety and efficiency of pediatric chiropractic care. -All American Healthcare New Orleans
When you think of a chiropractic adjustment for an adult, you often think of a lot of pressure, cracks, and pops; however, chiropractic care for infants takes on an entirely different approach. Adjustments for infants are gentle and soft.
The pressure used on a baby is equivalent to the pressure one uses to check a tomato for ripeness. Chiropractic care has also proven to be safer and more effective than prescription medications and antibiotics. -The Joint
Just like care for adult, pediatric chiropractic care helps support the nervous system and immune system in growing infants. Regular chiropractic care can also help relieve infants from a variety of problems like ear infections, fussiness, feeding and colic.
Ear Infections
Ear infections are the number one reason for pediatrician visits for infants and young children, accounting for more than 35% of all visits. For some children, ear infections can become chronic, putting them at risk of permanent damage. Today, more parents are looking towards chiropractic care to treat ear infections to avoid using antibiotics or resulting to surgery.
Reoccurring ear infections, also know as otitis media, can often correlate with a misalignment in the spine and often respond favorably to chiropractic adjustments. One study conducted by the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics found convincing results. Researchers studied 332 children ranging in age from 27 days to 5 years old, and each received a series of chiropractic adjustments. 80% of the children did not experience another ear infection within the six month period following the initial visit.
Focusing on certain areas in the back of the head and upper neck will allow the ear to drain itself. The goal is to get the ear to continue to drain itself without a buildup of fluid.
Colic
About 10-20% of babies are affected by colic; however, there is no one clear answer to cure it. The best thing you can do is try one technique at a time to help calm your baby. If it doesn’t work after a few days, try something new. One treatment option includes pediatric chiropractic care.
Chiropractic care has shown some of the best results, with 94% of colicky babies demonstrating improvement with chiropractic adjustments. -Natural News
What is Colic?
Colic usually starts around two weeks of age and will go away on its own after three or four months. Colic is a term that applies to infants who cry more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for more than three weeks. There is no clear cause of colic, but it likely includes gas, stomach pains, over sensitivity, and crying.
Clinical Trial
A clinical trial was conducted in 2012 to examine the effect of chiropractic on infants with colic.The infants were divided into three groups. The first group of infants were treated with chiropractic adjustments and the parents were aware of the treatment. The second group of infants were treated without the parents knowledge, and the third group of infants were untreated and the parents were unaware.
The parents of each group were asked to fill out a 24-hour diary to document the infant’s crying time as well as their overall change for ten days. The two groups of parents with treated infants reported a decrease in their infant’s crying time. Parents who were aware reported a 51% decrease while parents who were unaware reported a 44% change.
Another study conducted in 1999 found similar results. Researchers divided infants suffering from colic into two groups. One group was treated with chiropractic care while the other group was given anti-gas medication. The infants in the chiropractic group reported a 67% decrease in crying while the group on anti-gas medication showed a 38% decrease.
Pediatric Chiropractic Care
Remember, chiropractic care focuses on the nervous and immune system to help the body help itself. We use a drug-free, non-invasive approach to overall wellness and function. Chiropractic adjustments have a wide variety of benefits for people of all ages, including infants. Consider the benefits of conservative treatment options for your children before resulting to drugs or surgery.
Sources: ACA, Healthy Child, Natural News, The Joint
