Sleepless nights for a new Mum and Dad are common place in the early weeks of a newborn's life. Many things are normal, such as a little burp after feeding, or crying when hungry, however a particularly distressing cry, constipation, poor feeding, colic, or sleeping only a few hours a day is something routinely treated by a chiropractor.

Chiropractors specialise in disruptive childhood behaviour and have seen hundreds of newborns and toddlers who are irritable, frequently sick, or those who are behind in developing the muscle reflex patterns required for crawling and walking.

At our clinic we frequently see newborns and toddlers whose skull is quite asymmetrical. This is easily seen by placing a finger in each ear and looking straight down from the crown of the skull. At times, one ear is an inch forward compared to the other side. This means the forehead is usually more forward on the same side, which can affect how the eyes sit in the skull and how the eyes learn to move together. This observation alone can affect how a child sees the world and responds to it. This child may experience difficulty reading or poor hand-eye co-ordination important for developing the skills necessary for catching and throwing.

The perfect shape of the skull can be disturbed if a baby can not turn its neck evenly to the left and right. You can test this by clicking next to each ear in turn and seeing if the baby turns toward the noise. Failure of the neck to turn can create flattening of the back of the skull on one side only, often accompanied by a bald patch from consistent rubbing when laid to sleep. It is important that mothers feed from each breast evenly. Those babies reluctant to feed from one side should be checked by a Chiropractor.

After birth, we encourage all babies be checked. Babies respond very quickly to Chiropractic care. Many newborns sleep through it. It is gentle, and treatment is merely aimed at removing any interference between messages sent from the brain and received by their little body. Early rectification of these easily addressed concerns can prevent many more sleepless nights and assist the child in their learning and development. It may be the very boost they need to resolve issues otherwise left undetected until school age.

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