The consultation of an osteopath for baby - infant

It is not compulsory to have your baby seen by an osteopath, but when you look at your child, you are amazed and don't realize the little problems he may have (turns his head badly to one side, mobilizes a hip less, etc). All these little dysfunctions can be a source of problems with time and this is why I recommend a "check-up" visit to verify that everything is in order! Here is some information about the osteopathy session for an infant.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no age to start osteopathy. Many people think that you should wait until your baby is one month old. In reality, no, the earlier the better for your baby. But rest assured, paediatric consultations are very gentle and will not hurt your child. Many osteopaths work in the maternity ward to do a check-up, work on the skull, limbs, etc.
For the mother who has given birth, I recommend waiting 2-3 weeks postpartum to give the uterus time to settle back into place as well as the rest of the body, let's not forget that childbirth is a real ordeal! Of course, if the pain is too great and the mother cannot wait, osteopathic treatment is possible.

• Balance sheet
• Flattening of the skull
• Torticollis
• Head always turned to the same side
• Colic
• Reflux
• Sleep disorders
• Sucking problems
• Crying, etc.

Even if the principles of osteopathy also apply to the baby, a consultation for a baby has nothing to do with a consultation for an adult. It is gentle, nothing is done by force, we accompany the movement by guiding it and working with the child.

The goal of the consultation is to look at the child from head to toe and to treat imbalances in the body that may generate dysfunctions later on. For example, if your child's head is not turned as well on the left, he will tend to leave his head on the right and thus the risk of flattening the skull on the right is much greater! It is easier to prevent than to treat, hence the importance of consulting an osteopath quickly.

Your child has already been seen from every angle, especially by his pediatrician or doctor. But the osteopath does not look at the same things. The pediatrician is there to detect pathologies and treat them. The osteopath is there to highlight dysfunctions, blockages and asymmetries that could be a source of pain, he does not take care of organic pathologies. If he detects any, he will redirect you to a doctor.

Your osteopath will therefore look at and mobilize your baby from the feet to the head.

For the lower limbs, he will look at his hips and make sure they are mobile, his knees by checking that they unfold well, but also his feet to make sure that they do not go too far inwards. 

In case of dysfunction, the osteopath will gently manipulate your little one to restore full mobility, but will also give you advice and show you exercises that can be easily applied so that you can prolong the effects of the osteopathic consultation.

There are many sources of tension in a baby's digestive tract because before birth, the baby did not work this part of the body.

Refluxes are common and even normal: at birth, the junction between the stomach and the esophagus is not mature so it is normal that the gastric contents go back up into the throat and sometimes into the mouth of the infant. It is around 3 months that this sphincter is functional and that refluxes disappear most often. Nevertheless, reflux should not be painful and should not persist outside of mealtimes. In case of reflux, it is necessary to consult your pediatrician! The osteopath will mobilize your child to limit the tensions that could encourage the reflux of stomach contents. Your practitioner is also there to advise you in order to relieve your baby as well as possible (to carry him in a sling, to stand him upright, to make him do his burping, etc...).

Colic is the other main source of digestive problems in babies. It is a parent's nightmare because they feel helpless in front of their suffering child. Osteopathy has very good results on colic. Your practitioner will mobilize his belly but also the related vertebrae. Indeed, nerves run from both sides of the vertebrae. These nerves are responsible for the innervation of the organs. Working on the vertebrae related to the digestive system will have an influence on this sphere.

But don't worry, a baby's skull is very moldable, and once again, the earlier you start, the easier it is. The vault of the skull closes completely at the age of 24 months with the closure of the last and most famous fontanel (called Bregma) which is located above the skull. Once the skull is ossified, it is very difficult to obtain a change in the appearance of the skull. The first fontanel closes around 3 months of age, so it is preferable to consult an osteopath as soon as possible in order to optimize the chances of recovering symmetry.

Your osteo will take the opportunity to check the suction, the palate, by putting a finger in the mouth. The neck muscles and the cervicals will be investigated in order to allow an optimal head mobility on both sides. It is very common to see a baby who turns his head more easily to one side, this can be a source of asymmetry and flattening of the skull. A baby turns his head further than the shoulder so it is easy to miss poor cervical mobility.

Because of the disparity in the level of osteopathic schools, it is not always easy to find a good osteopath. For children, it is even more difficult because few are specialized in pediatrics. During osteopathic studies, many courses in pediatrics or gynecology are given but they remain a good introduction to pediatrics and are in no way sufficient to master the care of babies and infants. It is therefore preferable to consult osteopaths who have taken additional training in pediatrics.

Marie Messager
Osteopath specialized in Pediatrics
in Versailles Chantiers
78 - Yvelines