Where should parents turn? Well, research authored by Joyce Miller of the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic at the University of Bournemouth says that an excessively crying baby drives 21% of families in the UK to seek care. Miller found that pharmaceutical, dietary and behavioral interventions most often provide no comfort to the infants — or anyone in the family.
But, a trip to the chiropractor can offer relief to crying babies and those living under the same roof.
Miller’s work, entitled “Cry Babies: A Framework for Chiropractic Care,” notes that persistently crying infants are traditionally diagnosed with colic, defined in é4 by Dr. M.A. Wessel as “bouts of crying amounting to more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks.” That’s a useful description for research, but not very consoling to distressed parents.
The diagnosis of colic implies gastro-intestinal disorder. Yet, out of the approximately 5,000 infants brought to the Bournemouth’s teaching clinic in one year’s time, only 7% presented with digestive issues. Interestingly, 63% of these infants were brought to the clinic due to excessive, unexplained crying. “Perhaps the term ‘colic’ should be abandoned,” writes Miller.
So why does chiropractic succeed where other options failed to soothe the seemingly inconsolable child? Chiropractic care is primarily aimed at correcting biomechanical and neurological fault. Miller’s writings offer ever-increasing evidence that antenatal and natal factors contribute to irritability in infants. Pre-natal constraint — pressure in the womb, trauma during birth, the use of forceps or other extraction devices — may be the underlying cause for the discomfort of the crying infant. Wellness chiropractors have found that manual spinal adjustments bring about a significant reduction in an infant’s crying, followed by better sleeping patterns and an improvement in posture.
And, while tranquility leads to a happy household, pediatric chiropractic care offers long-term benefits as well. Chiropractic provides a maintenance program for the nervous system that allows the human body to operate at peak efficiency. If the body is free of nerve interference, it promotes health. Providing chiropractic to an infant and continuing through adulthood is the true definition of health care — taking steps to ensure health instead of waiting for pain or illness.
Dr. Scott Glocke is the director of Back Cove Family Chiropractic in Yarmouth. He has been a family wellness chiropractor for the past six years and specializes in wellness for the entire family. Contact him at drscott@backcovechiro.com.