Chiropractic Care for Babies & Kids
After Libby was born, the first place we went was our family chiropractic office. That’s right: before we even went home, we went to Chiropractic Connection in Gulf Shores, Alabama to get an adjustment. Are you thinking I am crazy? That it is weird that I chose to opt for chiropractic care before settling in with a newborn at home? Maybe I am.
This blog post is going to cover why I have utilized chiropractic care for my daughter since literally the day she was born and why I will continue to do so for the rest of her life. It should be informative for why ALL babies should see a chiropractor after birth and what to expect at a chiropractic visit for a baby!
*Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. This is my experience from being a mom and from working in the healthcare field for over 7 years. This post may contain affiliate links meaning I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using these links. I only recommend products I love and trust. To see our full disclosure, click here.
What is Chiropractic Care?
If you’ve received chiropractic care, you can just skip over this little section. This is going to be a very simplistic answer to something that is actually really complex. But, to put it simply, chiropractors are doctors that are specifically educated and trained to correct spinal misalignments. They do this by manipulating the spine (adjustments). Our bones are supposed to be in perfect alignment for optimal health. However, the trials and tribulations of life cause us to unknowingly “knock” ourselves out of alignment. Anything can cause a misalignment in our spine- falling, sleeping weird, poor posture, car accidents, exercising, and the list goes on and on.
Note: if you're "popping" your own neck or back, you're not adjusting it. You're just causing more issues later on down the line- you're causing an even worse misalignment. This is true even if it feels good at the time. QUIT POPPING YOUR OWN BODYYYYYYYY. [Mic drop]
Why Babies & Kids See Chiropractors
Are you thinking “But Christina, babies are brand spanking new- life hasn’t happened to them yet”? The truth is, birth is, in my opinion, one of the most likely things to cause a misalignment in the spine. Think about the little bitty space that we come out of and the interventions that are used normally. This is true for vaginal births and caesarean births.
My daughter, Libby, was supposed to be born at home using a midwife. However, sometimes, life hands ya crap and you don’t get what ya want, and then we had to transfer to the hospital during her birth. You can read my first homebirth story here!
If you’ve read Libby’s birth story, then you know that her delivery was traumatic- both mentally and physically. Her APGAR score was a 2 when she was born. 10 is the best and 1 is the worst, so that should give you an idea of how she was doing when she entered our world earthside. One of the interventions that we experienced was vacuum extraction. I believe that interventions are one of the number one causes of misalignments in the spine during birth- let’s talk about them:
Interventions During Birth
Vacuum extraction: they literally are pretty much sucking a baby out of the birth canal with a vacuum. So, it attaches to the top of the head and the baby is pulled on with the vacuum. Think of how your neck would feel if you laid on your back and had something attached to your head and jerking you around. A misalignment is bound to occur and it will stay present unless it is corrected by a professional.
Forceps: basically same premise as above.
Induction: this can actually rush or stall a birth. If it’s rushed, then a baby could exit the birth canal like a freight train. If it is stalled, it could lead to even more interventions.
Handling in general: if you have ever watched how babies are handled when they’re born- you should. Some videos are downright terrifying and aggressive.
Other Contributors
Birth position: sometimes babies are not in the best position while they’re in utero. Imagine being crammed into a position for months where you can’t stretch out or relieve yourself of an uncomfortable position. The body is smart- it is going to move muscles and bones to a position that will alleviate some of the pressure of the uncomfortable position- a misalignment.
Repeated habits: this is why tummy time is so important. If a baby is constantly on its back, they could develop a flat head (chiropractors can work on this too, by the way)! Babies also may develop a preferred side for nursing- another repeated movement that can cause a misalignment.
Falls: this should be obvious why this could potentially cause a misalignment.
Symptoms Chiropractic Care Can Help With
Being a new mom is tough and I will be transparent in saying that Libby has been a very easy baby. I attribute this to raising her with intention: her diet and her receiving chiropractic care from the beginning. Each adjustment that she receives is helping her nervous system function better. A properly functioning nervous system will have appropriate immune responses (less sickness, less ear infections), proper cognitive functioning (more mental clarity, better learning capabilities), proper bowel function (regular bowel movements, correct consistency, proper toxin eradication), and the list goes on.
I have worked at a chiropractic office for over 8 years and we have seen countless babies/children in the office! Here’s some common symptoms they were experiencing (all of which chiropractic helped immensely):
Colic
Constipation
Ear infections
Trouble with breast feeding (latching, side preference)
ADD/ADHD
Autism
Poor sleep (frequent wake up/inability to fall asleep)
Bedwetting (older ages that should not be wetting the bed)
Outburst (anger, erratic behavior)
Failure to thrive
Torticollis (head turned to a certain side or side preference)
Growing pains (believe it or not- it is not normal for kids to have growing pains)
Delayed milestones (like not crawling correctly, not walking when expected, etc)
Frequent sickness
I am probably forgetting some, but you get the gist: chiropractic can help with amazing things.
How to Find a Chiropractor for Children
I want to heed caution here: you should not take your baby/kid to see just any ole’ chiropractor you may pass by in the car. No. Just no. You want one that is Webster Certified. Why?
“Our focus in teaching lies in covering all aspects of family well-being from conception, pregnancy, through the care of infants and children. “
Quote from the ICPA website
These chiropractors are specifically trained to see children. It is very gentle and it is a thorough training. I don’t know about you but I want my daughter to be seen by someone who knows how to properly adjust a child- not someone who is yanking and cranking away. Follow the link to the ICPA website here to find a chiropractor near you that is specifically trained to see pregnant women, babies, children and adults.
What to Expect
When we see a baby/kid at our office, our doctors perform a comprehensive exam to evaluate milestones and other neurological signs of what could be contributing to certain symptoms. We also perform thermal scans in our office that can give the doctors better insight into possible misalignments and how the muscles are holding the bones overall. Then, the child receives an adjustment. Adjustments for children and babies is very gentle. In babies, there's no popping because their bones are still so soft and malleable. Pressure is applied during adjustments and it is as gentle as checking the ripeness of an avocado.
Based on the exam, thermal scan and consultation, the doctors will provide a recommended frequency for the child to come back. Each adjustment builds on the last. One chiropractic adjustment is not going to be a magical cure all! It kills me when people bring in their baby that has had an ear infection consistently for 8 months and think one adjustment is going to magically cure everything. No. It takes consistency. It takes multiple adjustments to retrain the body to hold our bones in the correct place.
The Gist of Chiropractic Care
To sum all of this up, seeing a chiropractor for children (and adults) has a ton of health benefits! My 2 year old daughter and 1 month old son see our chiropractor at least once a week. She slips, she falls, she bonks her head on things. All of these things could cause her to be out of alignment, which could lead to poor functioning in her body. I want her to have the best life possible and I want her to have the best health possible. I believe this all starts with healing her body naturally with chiropractic adjustments.