Birth is one of the most stressful events of our lives. The baby is subjected to enormous forces, as the uterus pushes to expel the baby against the natural resistance of the birth canal. The baby has to twist and turn as it squeezes through the bony pelvis, on its short but highly stimulating and potentially stressful journey.



A baby's head has the remarkable ability to absorb these stresses in a normal delivery. In order to reduce the size of the head, the soft bones overlap, bend and warp as the baby descends. The baby's chin is normally well tucked down towards its chest to reduce the presenting diameter of the head.

Many babies are born with odd shaped heads as a result. In the first few days, the head can usually be seen to gradually lose the moulded shape, as the baby suckles, cries, yawns etc. However, this unmoulding process is often incomplete, especially if the birth has been difficult. As a result, the baby may have to live with some potentially uncomfortable stresses within its head and body.

What effect does this have?

Some babies cope extremely well with even quite severe retained moulding and compression, and are contented and happy.

For others it is a different story, and they can display a variety of problems:

Crying and/or irritable baby wanting to be held constantly or rocked...

The reason - the baby may be uncomfortable, with a constant feeling of pressure in the head similar to a headache. This is made worse by the extra pressure on the head when lying down.

Feeding difficulties, often windy...

The reason - feeding is difficult and tiring due to stresses through the head, face and throat.

Sickness, wind and symptoms of colic...

The reason - regurgitation and trapped wind result due to the irritation of the nerves that supply the stomach and diaphragm (which originate in the neck), this constricts the stomach opening causing overfill reflux and difficulty expelling air.

Sleep disturbances...

The reason - the tension on the bony and membranous casing of the skull keeps the baby's nervous system in a persistently alert state, they may also be uncomfortable. As the child grows: As the child grows, the effects of retained moulding can lead to other problems. The following are the most common but is not an exhaustive list:

? Nasal and Ear Infections

? Glue Ear

? Sinus and Dental problems

? Behavioural problems and learning difficulties

? Headaches, aches and pains

? Attention difficulties

? For the older child - growing pains

Osteopathic treatment of babies and children

Treatment using the cranial approach is very gentle, safe and effective in the treatment of babies and older children.

Specific gentle pressure is applied wherever necessary (not only on the head) to enable the inherent healing ability of the body to effect the release of stresses.

Reactions to treatment are variable; often the baby or child is very relaxed afterwards and sleeps well. Others have a burst of energy after treatment, usually followed by a good night's sleep. Occasionally the child may seem unsettled and this is merely because treatment may take a few hours or days to complete.

On average, 2 to 6 treatments are sufficient. This varies according to the severity of the actual problem and the age of the child.

Ideally it is best to commence treatment early in a child's life; it is never too early or late to begin treatment.

Terry O'Brien-Back Trouble UK

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