Wellness Care Protocol For Children

Observing Your Child’s Spine
Well Baby Care for Your Child’s Spine

The process of birth and the development of a child is probably the greatest achievement this world has to offer. From the moment of conception through birth and the growth of a child, a myriad of wonders abound. The tiny newborn has an immense ability to express it’s needs in spite of an immature nervous system. The newborn’s brain is 3/4 the size of an adults and has each and every brain cell he will ever have for his whole life. The newborn comes into the world ready to develop and mature.

Most of the early development occurs in the first year. During the first year the nervous system will develop rapidly as your child becomes a little boy or girl. Your child will begin by lifting her head. Later she will sit by herself and then start to crawl. As she begins to stand you will experience joy and anticipation for the day she finally walks. Think about this process? The infant starts out unable to do much of anything and by one year she can walk. Later speech and other developmental processes will follow.

With the rapidly changing nervous system during the first year of life you need to take care of your infant’s spine. The spine and the skull are the house for the nervous system. The spine is approximately 24 cm at birth and will grow a full 50% by the end of the first year. This is the only time in the life of a human when the spine grows this much. During rapid growth the spine and nervous system are sensitive to trauma and strain on the bones. Some of the most common strains applied to infant’s spine are the result of the common falls all children experience. Other strains are inherent as a result of gravitational stress. The birth process can be very traumatic even with C-Section births. In fact, on some occasions a C-Section may even be more traumatic.

When a child’s spine is exposed to these everyday strains, they may develop small dysfunctional vertebral movements and positions called subluxations. These subluxations can be subtle and may only be detected at times by slight reductions in joint play. There are often mild degrees of muscle guarding around these areas of the spine. Are there symptoms that result from subluxations in the newborn and young child? Yes, sometimes. However, in many cases there are no perceptible changes. Except, it depends on what your definition of perceptible may be.

In chiropractic pediatrics, research has found that subluxations may be responsible for recurrent ear infections, colic, asthma, chronic upper respiratory infections, and scoliosis. The child will usually not feel pain but will have a reduced health profile. Of course, there are other contributing factors which lead to a decreased health status for a child such as diet, family tension, and genetic predisposition. However, one of the single largest factors in giving your child the best chance at full health requires a full attention to his spine and nervous system.

Therefore, you need to have your child’s developing spine and nervous system checked regularly by a certified chiropractic pediatric specialist. When subluxations are found they may be corrected by giving safe, gentle, and caring treatments called adjustments. These adjustments are very effective in the correction of subluxations and will restore health to the body.