Understanding Infant Chiropractic Care
The importance of a properly functioning spine and nervous system for a developing baby or child cannot be understated. The old adage, “As the twig grows, so grows the tree,” relates the importance of a properly developing spinal column in a child.
Many spinal problems seen in adult life occur during early childhood. At birth a newborn’s spine endures a tremendous amount of stress and trauma. During delivery a child’s head may be rotated up to 180 degrees and pulled on with huge amounts of pressure. Just as in an adult body, misalignments of a newborn’s spinal bones can cause decreased nerve function throughout the body. Such conditions can lead to colic, poor appetite, breathing difficulties, ear infections and allergic reactions. If left untreated any misalignments of the spine that occur during the birth can progress into much more serious conditions later on in life.
Chiropractic adjusting techniques are modified to fit a child’s size, weight, and unique spinal problems. By properly applying gentle pressure to the misaligned segment a chiropractor can restore proper spinal structure and function. Such vertebral corrections promote proper spinal function that is extremely important for proper growth during a child’s rapid stages of development.
Dr. Ribley is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association www.icpa4kids.org
