Christiana Chiropractic, PC ...... (315) 409-0014

Download or Print This Article

The Importance of Beginning Chiropractic Care at Birth

Chiropractic care is an essential component of health at any age, but it is of special importance at birth. As chiropractors, our role is vital for the health and development of the newborn. As the pregnancy concludes, we should be spending time educating the "mother to be" on the importance of chiropractic care for her newborn. The role of your education process with these women is not to be underestimated. It can make a profound impact on the future health care of their child. There are many ways to teach women regarding this matter, but the primary goal is to educate them early. If you wait until the baby arrives, it may be too late as the mother may be swayed in other directions. It is also preferred to begin at an earlier stage, so as to not pressure the parents. Why is it so vital that children be checked for subluxations at birth? The reasons are too vast to cover in this brief overview, however several of the most significant will be discussed. BIRTH TRAUMA Even in the most straightforward of births, there exists the opportunity for trauma to occur. According to the paper, "Latent Spinal Cord and Brain Stem Injury in Newborn Infants," Dr. Abraham Towbin, a neuropathologist at Boston Children's Hospital, stated that the primary cause of injury is forceful, longitudinal traction with flexion and torsion of the vertebral axis during delivery. He states that the birth process, even under optimal controlled conditions, is potentially a traumatic, crippling event for the fetus. Spinal cord and brain stem injuries often occur during the process of birth, but they frequently escape recognition. Respiratory depression in the neonate is a cardinal signal of such injury. In infants who survive, there may be lasting neurologic defects reflecting the primary injury. In some, secondary hypoxic damage to the cerebrum may ultimately be manifested as cerebral palsy, mental retardation or other central nervous system defects. According to Towbin, seven out of eight SIDS victims suffered cervical spinal injuries which resulted in the neuropathophysiology that was the death of the infant! FETAL MALPRESENTADONI IN UTERO CONSTRAINT POSmONING Prior to seven months (28 weeks), approximately 25 percent of all birth presentations are breech. After the seventh month, the fetus should turn into a vertex presentation (head down) to better accommodate the space in the uterus. In three percent of all deliveries, the baby does not turn, resulting in a breech presentation. The term fetal malposition means that something other than the vertex of the skull is the presenting part during delivery. There are several types, including breech, face, brow, shoulder and compound presentation. The most common malpresentation is breech. These malpostions can lead to developmental defects. The incidence of congenital anomalies with breech presentation is greater than 6 percent (2-3 times that of a vertex presentation). 7 The spine and nervous system are growing very quickly during the final trimester, and it is very important that the fetus has ample room to move and develop. If this room is compromised, subluxation may often be a result CESAREAN SECTION The rate of deliveries by Cesarean section in the United States has risen from 5.5 percent in 1970 to 24 percent in 1986, and has not budged since. This shows us that nearly 1 in 4 women are giving birth by major abdominal surgery. According to Van Tuinen and Wolfe 1992, Cesarean section is the most common surgery performed in the U.S. Doctors point out that onequarter of the admissions to neonatal intensive care units come from babies born to lowrisk women, and more than half of the complications in childbirth occur in low-risk women. "It compels one to ask what proportion of these complications, which had their onset during labor and birth, are the direct result of aggressive obstetric procedures," said Doris Haire, president of the American Foundation of Maternal and Child Health.2 MICRO AND MACRO TRAUMA Although it is easy for us to understand the need for a chiropractic checkup after a severe trauma, many forget about the significance of the micro trauma. Micro traumas represent the daily "wear and tear" of active children. As children begin to grow and develop, there are six initial times we recommend they are checked for subluxation (times of increased use and/or stress): at birth; as they learn to hold their head up; as they learn to sit up; as they learn to crawl; as they learn to stand; and as they learn to walk. In a study conducted by Kravitz, Driessen, Comberg and Karach for the National Safety Council, they found that 47.5 percent of infants fell from a high place such as an adult bed, a crib or an infant dressing table during their first year of life. "Unfortunately, babies seem to fall head first ... during this year 1.75 million babies will fall at least once during their first year of life," according to the researchers.3 SOMATIC EFFECTS OF SUBLUXATION Gutman, a specialist in manual'medicine from Bas Sassendorf, West Germany, concluded that blocked nerve impulses (subluxation) at the occipito-atlantoaxial joint complex may cause clinical features from central motor impairment to . lowered resistance, including infections particularly of the ear, nose and throat. He concluded by stating, "Observations of motor development and manual control... should be obligatory after every difficult birth ... the success of the adjustment overshadows every other type of treatment." Maigne, a French orthopedist, agreed and stated, "Trauma to the cervical spine and head can cause irritation to the sympathetic fibers in the cervical spine, causing such problems as headaches, vestibular disturbances, pharyngeal disturbances, vasomotor and secretional problems and psychic disturbances."4 WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY When infants are born, they are a vast bundle of neurons waiting to be sown into the fabric of life. The neurons move, carrying bursts of electrical activity in coordinated waves and actually changing the shape of the brain. At birth, the brain contains 100 billion neurons, roughly as many as there are stars in the Milky Way. The experiences of childhood delineate which mental circuits are carved into patterns. Fetal movements begin at about 7 weeks and peak between the 15th and 17th week. "If you restrict activity, you inhibit the formation of synaptic connections in the cerebellum," says William Greenough, of the University of Illinois. The window lasts for only a few years.5 Deprived of a stimulating environment, a child's brain suffers.6 The brain and nervous system control and coordinate every level of growth and development beginning at birth and continuing through childhood. Interference with the nervous system, due to a vertebral subluxation complex, robs the potential for optimal growth and development of the child. CONCLUSION So the question arises, what about the children who survived the birth process, the slips and the falls? What happens to the children who exhibit mental and chemical causes of subluxation, and those who never exhibit the outwardly signs of motor or autonomic dysfunction? What about the children whose window of opportunity closes before they ever receive their first chiropractic adjustment? What role does the undiscovered subluxation play in their future, and what choices do we have? We can choose to be complacent, to sit back and watch the children suffer, or, we can take charge of our communities, adjust these children and change the world. It is of the utmost importance for us to correct a subluxation at the earliest conceivable time. We should be striving to adjust women during pregnancy, and to check children immediately at birth. This is when we are able to have the greatest positive effect upon the proper development of these children. It is our honor to care for the children of the world, improving the face of the next generation for our children and our children's children. The world today is a place where childhood illnesses are considered normal; where antibiotic abuse is at an all-time high; where 1.5 million children in the US. alone are taking daily prescriptions of Ritalin; where hundreds of millions of dollars have been paid out to the families of children who have been brain damaged or died due to the negative effects of vaccination; and where the drug lobbyists are one of the strongest forces in our government. The time has come for us to take back the rights of our children. It is time to fight for their rights of freedom. We need to tell the chiropractic message to our patients and our communities. They should be told that every pregnant woman and newborn needs to be checked for vertebral subluxations. As chiropractors working together, we will have a profound effect upon the quality of life of the children who will grow up to lead us into the next millennium. .................. About the authors: Stuart Tfilrner, D.c., and Theresa r#zrner, D.c., graduates of Lift College, are in private practice in Point Pleasant, NJ., where 50 percent of their practice consists of children under the age of seven. They are co founders of Kids Day America! InternationalTM, which screened 60,000 children for subluxations in 1996. Inquiries should be directed to them at 3201 BridgeAve, Pt. Pleasant, NJ 08742-3468; or call (908) 295-0707. References I. Towbin, A., "Latent Spinal Cord and Brain Stem Injury in Newborn Infants," Develop. Med. Child Neurol, 1969; 11: 54-68. 2. Goer, H., Obstetric Myths fersus Research Realities: A Guide to the Medical Literature, 1995; pp. 21, 107-112. 3. Hinwood, I, and Hinwood, J., "Children and Chiropractic: A Summary of Subluxation and Its Ramifications," Jrn. of the Australian Chiropractors' Association. 4. Gutman, G., "Blocked Atlanta! Nerve Syndrome in Babies and Infants," Manual Medezin. 1987; 25: pp.5-1O. 5. Begley, S., "Your Child's Brain, How Kids Are Wired for Music, Math & Emotions," Newsweek. Feb. 19, 1996, pp. 55-62. 6. Nash, 1M., "Fetal Minds," TIme, Feb. 3, 1997; 48-56. 7. Hacker, N., Moore, IC., Essentials of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1986. pp. 171-187.

Our purpose is to educate and adjust families toward optimal health