by Deb Donovan and Bob VanMetter
Almost all infants develop periods of fussiness. This is often referred to as colic. It has been defined as periods of irritability, fussiness and inconsolable crying in a healthy baby (that lasts for at least three hours a day, at least three days a week). But colic is actually a default diagnosis.
Pain from sources other than the gastrointestinal tract can be improperly diagnosed as colic. If a baby is crying inconsolably, it is very difficult to know if he is actually suffering from a digestive disturbance. There is a strong possibility, especially when there has been a history of birth trauma, that these babies are suffering from head and neck pain due to misalignments in the upper cervical (neck) area.
In a study looking at babies receiving upper cervical care for colic, 94 percent of parents saw improvement in their baby's behavior within two weeks of initiation of care. A little over half of these babies had already been unsuccessfully treated, usually by pharmacological means (Klougart et al., 1989). Another study found 91 percent of babies experienced a reduction in colicky behavior following as little as two upper cervical corrections (Nilsson, 1985).
Posts
