When the baby won't stop crying.

Oh Yes, I’ve had my own personal experience of this. I still remember looking at my newborn son crying in his cot after the good-old routine of feeding, cleaning, cuddling and settling and thinking “something is not right here”. It turned out he had allergies but there can be a number of reasons for a newborn baby to be unsettled including infections, food allergies or sensitivities, and pain and discomfort due to joint strains.

Few people realise that many babies can have structural problems even after a normal birth. Neck and rib strains are common following the birth process. A traumatic birth will definitely increase the risk of spinal soft tissue strains. Even the position in the womb can lead to joint strains and deformities such as ‘club foot’. These ligamentous strains can result in pain and discomfort for the baby as well as disrupting the normal function of the digestive organs. If left untreated they can continue to cause reflux, colic, ear infections and breathing difficulties.

I recently responded to a call from a client regarding her friend’s newborn boy who was constantly crying and wouldn’t sleep. It was Saturday evening but as a mother what do you do? I had to help and when I arrived I could see the strain and exhaustion on the face of the whole family. I diagnosed and treated strained joints throughout his thoracic area and ribs that must have been causing him pain and discomfort from feeding. I guess crying is their only way to communicate this. When I returned the following day everyone looked much happier and after a second treatment I was happy to hear he was feeding and sleeping well.

There are many childhood problems that respond well to gentle Chiropractic treatment. I have had good results with babies that have reflux, colic, feeding and sleeping problems, as well as babies that have not progressed to rolling, crawling or walking when expected. The thing I love about treating babies and children is that they respond very quickly to treatment and that makes us all happy!