%20(1).png)
_edited_edited_edited.png)
Gentle Care for Babies
Gentle Chiropractic
Care for Infants
The first year of life is a time of incredible growth and development. Every movement, sensory experience and interaction helps build the foundations for future motor skills, learning, emotional regulation and overall wellbeing.
Gentle chiropractic care aims to support healthy movement, neuro and motor development, comfort and nervous system function using light, age-appropriate techniques. Care is always tailored to each baby's individual needs and developmental stage.
Parents may choose to have their baby assessed by a Paediatric Chiropractor for a variety of reasons, including:
-
Improving comfort and ease of movement
-
Supporting a sense of safety & nervous system regulation
-
Encouraging a full, comfortable range of motion through the neck and body
-
Addressing muscle tension or movement preferences, such as favouring one side
-
Support with feeding issues
-
Supporting healthy posture and movement development
-
Assisting babies who appear stiff, unsettled or colicky
-
Providing guidance on positioning, tummy time and developmental play activities
-
To check their baby is meeting developmental milestones
-
For assessment of Primitive Reflexes
Looking Beyond the Spine
Dr Coby's assessment of babies looks beyond the spine alone. She considers how your baby's body, brain and nervous system are developing together and will do an orthopaedic and neurological examination on your baby.
One important part of our examination is observing primitive reflexes.
Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns that babies are born with. These reflexes help babies survive, feed, bond with their parents and begin developing movement and co-ordination. As the brain and nervous system mature during the first year of life, these reflexes gradually become integrated and are replaced by more voluntary, co-ordinated movement.
Examples include:
-
Moro (startle) reflex
-
Rooting and suckling reflex
-
Palmar grasp reflex
-
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
-
Spinal Galant reflex
-
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
-
Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR), which develops later in infancy to support crawling
During your baby's assessment, we observe whether these reflexes appear appropriate for your baby's age and stage of development. We also assess muscle tone, posture, head control, symmetry, balance between the left and right sides of the body, movement quality, spinal misalignment and developmental milestones.
Exceptionally Gentle Care
Infant Chiropractic Care with Dr Coby is extremely gentle and safe. It involves a light touch form of treatment to relax and unwind spinal, neural and body tension. This supports the baby in safely coming out of the stress response and to help them feel safe and relaxed.
Many babies sleep, feed or remain completely relaxed throughout their appointment. Parents stay with their baby at all times and are encouraged to cuddle, feed and comfort them whenever needed. The session is usually done with the baby laying on a parent's chest although primitive reflex assessment involves getting the parent to support with moving the baby into different positions.
