Chiropractors Aren't Just for Parents, Babies Get Adjustments Too

The headline above comes from an October 30, 2015, news story from KMOV in St. Louis. The article features the fact that babies are seeing chiropractors at an increased rate.

The story, by anchor Carolyn Long, begins by noting, "When a baby goes to the doctor, they typically see a pediatrician. But, more parents are taking their very young children to see a chiropractor." Ms. Long noted that according to the recent National Health Survey, 1.8 million children between the ages of 4 and 17 visited chiropractors in the previous year.

The story highlighted a baby named Ava who received her first chiropractic adjustment when she was just 6 weeks old. "And honestly it was 6 weeks too long," said Ava's mother, Melissa.

Melissa recalled the weeks of long sleepless nights her daughter had suffered due to reflux. "She was miserable and I really was desperate," she said. "She struggled to eat and be a normal baby, all of her energy was spent just trying to breathe." It was then that Melissa decided to bring her baby to a chiropractor.

The results were life changing for both mother and baby. Melissa notes her daughter's reaction to her specific chiropractic adjustments, "Lights came on and she had a little bit of shine in her eyes, you could tell she was more alert. Things just got better for her."

The article addressed safety concerns by noting that an adjustment for a baby is much different than one given to an adult. This is reinforced by the Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), "Chiropractic's drugless and preventive approach to good health makes it perfectly appropriate for infants, children, and teenagers. Chiropractic is one of the safest forms of children's health care. A chiropractor does not adjust a baby or a child the same way as he or she adjusts an adult. A baby's spine is very supple during the first few months of life, so the doctor of chiropractic applies only a slight pressure to make an adjustment."

Georgia chiropractor, Dr. Robert Braile, who has adjusted many babies in his 37 years of practice and who taught chiropractic pediatric adjusting in a major chiropractic university commented, "In addition to the many infants and babies I have had the privilege to care for over the years, all three of my grandchildren were checked and adjusted within minutes of birth to correct any form of nerve inference from subluxations created by the birth process."

Dr. Braile, director of public relations of ICA, continued, "Nothing is more natural, and healthier than a young life starting off with a properly functioning nervous system free from any type of interference.