Menu
Menu
Menu
Home » Osteopathy »
By Sarojni Vaja, Registered Osteopath
Every new-born, regardless of their process of birth should have a New-born Cranial check-up.
Whether your baby was premature or full term, whether he/she came out naturally or whether he/she came out via a c-section, whether they had to use interventions like forceps or ventouse or whether the foetus was in a difficult position like a brow or breech presentation; all babies should have a cranial post birth check-up as a complement to the clinical medical check-up.
The baby’s head has to manoeuvre itself through different positions through the birth canal to exit. A traumatic birth experience can have its complications, but a very quick birth can also not be as good as one would think. As the baby shoots out, there is immense pressure on its delicate bones connecting its head and neck, like a whiplash effect. These bones need to be examined after birth as the baby may suffer from tiny headaches or problems in its ability to use the jaw to suck or to latch, it may affect their sleep or their ability to settle down. The effects may also reverberate down the spine and other connections to the head and spine leading to the baby having difficulty burping, having digestive issues which may include reflux, constipation, pain or unnatural straining while releasing their bowels, sleep disturbances.
The baby may adopt a preference to one side due to its position in utero or due to a strain pattern in his/her head or neck bones. Their neck muscles may become tight leading to a tilted or twisted head position. This can show itself by the baby preferring to be fed on one side more than the other. It can also lead to torticollis or in extreme cases, their head gets flat on one side, as they will prefer to sleep on that side and the soft skull bones will flatten out. Cranial osteopathy would help in reducing the tension in the neck muscles and avoid problems coming from it.
The Cranial new born check will go through everything the baby has gone through in utero and during the birth process. There may be foetal distress that may cause them to be unsettled. Cranial osteopathy may help to calm their nerves. The head, neck, spine and whole body will be assessed and checked for any strain patterns and released. Cranial Osteopathy may help to increase the range of motion and function in these areas potentially leading to better breastfeeding and burping.
The emotional well-being of the new-born and parents is also assessed and supported by the Cranial Osteopath.
Every new-born check-up will receive a complimentary first treatment for the mum, as mum and baby are intricately linked emotionally and physically. Treating the mum is part of treating the new born infant…
