PEDIATRICS

Babies and children benefit from adjustments too. Birth can be a traumatic experience on a newborns body. They are pulled, torqued and twisted which can all affect their alignment of their spine. As children get older and learn how to walk they are falling constantly. Then when they become older, children are active and play sports. All of these things can cause misalignments in their spine.

Chiropractic adjustments have been proven to help increase immune system response. This can help the body to better fight infections, decrease colic, decrease severity of ear infections. Regular adjustments may decrease allergy symptoms decrease growing pain and even help babies to sleep better.

Dr. Pagnani use a very gentle touch when adjusting your child. It does not hurt and most children seem happy and relaxed after their adjustment.

Children’s Chiropractic Safety Research:

The ICPA has initiated a ground breaking study on the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic care for children. The preliminary results are outstanding and show that chiropractic care is safe for children. Even more significant is that parents reported three unexpected improvements with their child’s care:

1. Improved sleeping
2. Improved behavior and attitude
3. Improved immune system function

Chiropractic adjustments may help with:

• colic
• breastfeeding issues including latch problems
• reflux
• sleep
• ear infections
• torticollis
• plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome
• growing pains

My Child is Tongue Tied!!!

TOTS or tongue lip and cheek ties are becoming more prevalent in our children. TOTS can consists of either a tongue tie (where the frenulum or the piece of skin under a baby tongue restricts movement of the tongue) or where the upper lip or cheek is restricted being anchored to the gum.

What are symptoms associated with lip/tongue tie?

In infant baby may have apoor latch, poor weight gain, wanting to feed frequently, falling asleep while nursing, colic or reflux. Mothers may also experience pain while breastfeeding, cracked/bruised nipples, and poor/incomplete breast drainage after feeding. In toddlers and older children you may see them having trouble transitioning from puree to solid foods, sensitive gag reflex, picky eater, speech issues, orthodontic problems, mouth breathing causing ear infections and tonsillitis as well as sleep apnea.

How does a TOT affect my baby?

TOTS is considered a midline defect, meaning it can affect the entire center and core of the body.  The back of the tongue is connected to neck muscles and fascia as well as anatomically attached to the facial structure bones in the cranium.  Because of theconnection of the tongue and relationship it has on the developing the palate, jaw and cranium; tethered tissue can affect long lasting structural changes to the musculoskeletal system, including posture, facial asymmetries and may hinder the child from meeting all developmental milestones such as rolling over or crawling correctly.

Why does my baby need “body work” pre and post frenectomy procedure?

Due to the structural changes associated with TOTS, it is imperative that your child receives chiropractic care pre and post procedure.  If the tongue it tied, it is pulling on the cranial bones, the TMJ (jaw) as well as the neck and posture muscles which will cause restrictions in the vertebral joints; or what we call chiropractic “subluxations”.  By restoring motion in the joints we allow the body to function and grow optimally,  especially after the procedure when the body is adapting to its new was of moving and functioning post release.

Chiropractic cranialsacral therapy (CST) will help the developing cranial bones to sit properly without restriction as they fuse together throughout the first year.  CST also allows pumping of the cerebral spinal fluid to flow throughout the spinal cord, a necessary process in the body to move toxins away from the brain, thus allowing the brain to function and develop properly.

What is the treatment like?

Usually the child is laying on a comfortable pillow and light massage will be done to the cervical spine muscles as well as the TMJ.  Tongue stretches are performed, very similar to the ones given by a lactation consultant, pediatric dentist or ENT. A very specific and gentle adjustment is given to the restricted spinal segments, by holding light pressure.  The amount of pressure used is the same to check the ripeness or a tomato.  *Please note there is no twisting, torqueing or popping of the spine in this type of adjustment. Baby will then lie on their belly in the tummy time position and chiropractic cranialsacral therapy will be performed using the gentle cranial pumping technique. Finally stretches and recommendations will be given to do at home.

The entire session takes about 10 minutes and many babies find the treatment to be extremely relaxing.