Apparently small problems early in life can have far-reaching consequences later….

Unresolved birth trauma, or retained compression in the cranium, can cause a common sequence of problems that begin in a young baby and may persist throughout life.  

For example :

·     Baby has feeding / digestive difficulties, and may cry incessantly - can develop poor sleep habits, since lacks deep, restful sleep and wakes frequently.

·     As baby grows, the restless behaviour continues - often starting to crawl / walk too early because they are not relaxed.

·     As the child starts school he may have difficulty sitting still, have poor concentration and a slower rate of learning.

·     If sleep patterns are disturbed, the child will be irritable with poor concentration.

·     Immune function is often affected leading to ear infections, sinus congestion and “mouth-breathing”.  Asthma is more common if there is a delay in establishing breathing after birth.

·     If retained birth compression is severe, headaches commonly start around the age of 7 years as the skull bones are fully formed at this age and skull is unable to cope with the strain patterns.

·     Asymmetry of facial bones, overcrowding of teeth and bite imbalances.  Orthodontic appliances further exacerbate problems by increasing the mechanical stress in the head causing far-reaching effects on the whole body.  (Regular osteopathic treatment alongside orthodontic work can minimise these problems and speed up the process of bite changes.)

Children can also benefit from Osteopathic treatment particularly after normal accidents and falls.  Such events can cause more problems in the child with who is already having to cope with unresolved birth trauma than in a child who is fully healthy before the accident.

The good news is that the body has amazing powers of healing and regeneration.  Cranial osteopathy at any age works with the forces of growth and development to guide the body back to its healthy normal function.  These forces are at their most vigorous in the early years, so babies and children respond very rapidly to treatment. For this reason osteopaths working with children encourage early treatment, if only as a precaution to check that all is well, especially when there has been an unusually fast or slow delivery, where ventouse or forceps have been necessary or in the case of a caesarean section (planned or unplanned).

It is never too early to treat - in fact the younger the better!  Treatment to normalise the structure in a newborn can have exceptional results, as at this stage there are no fixed postural problems. However treatment is still very effective up to the age of seven years when the bony skeleton begins to mature.

After this, the stresses and asymmetries can often not be completely eliminated, but it is still possible to achieve beneficial release of the stresses throughout life.

Problems arising from birth may manifest again during growth spurts, when demands on the tissues are greater. However, as treatment always works with the forces of growth and development, these times are again windows of opportunity for the Osteopath.