Newborns and babies
Conditions after difficult births
For a child, childbirth is a very stressful situation. Despite the fact that mother nature has equipped them with mechanisms enabling the easiest possible birth, it may happen that the act of childbirth will leave changes in the child’s body that should be corrected by an osteopath.
Long and difficult passage through the birth canal or support for the final phase of vacuum delivery are situations that can affect the changes in the baby’s meningeal system (soft skeleton), which is responsible, among others for the shape of the head.
Osteopathic (primarily craniosacral) work with a newborn baby can accelerate the withdrawal of postpartum “residues” such as:
- subcutaneous hematomas on the head, face
- suction problems
- asymmetrical body positions
- unnatural foot positions
In addition, gentle osteopathic work with a newborn baby has a positive effect on the correct development and functioning of the digestive system (colic, reflux, spitting, constipation).
Suction problems
The newborn baby is “equipped” with the suckling reflex at birth. However, in addition to the “learning each other” immediately after delivery, mom and child may experience situations that will hinder the natural feeding process of the newborn. For the whole feeding process, issues such as feeding position (mother and newborn), “functioning” of the mammary gland (lactation problems) as well as unrestricted functioning of the newborn’s body structures responsible for sucking (craniofacial area, sub-occipital area) are important.
Osteopathic work (craniosacral, fascial) with a newborn baby is able to restore the proper functioning of structures involved in the proper course of the suction mechanism.
Not without significance for the suction mechanism are the balanced functioning of the baby’s meningeal system (conditions after difficult births) and the proper functioning of the digestive system (colic, reflux, spitting, constipation).
Torticollis
The asymmetrical positioning of the child’s head is often called torticollis, although it does not have to be. It may mean preference for a specific posture position, which is the result of e.g. a similar postpartum position or delivery (conditions after difficult deliveries). If the pediatrician ruled out the existence of other diseases that could affect visible asymmetry and the position of the head does not result from fixed changes in the tissues of the newborn, osteopathic treatment is able to restore balance.
Osteopath, using gentle methods of manual impact on the body of the newborn (conditions after difficult deliveries), restores the natural movement capabilities of tissues that allow you to restore the symmetrical arrangement of the head.
t is also worth emphasizing that the position of the head to the left may be accompanied by the not fully free movement of the esophagus and stomach, the source of which is movement associated with embryological development. In many such situations, osteopathic work with the child’s digestive system brings the desired results (colic, reflux, spitting, constipation).
Excessive tearfulness
Crying is the only form of communication of a newborn baby with the outside world. It allows the baby to signal its needs, e.g. the desire to satisfy hunger or discomfort associated with a full diaper. There are, however, situations when the crying of a child results from the coexistence of ailments accompanying the functioning of, among others digestive system (colic, reflux, spitting, constipation). For example, because of the inability to get rid of the gases formed during the digestion of food (and because of some other activities that the child is unable to perform smoothly) the child often tightens and cannot stop crying for a long time, which causes parents anxiety.
If the pediatrician has ruled out the existence of diseases that could affect the persistence of symptoms, the osteopath’s task is to determine the dominant cause of this state of affairs. These may be, for example, dietary errors of the breastfeeding mother, restriction of the baby’s freedom of movement (especially around the tummy), residues after difficult births (conditions after difficult births). Removing the main cause (changing nursing habits, osteopathic restoration of the baby’s natural tissue movement) allows the baby’s body to return to proper functioning.
Colic, reflux, spitting, constipation
The above-mentioned ailments relate to the improper functioning of the baby’s digestive system and may appear already in the third week of the life of the newborn. From the osteopathic point of view, one of the most important reasons for the appearance of this type of ailment is the lack of free descending movement of the esophagus and stomach, which makes it impossible to complete the embryological development of the digestive system.
Often, these types of situations arise as a consequence of a difficult delivery and also in children who were born by Caesarean section. Both situations can lead to non-physiological tensions within the child’s meningeal system (soft skeleton) (conditions after difficult births).
It should be emphasized that for the occurrence of this type of ailments, the emotional states of parents (especially mothers) are not insignificant.
Osteopathic work (craniosacral, fascial) with a newborn baby can restore the proper functioning of structures involved in the possibility of the correct course of movement associated with embryological development of the digestive system. Thus, it can reduce annoyance and even eliminate them.
Impaired motor development
Functional disorders in motor development that most often worry parents are long-lasting, one-sided posture of the body or head of the newborn. In most cases, especially in the first weeks of life, this may be due to a similar (in some sense forced) intra-fetal arrangement and is characteristic both for babies born with natural forces and those born by Caesarean section (states after difficult births).
Osteopathic work (craniosacral, fascial) with a newborn baby makes it possible to compensate for the tension imbalance of the child’s (soft skeleton) structures and thus makes natural positions more natural.
In addition, the introduction of exercises – very gentle for a newborn and easy to apply throughout the day at home, has a positive effect on the consolidation of symmetrical patterns of the child’s body. It also positively affects the functioning of the digestive system (colic, reflux, spitting, constipation).
All issues discussed do not contain a full explanation of the problem and if in doubt, please contact the osteopath by phone.
