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“Numerous case studies and some clinical studies are revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and the various health challenges that infants experience” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study.
McCoy added “In the case report presented, the infant was suffering from multiple challenges involving several functions of the body that resolved under chiropractic care because of the nature of the nervous system and its relationship to the spine.”
According to researchers the nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the body and structural shifts in the spine can occur that obstruct the nerves and interfere with their function. By removing the structural shifts, chiropractic improves nerve supply and function.
The infant reported on in the study suffered from severe infantile colic, had breastfeeding difficulties, acid reflux and was diagnosed as failure to thrive (FTT). The infant's mother experienced contractions at 30-weeks of gestation and was medically placed on bed-rest for the rest of her pregnancy. An epidural was used during delivery.
At 3-weeks of age, the patient began struggling to eat, pulling away from her mother’s breasts and arching her back with inconsolable crying. Consultations with medical doctors resulted in three different prescribed medications with no change in symptoms and infant was hospitalized due to weight lost.
The chiropractor examined the child and found a small baby with decreased muscle tone and a structural shift in her upper neck. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.
Following chiropractic adjustments her breastfeeding improved, the child began to reach for toys and play more. She also started rolling over from her stomach to her back, she started babbling, eating more with improvements in fussiness and her acid reflux improved. The patient’s pediatrician noted that the patient gained enough weight that she was no longer concerned and canceled a referral to a gastrointestinal specialist. The child is now a typically developing preschooler with no discernable deficits or delays.
The researchers called for more research on the chiropractic care of children.
Contact Information:
Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.com
drmatthewmccoy@gmail.com
