Our first spinal misalignment occurs during the birthing process. Many births in the United States are now planned out of convenience. Instead of the baby arriving when he or she is ready, they are extracted, requiring an amount of force often on their head and neck. This often causes subluxation of the upper neck (cervical spine). Even the “natural” births are somewhat traumatic for a tiny baby. That is why it is important to have all babies checked for subluxation as soon as possible even if they are seemingly healthy.
When holding a newborn, it is important to support the head and neck. This is because their neck muscles are not developed enough to support their head on their own. The sense of urgency to get baby out quickly during the birthing process overweighs the concern about the alignment of the baby’s cervical spine.
Proper spinal alignment is important to have the best communication between your newborn’s brain and body through their nerves and spinal cord. Adjustments for infants are gentle and use the same pressure you would use to check the ripeness of a tomato. It makes sense to have your newborn or infant checked for subluxations as soon as possible to promote proper growth and development.
