Just home from chiropractor with baby

[LizzeyBenett]

So she is extremely gassy that's the main reason we brought her , there is a chiropractor not far from us that people come from all over to bring their babies . He said she has a birth injury that her head isn't completely symmetrical (it isn't I can see it) that it's off by 9mm but also it's causing a load of other issues he basically named every problem she is having as well as other things I didn't realise were "symptoms", he got her to hold onto his hands and pull her up and you could also see she was much weaker on one side which he said is all part off it, just absolutely blows my mind how one thing like that can have such a knock on effect and yet nobody in the medical field is probably even trained to spot it so we are sent home with a poor baby that needs help . Just makes me think all things like colic , has, reflux linked to something else that needs "adjusting" kind of makes perfect sense to me now ...

Well of course it makes sense to you now it's a very successful sales pitch which is why he has so many clients.

How old is she? You say she's gassy - are you breastfeeding?

Never, ever go to a chiropractor - especially for a young baby! They are unregulated, don’t use evidence based treatment or techniques and some are downright dangerous with far too many paralysis cases linked to their ‘work’. They will be talking rubbish and simply looking to make money off you OP.

There's nothing wrong with your baby's alignment. He's lining you up to give him a good pay day. Speak with your GP or health visitor if you are concerned about the gas, but if your baby is otherwise okay I wouldn't worry too much. Some just are gassy. Please do not go back to this man.

As others said, be pretty cautious. It all sound a bit of a money grab

Ahhh, pseudoscience.

Do not let this quack adjust your baby and don’t go back to them.

Hey OP, I'm a paediatric physiotherapist.

Not here to judge or demean your experience at all- plenty of people do take their little ones to chiropractors and some have found it useful.

However, please be aware that it is not recognised as a conventional medical treatment, and in some cases it will be designed to get you to keep paying out money.

If what has been said today concerns you, I would really recommend chatting with your GP or health visitor who can hopefully reassure you.

Babies (and humans generally) are not symmetrical and it's really common for their heads not to be perfectly round, the bones are still soft and taking shape at that age.

As for the weakness, that does unfortunately sound like a bit of a trick, as babies' strength in terms of "pulling up" is mostly a reflex in the very early stages (I'm assuming here that your little one is quite new) rather than developed muscle strength and depending on how she was handled it can easily appear that one side is stronger.

Please be reassured, you have not been sent home with a baby with lots of issues that no one has picked up on. You have been persuaded by a business to pay out money.

If it makes you feel better and you notice improvements in baby then no harm done! And you should definitely do what you think is best for your little one. I just wanted you to be aware

You thought there might be an issue with your baby and your first thought was to take her to a chiropractor?? Or has the GP already seen her and said nothing to worry about?

Chiropractors were banned from seeing infants in Australia - the spinal and brain injuries that can result from manipulation are horrific.

Rightly so! Good to see a country finally taking formal action against an unregulated profession which so often seeks to exploit patients. Hopefully the UK follows suit but I won’t be holding my breath..

Chiropractors were banned from seeing infants in Australia - the spinal and brain injuries that can result from manipulation are horrific

Yep. I’ve had absolutely devastated medical colleagues who’ve had to deal with the results of chiropractic work on babies. Snapped necks being most common. It definitely should be illegal. Horrific.

Completely mad. I wouldn’t let one near a spine particularly not a wee baby. See a qualified medical professional if your baby is not well.

All humans are 'gassy'. It's a by product of normal digestion. Babies have not used their gut for 9 months in utero and have to adjust when they are born to the sensations that are associated with normal digestion. Think how your tummy feels when you eat, digest and need to poo. It can feel strange and uncomfortable - Babies don't have the cognition to understand.
We need to understand normal infant physiology/behaviour and stop thinking something is always wrong. I agree with @physwizz - I am a midwife and HV (I know we are hated in Mumsnet) and my understanding of anatomy correlates. How can gut physiology be linked to a so called misalignment?

Sorry it makes no sense to me! Health professionals aren't trained about it because there is no robust clinical evidence!

In a moment of weakness & desperation, I went to a chiro about my migraines, pushed by my extended family who are all devotees.

I had to go three times a week for 8 weeks then promised 'maintenace' treatment. I could claim on private medical cover so tried it. It did nothing, but the garbage coming out of the chiro's mouth was so technical & saying yes, what an improvement!!! 'Maintenance' turned out to be TWICE a week. So I bailed!!

I turned to a specialist physio and it turned out to be muscular. I also found stretches online to help. So not nervous system & alignment etc.

Chiro is such a rort. It gives some people better f24 hours, but that's about it.

Good lord, please, please don't let a chiropractor 'adjust' your baby.

I have had Chiro treatment that worked really well for me. It did solve an ongoing issue I had with my neck.

But there is no way in hell I would let a chiropractor anywhere near my child!

(Side note - despite what someone said upthread, it is a regulated profession. But then so are solicitors and plumbers. Doesn’t mean they aren’t going to screw up the job once in a while).

He's being payed to treat providers so he's going to find problems 🤷‍♀️.

how @physwizz has put it is correct, and they’ve worded it so kindly.
please don’t believe the chiropractor, it’s pseudoscience and they’re a charlatan using tricks to make you part ways with your money!

What's being gassy got to do with the shape of a head? Come on OP. It's nonsense.

Do NOT take your baby to a chiropractor.

You may as well pop on down to the local witch.

Actually scratch that, you'd be better off with the witch. She'll probably just throw some plant water at your baby. The chiropractor on the other hand could cause serious permanent damage.

They are unregulated, and have injured, permanently diabled and even killed people before. Many times.

You are putting your baby in harms way. It's a scam that can also paralyze and worse.

I think there no harm as long as it’s not manipulation therapy but strengthening exercises.

my mother use to do this cute hold up dancing with my baby son when he was few months old, I could see it helped strengthen his back muscles.

‘Adjustments’ = manipulations. This man is not helping to strengthen OP’s DD’s muscles in the slightest, all he is doing is unnecessarily ‘treating’ her and putting a defenceless baby in harms way.