We are often asked at the clinic why we treat small babies. ‘What could possibly be wrong with their backs?’ It is a fair question but the answer is in fact, quite a lot.

When you think about it, babies are confined in a protective but very tight environment in the womb for nine months and then delivered through a very narrow opening. Even Caesarian births can be relatively traumatic, in fact some would argue more traumatic than natural delivery. Babies are of course designed for their time in the womb and subsequent birth and it is testament to the brilliance of the design that they normally escape relatively unscathed.

However even minor misalignments can present as significant problems. A slight difficulty turning the head one way or opening the mouth on one side can be the difference between a baby that breastfeeds well and one that does not.(see feeding article).

A baby with muscular tension at the top of the neck from the way they were lying in the womb will often cry when you lie them on their back and will be difficult to settle. Mid-back stiffness could conceivably disrupt diaphragm or abdominal function and manifest as reflux or unsettledness.(see article) Many of these conditions are self-limiting and will naturally correct as the child grows and develops but they can cause significant distress when they are present especially in the early weeks and months.

We have great experience at The Octagon clinic in assessing and treating new-borns. We use specially modified techniques to help to gently ‘unwind’ babies and hence reduce the tension they are carrying in their musculoskeletal systems. We find this really helps to settle babies and also to overcome many of the problems that they experience in those early weeks.

Conditions we treat:

Infantile colic

Doctors and researchers are unclear as to the exact nature of colic. It is usually applied to babies who cry for protracted periods of time usually in the evenings and for which no other cause can be found. Some pull up their legs, some arch their backs, some grip their hands and some go red in the face. Some do all of these, some do none. Some are soothed by feeding, some pull off screaming. Most researchers agree that it is related to an imbalance or immaturity of the baby’s developing digestive system.

Some prescription or over-the-counter remedies such as Infacol can sometimes help but GPs and health visitor often just check that nothing else is wrong and reassure parents that the babies will grow out of it. Fortunately most of them do but it is very distressing for the family in the meantime and parents often dread the time of day when it occurs not really knowing what to do to help.

As Chiropractors we believe that Colic often occurs as a result of residual tension stored in your baby’s body from the relatively cramped position in the womb and the exertions of birth. Treatment involves a gentle unwinding of this tension using specific cranial techniques specifically designed for new-born babies. As these techniques involve such gentle pressure, babies will often relax or fall asleep during treatment sessions and even mild side effects such as irritability are extremely rare.

Despite the gentle approach, the treatment can nevertheless be extremely effective for the relief of Colic and other newborn conditions. At the Octagon Clinic Steve, Claire and Rachel are all specifically trained for treating conditions such as this in young babies.

Reflux

Reflux is defined as an excessive regurgitation of milk or stomach secretions in babies. This is distinct from positing which is a normal response to winding when a small amount of milk is brought up immediately after feeding. Reflux can occur at any time and is seen in both breast and bottle fed babies. Some may struggle to put on weight but this is rare even in babies that reflux after every feed.

The first step with a baby with reflux is to rule out serious causes. These include stricture (twisted bowel), pyloric stenosis (narrowing of the opening of the stomach), hypotonia (low muscle tone) and primary lactose or milk protein allergy. These are extremely rare but your GP will be able to check for them and will refer you to a specialist if necessary.

The less serious and more common causes of reflux mostly relate to the mechanics of digestion specifically the diaphragm. This is a sheet of muscle attached under the rib cage primarily involved in the mechanism of breathing. However, by virtue of its position immediately above the stomach, it has a secondary function in sealing the top of the stomach at its junction with the oesophagus, the tube that comes from the mouth. When a baby feeds, the diaphragm will relax to allow milk into the stomach and then tighten up again after feeding to keep the contents down.

If your baby is slightly asymmetrical and carrying residual tension, perhaps as a result of the way they were lying in the womb, this can cause minor dysfunction of the diaphragm. This can result in regurgitation of milk or in some cases only stomach acid (so called ‘silent reflux’) which can cause the babies to cry out especially during feeding. This can also make the babies very snuffly as their bodies produce a lot of mucous to protect the oesophagus and back of the throat from the effects of the stomach acid.

Paradoxically the advice often given to keep babies semi-inclined or sitting to avoid reflux is often counter-productive. Although there is a questionable gravitational benefit, a slumped sitting position is far more likely to tighten the diaphragm and make the baby more uncomfortable and hence prone to refluxing. It is much better to hold the baby upright after feeding with your hands under their shoulders supporting the back of their head on your stomach to allow the diaphragm to relax before putting them down.

Try to avoid leaving babies prone to reflux in a sitting position for any length of time and remember to stop regularly on long car journeys and take the babies out of their car seats to allow them to stretch out even if they’re asleep.

Treatment at the clinic for reflux is similar to that described for Colic above but paying particular attention to the diaphragm and abdomen as this often where the tension is concentrated.

Feeding problems

‘Breast feeding is an easy natural process and is the best start you can give your baby in life’ .Well the last part of that statement is certainly true but it is often far from easy especially in the first few weeks. In fact breast feeding is an incredibly complicated process.

Firstly the baby has to be able to fully turn their head towards the side on which they are feeding. They then require a fully functioning rooting reflex to push their lips forwards and make a tight seal over the nipple. They then have to be able to push their tongue and epiglottis forwards so as to be able to draw the nipple back in their mouth. As the milk comes out they then have to rely on their swallowing reflex to draw the milk down their oesophagus. Their diaphragm then has to relax to allow the milk into the stomach. They have to repeat this many hundreds of times each feed.

A minor restriction in the neck may prevent the baby turning its head fully on one side. A slight cranial compression may affect the rooting or sucking reflex. Diaphragm tightness can create reflux. Although they are not serious problems in their own right, any one of them can potentially create significant problems with feeding. Many of them are, in fact, easily rectified and can help make a real difference to successfully breast feeding.