You may wonder why a baby should be adjusted. Many people don’t realize that the birth process can sometimes be highly traumatic, not just for the mother, but also for the child. Sometimes, as the baby makes their way through the birthing canal, they can get stuck. When that occurs, there may be some intervention required (e.g. forceps or suction) to remove the baby.
‘But I Had a Normal Delivery’
There’s also birth trauma with a “normal” vaginal delivery. It’s estimated that there’s about 90 pounds of pressure forced on the cervical spine during a normal birth extraction. That’s without any forceps or suction used.
Torticollis
When a baby gets stuck in the canal, that can cause subluxations, or fixated vertebrae in the spine. That can also lead to torticollis, which affects the baby’s neck rotation. You may notice that your baby tilts their head and likes to feed on the right side but not the left. Or vice versa. “I tell moms if they notice a baby favors one breast over the other to bring them in to get checked,” said Dr. Christie.
When Should I Bring My Baby in?
Dr. Christie adjusted her two young daughters within an hour of birth. The youngest patient she saw was less than 24 hours old. Dr. Christie and Dr. Molly are both Webster certified and specialize in pregnancy and pediatrics. They are comfortable seeing babies hours old. Dr. Christie has had new moms stop by Christie Chiropractic on the way home from the hospital to get checked and have their baby checked.
We encourage moms and parents to bring Baby in as soon as possible, and recommend not going more than two weeks out to get them adjusted. That way, we can avoid latching and other breastfeeding issues, so that window is critical.
Safe & Gentle Adjustments
Rest assured that with newborns there is no cracking or popping involved in the adjustment. Our chiropractors use very light force. The amount of pressure that’s applied to the area of fixation is no more than what we would apply to an eyeball. Gentle cranial work is also used sometimes.
Frequency of Visits
You may wonder how often you should bring your newborn in. It varies, but we recommend at least getting your infant checked right away. If there are no issues, then we recommend wellness preventative care as your baby develops. We can help ensure your little one reaches all those critical milestones and stays healthy.
If other issues are present, we would have you bring your baby in more frequently. For example, if your infant has plagiocephaly or torticollis, the frequency could be weekly for several weeks depending on the child.
Contact us today to book an appointment for pediatric chiropractic care!