Many parents bring their children in for a chiropractic  check-up, as they feel it is helpful to know their baby is starting out in good mechanical balance and neurological function after the birth.

At the baby check-up the parents are asked for a full history of the pregnancy and birth.  Of interest is the position of the baby in the womb and if it was in a breech or transverse position, and for how long.  It is also important to know about your child presently, such as how well it sleeps, feeds and its general well-being.

As babies are unable to tell us by words, we have to ascertain by enquiring of their behaviour and daily routines. One can ascertain a lot of information even at this stage.

Examination

During the examination the postural and muscular tension is assessed as well as the individual and global movement of the body, spine and neck.

We look at the head shape and symmetry of how the cranial bones are aligned.  For issues of feeding difficulties, the sucking reflex will be assessed together with other important functions of the mouth and the jaw.

The hips are examined and tested for alignment and hyper mobility as well as the knees and feet.  This is in relationship to sitting, crawling, running and walking.

The bodies and cranial systems of newborns are more adaptable within the first three months.  As adults, we are good at going to the dentists for our MOT check, but we forget that our babies have been in the womb for 9 months to then come out in the most incredible journey called birth.

The good news with babies is that they usually don't need many treatments to respond and improve! Our  aim is to to teach parents techniques to use at home such as effective burping methods and positioning whilst feeding and sitting in the car seat.

We also work alongside GPs, specialists and health visitors when necessary.

Examination is very  gentle and always with the co-operation of the baby.  Some sleep through the session and we make every effort to make it comfortable for them.  We also encourage both parents to join us during this time.

Although there may be insufficient evidence to support or refute this area of treatment, we have seen improvements in patient outcome with babies in our practice, and we are happy to discuss the evicence risk and the result of our in-house case review with parents, on a case-to case basis, so that you can make a well informed decision as to the relative safety and potential benefits of chiropractic care for your child.