From Colicky to Content: How Chiropractic Can Help Your Baby
Are you the parent of a young infant whose crying and screaming seems severe, especially in the evening? Is your baby hard to calm? Maybe your child seems uncomfortable and he or she will not settle to eat or sleep. It is possible that your baby is suffering from colic…and you are not alone! Approximately 10-30% of infants worldwide are affected by colic.
Infantile colic is defined as crying and/or fussing for more than three hours a day, on three or more days per week, for three weeks or more in a well-nourished and otherwise healthy infant less than three months of age.
Although research has shown that colic often ends by three months of age in 86.3% of cases, you may feel that you are caught in a nightmare, tired and heartbroken that you cannot help your baby. Chiropractic can help by providing an individualized solution for your baby targeted to the cause of the problem, rather than just putting a temporary band-aid on the symptoms. Through a thorough examination of your child and the use of gentle, safe and specific adjustments, a chiropractor can improve crying behavior in colic within a few regular visits.
Although for years families have turned to chiropractic as a way of dealing with colic, many recent case studies support its use to alleviate distress and help your baby’s body to function at its best. Here are some examples:
A case study of a three-month-old female suffering from colic with resultant sleep interruption and appetite decrease is presented. Child received three adjustments with two weeks between adjustments (T-7 and upper cervical area were areas worked on.) Symptoms of colic were relieved within the above brief period. -- Pluhar GR, Schobert PD. J of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation, 1991;7:75-76.
Six week old baby with colic could not sleep for more than one hour at a time and could not hold food down. After first adjustment infant fell asleep before leaving the office and slept for 8 hours straight. The baby gained two pounds in one week. The child was seen three times per week for two months thereafter once a week. The colic symptoms never returned. -- International Chiropractic Pediatric Association Newsletter. May/June 1997.
In this study (retrospective uncontrolled questionnaire) of 132 infants with colic, 91% of the parents reported an improvement, which occurred after an average of two to three adjustments, and within one week of care. -- Nilsson N Eur J Chiro 1985;33 (4) :264-65.
Chiropractic care for babies involves using a very gentle type of treatment that carefully manipulates your baby's spine without causing injury or harm. It is a mild and soothing experience that will reduce stress and increase healing.
I have just treated Stella, an 8-week baby old that suffered from colic 3 weeks ago. The crying would begin shortly after 9pm and last for hours. The evening following her first adjustment Stella did not cry or fuss which pleasantly surprised both new parents. She has since had another treatment and mom says that 9pm comes around and Stella is pleasant as can be....mom is doing great as well now that she is able to get more sleep!
If your baby is experiencing colic, you don’t have to “wait it out”. We are here to HELP: contact Dr. Marilena Carano at The Wellness Group for a Complimentary Consultation to see how Chiropractic Care can help your colicky baby.
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