 |
||
 |
What problems can cranial osteopathy help with in babies?
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. Cranial osteopathy may help with:
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. Cranial osteopathy may help with:
- Crying, screaming, irritability The baby may be uncomfortable, with a constant feeling of pressure in the head. This may be 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. They may be a 'windy' feeder. 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. The nerve to the stomach may be irritated as it exits from the base of the skull, which can impair digestion. The diaphragm between the chest and the abdomen may be stressed or distorted, which further compromises both digestion and the ability of the stomach to retain its contents. Stress from a difficult or fast birth can leave the digestive system in tension trapping wind. Any strain through the umbilical cord, for instance if it was around the baby's neck, can add to strains in the abdomen.
- Sleep disturbances The baby sleeps for only short periods, and may sleep little in the day (or night!). They wake to the slightest noise- "jumpy". The tension on the bony and membranous casing of the skull keeps the baby's nervous system in a persistently alert state.