Making the adjustment How chiropractic care helps your newborn

Birth is a physically stressful experience for your baby, especially if the delivery is natural or assisted. The force of being pushed through the birth canal can leave his tiny body out of alignment, not all that unlike the misalignment that causes millions of Americans to seek chiropractic care each year.

What does this misalignment mean for your baby? Research suggests it may be responsible for common conditions like irritability, colic, and feeding problems in infants. Chiropractic provides a natural approach to alleviating these conditions and keeping your child healthy.

Why does your baby need a chiropra

Doctor? Chiropractors diagnose and treat subluxation. A subluxation is a misalignment of the spine that occurs when one or more of the vertebrae move out of position and put pressure on spinal nerves. This pressure interferes with the ability of your nervous system to effectively transmit nerve impulses to various parts of the body. When the nerves cant transmit messages well, your body cannot function optimally. As a result, you develop symptoms that depend on which nerve is being irritated or compressed. A chiropractor is a doctor specially trained to locate these misalignments and correct them through gentle manipulation.

When your baby is born, his body must rotate and flex as baby finds his way through the birth canal. This traumatic process, though completely natural, can result in misalignment especially of the cervical vertebrae. For your baby this could mean feeding problems, fussiness, colic, or sleep disturbances, in the short term; and in the long term, if undetected and left untreated, the consequences could be lifelong, hidden damage to a childs nervous system.

The only way to tell if your babys symptoms are related to subluxation is to visit a chiropractor. A Doctor of Chiropractic can examine your child to determine if a spinal misalignment is affecting your babys wellbeing. If so, he can perform gentle adjustments, as light as the touch of a finger, to correct your newborns subluxations and relieve his discomfort. The result is a healthier, happier baby.

To determine if chiropractic could help your baby, you can contact the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association to find a doctor. Members of ICPA are Doctors of Chiropractic who go on for specialized training in specific techniques for pregnant mothers, infants, and children. The association offers a Chiropractor locator on its website www.icpa4kids.com.

You want the best for your newborn and that includes optimum health. Chiropractic care provides a natural alternative for treating common newborn problems. And a gentle adjustment just may make a dramatic difference.

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