Chiropractic Care For Newborns

People often ask me when is the best time to begin chiropractic care for newborns. My recommendation is immediately after birth! Yes, that’s right!! You may think that seems early and ask why would a newborn need an adjustment? That’s a great question and I want to share some insight into why I recommend it.

Research on Chiropractic Care For Newborns

A research study done by the University of Pittsburg Medical Center assessed newborns and found that 99% of them had a “cervico-cranial strain” present following the birth process. This means that there was pressure on the nervous and musculoskeletal systems specifically at the upper portion of the neck and skull in 99 out of 100 babies from day one!

The sooner babies get evaluated and adjusted to remove the strain, the better their opportunity to exhibit health in these critical, early days. Remember, “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” (Frederick Douglass)

So is it “too late” for children who were not adjusted at birth to get checked? Far from it! Regardless of the age a child starts getting adjusted, chiropractic adjustments are beneficial to their health. But the earlier you can address subluxations and therefore support their nervous system, the less likely children are to develop certain health issues.

Safety of Chiropractic Care For Newborns

Both my children, Hannah and Verick, were checked for subluxations and adjusted within hours of being born, and both of them had atlas subluxations that I was able to correct immediately. To me, adjusting a newborn is sacred. It is a gift and a privilege to be entrusted with a newborn. I spent many extra hours in school gaining the necessary skills to adjust this precious age group. And for those of you who have not seen it done, an adjustment for a newborn and babies is very gentle. So much so that it can sometimes be done while they are asleep!

Getting newborns checked in their first few hours or days is one of my greatest recommendations to all parents. It sets them up for success and removes the unnecessary strain from the beginning. The importance of setting kids up for success from day one is something we can all agree upon!