| You might be surprised to hear that osteopathy for babies is even needed as we tend to think of babies as being free from structural stresses or strains in their newborn bodies. However, the birth process can be quite traumatic.
During the birth there is a lot of compression on the infant’s spine as the contractions force the baby out. Contractions and the pressure of birth also deform the shape of the cranial bones, although in most cases the head settles into a normal shape after birth. However if the labour is long or forceps or a suction cap is used, a lot of stress can be placed on the cranium and ligaments on the inside that support the brain, ear, nose and throat area.
This may lead to colic, reflux, irritability or recurrent ear infections. These babies benefit greatly from subtle cranial techniques to settle the cranial bones into the right place to minimize the stresses.
Lastly, any physical stresses a baby is subjected to can eventually lead to behavioural problems as a child if they’re not sorted out. Problems may occur in developmental reflexes, hand-eye coordination and concentration, which may affect the child’s learning process. |
