Osteopathy for babies
Many babies come into the world with slight tension patterns in the body or skull base. These arise during pregnancy, childbirth or rapid or prolonged indentation, for example. These tensions can affect the nervous system and cause various complaints.
Osteopathy offers a safe and gentle treatment method to reduce these tensions, allowing your baby's body to regulate itself better.
What does osteopathy treatment for babies look like?
A treatment is always gentle, pain-free and fully tailored to the baby's age and situation.
We start with:
1. Comprehensive anamnesis on pregnancy, childbirth and nutrition
2. Examination of skull, spine, abdomen and pelvis
3. Gentle manual techniques to restore loss of movement
4. Opinion
Usually, a few treatments are enough to see noticeable improvements, depending on the complaint and the baby's age.
When to see the osteopath?
You can take your baby for complaints such as:
- Preferred position or flattening of the head
- Reflux or frequent spitting up
- Intestinal cramps, constipation or lots of gas
- Crying baby / difficult to comfort
- Sleep problems
- Drinking problems
- Overstretching
- Difficulty with defecation
- Restlessness or irritability
Osteopathy is complementary to regular care. When in doubt, I always consult with the GP, midwife or paediatrician.
Common complaints in babies:
Suction and/or swallowing problems
When tension is present around the base of the skull or neck, the nerves involved in sucking and swallowing may function less optimally. This may manifest as restlessness or difficulty during drinking.
- Difficulty latching on
- Rapid breast release
- Restlessness while drinking
- Frequent drooling or difficulty swallowing
With compression around the back of the head, the nerves that control sucking and swallowing may not function as well.
Reflux, spitting up and vomiting
With reflux, food regularly flows back from the stomach. Babies may spit up a lot in this process, be restless after feedings or sleep poorly. The vagus nerve plays an important role in closing the gastric valve. When this nerve is under tension, stomach contents can flow back more quickly.
Other factors:
- the liver presses relatively large against the stomach in babies
- Too frequent feeding can lead to half-digested milk being re-mixed → more cramping and reflux
Osteopathic treatment can help reduce tension on the vagus nerve and surrounding structures.
Intestinal cramps and colic
Cramps, flatulence or difficulty defecating are common in young babies. This may be due to a still immature digestive system, sometimes combined with tension in the abdomen or pelvis.
Colic can be caused by:
- sensitivity to cow's milk protein (occurs in ±25% of babies)
- immature bowel function (especially < 6 months)
- mechanical tension in abdominal or pelvic area
- cranial tension (skull base)
Osteopathy works on both the mechanical tension in the abdomen and the cranial structures that affect the vagus nerve and thus bowel function.
Preferred posture or torticollis
A baby may constantly turn its head to the same side or have difficulty looking both ways. This can be accompanied by tension in the neck and shoulders and sometimes lead to asymmetry in posture or movement.
- Baby always looks in the same direction
- Feels tight or restricted in neck and shoulder
- Can lead to flattening of the occiput (plagiocephaly)
This is frequently due to tension around the skull and upper vertebra. Osteopathy can help restore these movement restrictions.
Flattened head (plagiocephaly)
A preferred posture or lying down a lot can cause the head to flatten on one side or the back. In the first months of life, the skull can still be easily influenced, so guidance at this stage can be important.
Plagiocephaly can occur due to:
- position in the womb
- prolonged or rapid delivery
- Delivery by forceps/vacuum pump
- preferred position
- mechanical compression at the base of the skull
Osteopathy focuses on restoring mobility of the cranial sutures, jaw, neck and spine.
Early treatment (0-6 months) gives the best results.
Overextension (opisthotonus)
Some babies often stretch backwards or feel noticeably tense. This may indicate difficulty relaxing and may be associated with restlessness, crying or sleep problems. When a baby shows a lot of overstretching, it often indicates irritation of the suboccipital structures.
Sleep problems and irritability
Some babies cry a lot and seem difficult to calm down, with no obvious medical cause. This may be related to tension in the body, for instance after pregnancy or childbirth, which makes relaxing and self-regulation more difficult.
Symptoms:
- Baby wakes up as soon as it is put down
- Cries a lot and is difficult to comfort
- Seems tense or easily overstimulated
This may be due to tension around the vagus nerve and autonomic nervous system. Osteopathy helps bring the body back to relaxation and rest.
Security and professionalism
As an osteopath, I work according to NRO/NOF guidelines and treat babies with the utmost care and attention.
Techniques are safe, subtle and focused on tissue relaxation and restoring mobility.
Making an appointment
Want to know what osteopathy can do for your baby?
Feel free to contact us or easily schedule an appointment online.
