Hmmm... Ever thought of bringing your child to the chiropractor?
Written By Dr. Brenda Fairchild
“Why would a child ever need to see a chiropractor?” is a question I get asked constantly!! My question is always, “does your child have a spine?” And if they answered YES, they can benefit from chiropractic care!! Within 4 weeks of fetal development, the neural tube is closing and the brain and spinal cord are developing along with the heart. Our spine, skull, and ribs along with muscles and ligaments protect these vital organs. Baby’s development is also dependent on their position in mom as they are growing. The Webster Technique is wonderfully helpful in helping moms-to-be have proper pelvic alignment.As the baby is brought into this world, their first trauma is the birth itself. Depending on the delivery, the baby’s head, neck, and shoulders and easily misalign coming through the vaginal canal. And can be more pronounced if the OB or midwife has to put traction on the head and neck. They may use either their hands, forceps, or suction.
How Do You Know if Your Baby is Out of Alignment? They Can’t Talk Yet.
- Not sleeping
- Crying all the time— Colic
- Flattening of the skull—Plagiocephaly
- Hard time breastfeeding
- Constipation
- Reflux
- Not liking the car seat
- Not liking tummy time— unable to hold head up
- Has lip and/or tongue ties
- Favoring looking to one side- torticollis
- Constant congestion, sick a lot
- Ear infections
- Unexplained fevers
As your baby grows up, there are things to watch out for and take into consideration:
- They may have back pain
- Headaches
- You may notice posture is off: possible scoliosis, text neck, gaming posture(slouched when sitting)
- Not able to focus in school, are they sitting facing the board or off to the side?
- Fall a lot, trip over their feet, fall of couch, bed, trampoline parks
- Delay in crawling or walking
- Not coordinated
- Learning to walk— falling on they bottom hundreds of times can misalign they sacrum bone
- Bedwetting
- Athletes— better performance, faster recovery times
- Recovery from auto accidents
- Nightmares
This is not a complete list by any means. When aligning a child, it is quite different than an adult. Much more gentle and VERY specific. It is important when looking for a pediatric chiropractor to make sure they are specialized! You can visit the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association to find a pediatric chiropractor in your area. For those of you looking for more than just chiropractic and looking for a functional doctor like myself, you can find the best of the best at Intersect4Life. Through the most amazing program, we have incorporated into our practices working with balancing not only the nervous system, but the gastrointestinal(poop), endocrine, sensory, and immune system as well as biochemistry in helping with methylation, mitochondria, and metabolism. There are only a handful of pediatric chiropractors across the country and Canada and I happen to be one of them!!! Lucky you!
Why do I travel the country away from my family and office to constantly be learning more and more? Because Our Children Deserve Better!
Not only are chiropractic alignments vital to raising a healthy and thriving child, but proper nutrition, vitamins and minerals, exercise, sleep, and not over-scheduling helps with maintaining vibrant children. I know this isn’t always easy. I struggle with balance too. Just do your best!! Know you are doing a great job raising your children!