Breast-Feeding Difficulties
Making a House Call. Van Loon M, ICA Review
Fall 2001. Case 1.
This is the case of a 3-day-old infant with
breast-feeding difficulties. The mother had a 12-hour labor
and, after birth, the baby had initially latched on but after
a few hours stopped latching on. The baby became lethargic,
lost weight and showed signs of jaundice. A chiropractic
analysis of the child’s
spine and TMJ was performed at home. The child was adjusted
and was then able to nurse properly.
Resolution of suckling
intolerance in a 6-month-old chiropractic patient. Holtrop
DP. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics,
2000;23(9):615-618
This is the case of a 6-month-old boy who
wasn’t able
to nurse for 4 ½ months. Once the upper neck (cervical)
and cranial subluxations were corrected the baby was able
to nurse immediately afterwards.
Chiropractic care for infants
with dysfunctional nursing: a case series. Hewitt, EG, Journal
of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, Vol. 4, No. 1, 1999.
Herein
are cases of two infants with dysfunctional nursing who were
able to breastfeed after receiving chiropractic care.
The first
infant was an 8-week-old girl unable to maintain suction while
breastfeeding since birth. The mother said the child “broke suction with every suck,” regurgitated
excessively and exhibited extremely fussy behavior, especially
in the evenings. She was diagnosed by a chiropractor with
cranial subluxations and multiple craniosacral restrictions.
She was able to nurse normally after receiving two chiropractic
adjustments consisting of diversified spinal adjusting and
craniosacral therapy over 14 days. The regurgitation and
fussiness ceased, and the child was sleeping better.
A follow-up
telephone call 7 months later revealed that the child continued
to do well with no return of symptoms.
The second infant was
a 4-week-old boy who had been unable to suckle effectively
since birth. He was diagnosed with spinal and cranial subluxations.
He suckled immediately following his first adjustment (consisting
of diversified spinal adjusting and craniosacral therapy).
He received four adjustments in 21 days.
Dr. Koren’s comments: In our family, we had a similar
occurrence. Shortly after our son Seth was born, we were
informed that there was a problem with his suckling and he
would not be able to create a tight seal around the nipple.
Seth was examined by a craniosacral practitioner who found
a restriction in his hard palate, probably due to the stress
of labor. The restriction was released and his nursing went
smoothly after that (for 39 ½ months!)
Chiropractic management
of an infant experiencing breastfeeding difficulties and colic:
a case study. Sheader, WE, J of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics,
Vol. 4, No. 1, 1999.
This is the case study of a 15-day-old
emaciated Hispanic male infant experiencing inability to breastfeed
and colic since birth.
When the child was first brought to the
chiropractor’s
office, he was crying constantly, exhibiting “shaking,
screaming, rash, and vomiting during and after feeding.” The
baby also had “increased distress” 30 minutes
after feeding and had excessive abdominal and bowel gas since
birth.
The mother reported the infant was given a Hepatitis
B vaccination within hours after birth. Due to breastfeeding
difficulties, the pediatrician prescribed formula but the
baby reacted poorly to it.
During the chiropractic examination
the infant continuously cried, with high-pitched screams, and
full-body shaking. Child had a distended abdomen with excessive
bowel gas.
Spinal adjustment was at the first cervical vertebra
(C1) and was followed by significant reduction of crying, screaming
and shaking. The mother commented on the “quietness” of
her baby.
On the 2nd visit, two days later, the mother commented, “This
is a completely different baby.” The vomiting before
and after feeding had ceased. By the 3rd visit a “significant
decrease of symptoms” was reported and complete remission
of abdominal findings. Baby had been successfully breastfeeding
since last visit. No adjustment was given.
On 4th visit 3 days
later, the baby had been symptom free for 5 days at which
time he received another Hepatitis B vaccination with the
return of all symptoms to a severe degree. The infant had
a low grade fever as well.
Adjustment was given but there was
no reduction of symptoms. The patient was adjusted three more
times over the next week with minimal reduction in symptoms.
By the eighth visit, eight days after receiving the vaccination,
the child began to show marked improvement and by the 11th
visit, no symptoms were noticed and no adjustment was given.
Seventeen days after vaccination, there was a return of all
symptoms; by the 13th visit “the infant did not exhibit
any significant recurring symptoms.
Dr. Koren comments: the
high-pitched screaming the child exhibited is a diagnostic
cry (cri-encephalique) which is due to irritation of the central
nervous system. Children with neurologic damage should not
be vaccinated or re-vaccinated. The MD who vaccinated this
child did not follow protocol, as most MDs do not since they
largely ignore vaccine damage and do not report it. The author
should have discussed the possibility of vaccine damage with
the mother so she could make an informed choice regarding the
continued vaccination of her child.
Case study: infant’s
inability to breast-feed. Krauss, L. Chiropractic Pediatrics
Vol 1 No. 3 Dec. 1994 p.27.
This is the case study of a three-week-old
girl with colic, flatulence and outbursts of crying from 9
PM to 1 AM since birth, 19 days prior.
Upon examination, the
child had inversion and pronation of left foot, left ear was
folded, left cervical lateral flexion posture, rooting was
poor, facial asymmetry and right lateral mandible.
Chiropractic
care and CranioSacral therapy was begun. The author writes: “We suspected that his posture in utero
was the primary contributing factor to child’s physical
asymmetry and subluxation pattern. By forth week of adjustments
baby began to breast-feed from both breasts.”
Apparently
the inability to breast-feed due to pain caused by atlas subluxation
and TMJ dysfunction.
Birth induced TMJ dysfunction:
the most common cause of breastfeeding difficulties. Arcadi,
VC, Sherman Oaks, CA, Proceedings of the National Conference
on Chiropractic and Pediatrics. Oct, 1993 Palm Springs, CA.
Pub. Int’l
Chiropractors Assoc., Arlington, VA.
1,000 newborns age one
hour to 21 days with failure and/or difficulty with breast
feeding were checked for spinal, structural problems. All babies
were all born vaginally with a lay midwife and without drugs
in a calm, warm, peaceful setting.
All babies were examined
and in all cases a cranial distortion was present due to the
birth process. The birth trauma apparently produced a TMJ dysfunction
which interrupted proper suckling mechanics, causing severe
headaches and gastrointestinal disturbances in 800 or 80%,
of the babies
Chiropractic cranial and spinal adjustments brought
excellent results in 99% of the cases. This paper discusses
the basic clinical findings, related newborn discomforts, and
associated symptomatology involving other symptoms.
Newborn
with atlas subluxation/absent rooting reflex. Case reports
in chiropractic pediatrics (case #4). Esch, S. ACA J of Chiropractic
December 1988.
A two day old newborn female with lethargy and
a yellowish skin color present since birth and an inability
to nurse (unable to “latch on”) was brought to
the chiropractor.
A medical doctor said the baby was “probably hypothyroid” and
should be hospitalized. Instead her atlas was adjusted for
a left lateral listing. Immediately thereafter, the baby
exhibited a strong bilateral rooting reflex and began nursing.
The
jaundice quickly cleared. The mother continued to nurse her
child for two years.
Copyright 2004 Koren Publications, Inc. & Tedd
Koren, D.C.
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