Proper development is regulated by neonatal reflexes, which will be discussed in our next newsletter, and the child's interaction with the environment, called proprioception.  The area where our head and neck meet is an important area of proprioception. This is where we take the information from our environment by using our five senses (touch, smell, sight, hearing, and taste) and send it to the brain. This area is protected by the top two vertebrae in the neck and the base of the skull.  The protective structures (muscles and vertebrae) around this area are unstable in infants because they have not developed entirely and are a common area where chiropractic care is beneficial in improving stability. Brain development, which continues on through adulthood, depends on our brain receiving information from the outside world. Much of this information comes from proprioception. Who better than a chiropractor to help with the vertebrae and muscle development around this important area so the child receives proper proprioceptive input and develops correctly?

Besides proper brain and nervous system development, chiropractic care has been shown to help with many other problems in infants (1,2,3,4,5). Conditions shown to benefit from chiropractic treatment include colic, or excessive crying with no apparent cause; enuresis, or urinary incontinence in children; asthma, as addressed in our last newsletter; and ear infections, typically within three visits. An additional study showed the ability of chiropractic care to help with GERD and "latching on" to promote feeding, digestion, and subsequently proper growth. Scoliosis is a spinal problem in which many people seek chiropractic treatment. To get the largest reduction of the curve, treatment is most effective while the child is still developing.

Finally, we want you to know that chiropractic care is safe and effective for infants and children.  In our office we see many children for a variety of symptoms and disorders that may include ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Because of their complexity, there are a number of areas we examine before we decide how to proceed with treatments. While chiropractic care alone has been beneficial in these disorders, we also look at other possible issues such as food sensitivities, environmental and heavy metal toxicities, digestive problems, and brain imbalance.

As always, if you would like more information out how our office can help you, your family and your friends, contact us or join us at our free monthly Question and Answer Session. These sessions are designed to answer all of your health questions clearly and informatively. You are welcome to bring your child along to meet us and receive a free demonstration. The dates and times of these sessions are to the left of this article under Dr. Herbert's picture.