Why do children need treatment?
It
is a common belief that babies and children should have no structural stresses or strains in their bodies, because they are
'so young'. The reality is very different.
Birth is one of the most stressful events of our lives. The baby
is subjected to enormous forces during its journey through the birth canal. The baby has to turn and twist as it squeezes
through the bony pelvis, on its short but highly stimulating and potentially stressful journey.
The baby's head
has the remarkable ability to adapt to these stresses in a normal delivery. In order to reduce the size of the head, the soft
bones overlap and absorb pressure as the baby descends. Many babies are born with odd shaped heads as a result. In the first
few days, the head can usually be seen to gradually lose the extreme moulded shape, as the baby suckles, cries and yawns.
However, this unmoulding process is often incomplete, especially if the birth has been difficult. As a result, the baby may
have to live with some very uncomfortable stresses within its head and body.
What effect does retained
moulding have?
Some babies cope extremely well with even quite severe retained moulding and compression, and
are contented and happy. For others it is a different story, and they can display a variety of problems.
Crying, irritable baby
Crying, fractious, irritable baby, needs to be rocked to sleep. Prefers
being carried.
Reason
The baby may be uncomfortable, with a constant feeling of pressure in the head.
This is made worse by the extra pressure on the head when lying down.
Feeding difficulties
The baby takes a long time to feed and one feed merges into the next. He/she may be a 'windy' feeder,
Reason
Feeding is difficult and tiring due to mechanical stresses through the head, face and throat. The nerves to the tongue may
be irritated as they exit from the skull, which makes sucking difficult.
Sickness, colic
and wind
Regurgitation of milk between feeds, bouts of prolonged crying due to colic and wind. Often
worse in the evening.
Reason
The nerve to the stomach is irritated as it exits from the base of the skull,
which impairs digestion. The diaphragm may be stressed or distorted, which further compromises both digestion and the ability
of the stomach to retain its contents.
Sleep disturbances
The baby sleeps
for only short periods, and may sleep little in the day (or night!). Wakes to the slightest noise.
Reason
The tension on the bony and membranous casing of the skull keeps the baby's nervous system in a persistently alert state.
As the child grows
As the child grows, the effects of retained moulding can lead to other
problems. The following are the most common, but it is by no means an exhaustive list.
Infections
Retained moulding and birth stresses take their toll on the body's reserves, and also deplete the immune system.
This leaves children more vulnerable to all types of infection.
Ear infection
Recurrent
ear infections, gradually becoming more frequent. Loss of hearing, leads to 'glue ear'.
Reason
Retained
birth compression within and around the bones of the ear impedes fluid drainage from the ear, causes poor development of air
sinuses in the ear, and partial or complete blocking of the Eustachian tube.
Infections never fully clear, leaving a
vulnerability to the next infection and a depleted immune system.
Persistent mouth breathers. Constantly blocked or
runny nose. Later, this increases the chance of dental overcrowding.
Reason
Impaired growth and drainage
of the sinuses and bones of the face due to retained moulding compression.
Poor concentration, constant fidgeting, difficulty
sitting still, hyperactivity. 'Butterfly' type of child who flits from one thing to the next.
Reason
Continuation of the restlessness as a young baby. Retained moulding compression makes them uncomfortable in one position
for too long - which becomes habit forming. Severe compression can modify normal patterns of learning in the brain.
Headaches begin age 7-8. Growing pains. Vulnerability to sprains, or other aches and pains.
Reason
Retained moulding may focus areas of pressure in the skull, as the bony joints of the skull fully form at around the age
of 7-8 years. Postural tensions make other areas of the body more vulnerable to strain and fatigue.
Vulnerability
to chest infections. Aggravation of all degrees of asthma from mild to severe.
Retained moulding compression can aggravate
a tendency to asthma. General lowered immunity leads to more chest infections. After infections, the chest remains tense and
the ribs do not return to full function, aggravating an asthmatic tendency.
Osteopathic treatment to release birth stresses
and help to improve chest function is often beneficial in reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.
