Do babies need osteopathy?
At Wandsworth Physiotherapy and Osteopathy our osteopaths specialise in paediatric osteopathy using a combination of structural, cranial and visceral osteopathy for treating new born babies and children.
They use very gentle osteopathic techniques to correct problems that could have occurred during a difficult or prolonged delivery.
Paediatric osteopathy
There are three main reasons your baby may need an appointment with a paediatric osteopath:
- Osteopathy for your baby can help with latching and feeding. Is your babies chin firmly touching, and has a large mouthful of your breast? Is your baby taking long rhythmic sucks and swallows and do they come off the breast on their own after a feed? Can you see more areola above your babies top lip than below the bottom lip? Is breast feeding painful? We can help baby latch and feed and also help with general unrest and other feeding issues.
- Many babies are born by caesarean section or using tools such as ventouse or forceps. This can lead to tension in the neck and shoulders or altered shape of the head. A quick or prolonged delivery can also lead to problems. Normally these are resolved within the first few days as the baby starts to breathe, cry, suck and yawn. However, some babies find it a bit more difficult to release all these stresses and their tension may remain. Gentle cranial techniques may help your baby settle by relieving pain and tension.
- Your baby is born with certain reflexes and these should change over time as they reach certain milestones of development, such as lifting their head, rolling or crawling. Our specialist paediatric osteopaths can help evaluate if your baby is having expected stages of growth and development and identify cases that may need specialist treatment.
If you have any concerns about your babies feeding or development book in with one of our specialists at Wandsworth Physiotherapy and Osteopathy here.
