Chiropractic and the "unsettled" baby
Recently, I was invited to present a lecture to mothers and mothers-to-be from the Hills District Playgroups Association in Castle Hill. Thanks to Sally for organising the event and thanks to Brent Gordon from Shirley Rd Chiropractic, for preparing such an interesting and engaging multimedia package.
Of the many topics concerning babies and chiropractic, the one that created most interest was deformational plagiocephaly (flat skull as a potential cause/result of an unsettled baby.
Typically the symptoms of an unsettled baby will start at day 9 – day 14, and may include:
- Crying excessively, especially when the basics of hunger, warmth, nappies and sleep are attended to;
- Startling easily, after a subtle movement like putting a sleeping baby in its cot, the noise of a car outside, or the phone ringing;
- Colic symptoms, including high-pitched scream, pulling knees into chest and arching back as if there is pain in the abdomen;
- Pulling off the breast, even if still hungry, and appearing to be irritated. This can be misunderstood as a lack of breast milk, often leading to the introduction of bottle-feeding;
- Waking easily and poor re-settling. These babies will often sleep when exhausted and wake after only one full sleep cycle (usually lasting 30-45 minutes).
These are all signs of brainstem (midbrain) wind-up (over-stimulation), which may be due to a poorly-coordinated cranio-dural system.
The cranial bones and the tough protective layers (dura) that cover the brain may become misaligned or strained during traumatic events, including birth. The strain within the dura is what may place pressure on the underlying central nervous system (brainstem), resulting in a stressed or irritable baby.
An assessment performed by one of the chiropractors at Shirley Rd Chiropractic (Crows Nest / Norwest) can help to identify if your child is affected by restricted movement, or strain, of the cranio-dural system.
Read more about or see images of children with plagiocephaly.