YOUR CHILDREN
Last month, I wrote to you about the importance of having your children checked to ensure they are not subluxated. And we spoke about the fact that a Vertebral Subluxation is a neurological habit – a pattern that most often starts very early in life - often during the process of birth and even before. You are wondering; “How can that be?”
I always recall an episode of Friends where Phoebe was giving birth and said that it was like passing a roast through her nostril. Hmmm….... The process of birth is also incredibly common. How many of you have been through it?
The forces involved in birthing are substantial and everyone always looks at birth from the perspective of the mom.
But…...what about the effect on the baby? Think about this for a moment: Here is this small precious bundle, the result of a wondrous and miraculous bond between Man and Woman. This small infant has to travel a perilous journey from the uterus, through a convoluted birth canal, and exit at nearly impossible angles to meet their parents. Quite a feat I’d say!
And consider the fact that in the midst of that process, someone grabs the head, pulls and tugs on it and moves it from side to side attempting to have one shoulder exit and then another, etc.
Many studies have been done on the damage that can occur during the process of delivery – that is why we cannot recall our own birth - the stress and pressure of being squeezed through a little tiny 10 centimeter opening and someone grabbing your head twisting it and pulling you out.
There is tremendous stress placed on the head and neck of the baby and often this stress causes vertebral subluxations of the very delicate spinal bones of the infant. This, in turn, affects the spinal cord and parts of the nervous system of the baby and can produce a myriad of health problems. These can appear seemingly unrelated to the process of delivery but can affect your child months or years later – even as an adult! Amazing!
And this brings me to a topic which is difficult to discuss because it is fairly raw, so let’s look at this closer: Traumatic Birth Syndrome
This is a very disturbing topic and one that is unfamiliar to most parents. Traumatic Birth Syndrome (TBS), estimated to be the sixth leading cause of infant death, is mostly under-reported and misdiagnosed. Most family physicians will have no clue, if you mention the subject.
Birth is a very normal biological process. It does not require “management” as a disease, yet most physicians and hospitals treat it in the manner of a sickness – much to the alarm of parents, and especially moms, everywhere.
But pregnancy and birth have special significance to a chiropractor. Here is why: Often a pregnant mom and her unborn baby are exposed to harmful routine medical procedures that are not only poorly researched but whose effects are also not well documented. Most parents simply trust their doctor and that’s it. This blind, simplistic view of birth can be life threatening to an infant.
My concern, as a chiropractor, when dealing with pregnancy, is the status of mom’s spine and nervous system so that she can maintain a healthy pregnancy – it is important that all neural relays and connections are working optimally. This will ensure a mom to have a wonderful, uneventful (yes please) delivery resulting in a healthy baby. The reason is that Vertebral Subluxations often can affect a mother’s spine causing malfunction, changing the physiology of pregnancy, and affecting the baby in-utero.
How you ask? Any interference in the function of mom’s nervous system will affect the manner in which the baby rotates and turns in the womb, for example. It will also affect baby’s nutrition, development, and hence his growth. These factors can lead to what is called In-Utero Constraint. This is a situation where, in the last trimester of pregnancy, the baby becomes “trapped” in a precarious position in the uterus, from which it is unable to free itself- and this position can be maintained for up to 3 months! This can lead to serious consequences during birth. For example; if the baby is trapped in what is called a “transverse lie” – a horizontal position across the uterus – it will most likely be born with a considerable Scoliosis – a curvature of the spine. This may necessitate a long-term correction with me – your chiropractor.
Or the baby is trapped with his head in extension – resting on the back of his shoulders. This may cause problems with his spinal cord, and place undue pressure and stress on areas of the spine not ready to handle such stress - and it may herald an early onset of degeneration, immune or sensory issues.
It is for this reason that I feel very strongly all pregnant moms should have a chiropractic check-up to help them and their babies throughout their pregnancy, delivery, and birth.
Why am I spending so much time on this subject? The answer is simple. Traumatic Birth Syndrome (TBS) accounts for 85-95% of health problems we, as chiropractors, see even in adults. Yes!
This is a huge problem.
I mentioned this earlier; TBS is a problem largely under-reported, and one that most people are unfamiliar with. Dr.'s Gutman and Biederman, two German physicians, have done extensive studies on this phenomenon and found that in cases of subluxation in the neck area, the baby can literally stop breathing while asleep. This has been termed Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). I am sure you’ve heard of it.
A subluxation in the upper part of the neck area - usually from the process of delivery, (and sometimes from being thrown up into the air by exuberant Dads) affects the spinal cord. In that particular area of the spinal cord, called the brain stem, are located centers for breathing and respiration. In other words, these are the areas that control whether a person breathes or not. A subluxation in that area can affect these breathing centers causing a baby to literally stop breathing. Not a good thing!
Dr. Gutmann also found that 80 percent of all children tend to have a subluxation in the upper part of the neck, which may make them susceptible to a number of diffuse symptoms which have baffled physicians for years. He also found that this type of subluxation could also cause lower resistance to infection, frequent colds, ear problems, hyperactivity, Asthma, bed-wetting, as well as what he termed, “central motor impairment.” His recommendation to parents is that “a spinal check-up after birth should be obligatory.” I can almost hear you say: Why is this so important?
I mentioned in earlier issues that your child’s spine is her/his lifeline. Running through it is the spinal cord containing billions of nerves that send vital messages and information from the brain to every part of the body and back again. Yes, we all have our own internal Internet! As long as none of these messages are interrupted or interfered with, your child should have optimal function and the best of health!
If, however, there is an interference with this “information highway,” the messages sent by the brain will not reach the part of the body they are intended to reach. As a result, the body begins to work improperly. This results in “malfunction.” It can be a serious threat to health (I covered this topic in an earlier issue).
This interference will also affect your baby’s immune system, lower body resistance and leave your child prey to various “bugs” and infections. Often parents will ask me: “Why is it that my child always seems to be sick?”
And how many of you have a child, or know a child, who seems to get “everything” while your other children seems to be really healthy? And you have been told that this child has a “weak” constitution. What does that mean – exactly?
In cases such as these, the problem is that, in all likelihood, the child has had a difficult birth and is presently suffering from Vertebral Subluxations – his body is not functioning as it should!
In the next issue, I will talk about well accepted, recognized, and deeply rooted medical procedures and rituals, that may contribute to Traumatic Birth Syndrome, thereby affecting the health of your baby—even for life; eg: Ultrasound, C-section, etc.
SOO…
If you are tired of being stuck in the traditional “health” care model and want another approach, contact us today! We can’t wait to welcome you into the Prime Chiropractic family!
And as always, if you have any questions, or would information on any health topic, it would be my pleasure to help you!