The Paediatric Osteopath: An essential visit for your newborn baby?
Osteopathic assessment and treatment for newborns is now an emerging and complementary method used in neonatology. It is usually recommended as early as the first days or weeks of life after birth (before 3 months of age).
However, evidence of the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatments (OMTs) for paediatric conditions remain unproven due to the insufficiency and low methodological quality of the earlier studies.
When it is crucially recommended?
OMTs are often used in postural problems, feet, knee and hip postural disorders, after a fall, an accident or a fracture. Nonetheless, below are the most suggested paediatric osteopathic treatments to this day.
*After a difficult birth
Whether it was a Forceps delivery, Suction/Vacuum delivery , Caesarean section, Premature birth, Presentation births such as a back to back/ face presentation , Multiple pregnancy, Induced labour, Long labour ( more than 8 hours) , Short labour ( less than 2 hours) or The umbilical cord wrapped around the neck.
*Congenital torticollis and plagiocephaly (flat head)
During labour an infant’s head is subjected to very large compressive forces. In order to move through the birth canal and to accommodate these, the baby’s head undergoes a process of ‘moulding’, in which the bones of the skull overlap, bend and warp.
After birth, the skull begins to re-expand and return to its normal shape, assisted by the baby crying, suckling and yawning. The head gradually then loses most of the moulding pattern during the first 10 days of life but sometimes there may be swelling or a misshapen head after birth, clicking joints or a restriction in movement.
Torticollis or an uneven or side bent (banana shape) looking baby is considered trauma and can be corrected.
*Otitis or repetitive infections
There is currently not enough research that explores the effectiveness of OMTs on Otitis Media. It is possible that some children may benefit from OMTs or OMTs combined with other therapies but more rigorous studies are needed to provide evidence (Pohlman & Holton-Brown, 2012)
*Gastrointestinal, Reflux or Regurgitation problems
An osteopathic manipulative treatment may reduce the high occurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms in premature infants and shorten their stay in the NICU (Pizzolorusso et al., 2011).
*Colics, irritability and unexplained crying
In a recent systematic review, researchers analysed over 19 studies and found that manual therapy may moderately help reduce crying (Carnes, Plunkett, Ellwood, & Miles, 2018; Hayden & Mullinger, 2006).
*Difficult breathing & Asthma
Studies of the efficacy of OMT in treating asthma have been small with poor methodology but a study aiming to prove the effectiveness of OMT in paediatric asthma has been posted through the European Institute for Evidence Based Osteopathic Medicine on ClinicalTrials.gov (NIH).
*Breast feeding issues
In recent years, there have been frequent references to cranial osteopathy and craniosacral therapy (CST) for infants who are having difficulty breastfeeding. The addition of osteopathy to regular lactation consultations has been proven to be beneficial and safe (Herzhaft-Le Roy, Xhignesse, & Gaboury, 2017).
* Sleeping disorders
OMTs may have a positive influence on the incidence of obstructive apneas during sleep in infants (Vandenplas et al., 2008).
+References
Carnes, D., Plunkett, A., Ellwood, J., & Miles, C. (2018). Manual therapy for unsettled, distressed and excessively crying infants: A systematic review and meta-analyses. BMJ Open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019040
Hayden, C., & Mullinger, B. (2006). A preliminary assessment of the impact of cranial osteopathy for the relief of infantile colic. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2005.12.005
Herzhaft-Le Roy, J., Xhignesse, M., & Gaboury, I. (2017). Efficacy of an Osteopathic Treatment Coupled with Lactation Consultations for Infants’ Biomechanical Sucking Difficulties: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Human Lactation. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334416679620
Pizzolorusso, G., Turi, P., Barlafante, G., Cerritelli, F., Renzetti, C., Cozzolino, V., … D’Incecco, C. (2011). Effect of osteopathic manipulative treatment on gastrointestinal function and length of stay of preterm infants: An exploratory study. Chiropractic and Manual Therapies. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-709X-19-15
Pohlman, K. A., & Holton-Brown, M. S. (2012). Otitis media and spinal manipulative therapy: A literature review. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2012.05.006
Vandenplas, Y., Denayer, E., Vandenbossche, T., Vermet, L., Hauser, B., DeSchepper, J., & Engelen, A. (2008). Osteopathy may decrease obstructive apnea in infants: A pilot study. Osteopathic Medicine and Primary Care. https://doi.org/10.1186/1750-4732-2-8
DR NAUF ALBENDAR
My name is Dr Nauf AlBendar and I am the founder of The Womb Effect. As a medical scientist with a BSc in Molecular Genetics and Genomics, an MSc in Nutrition & Food Science and a PHD in clinical medicine, I have developed a deep appreciation and understanding for the developmental origins of health and disease.