Osteopathy for newborns and toddlers is a safe, gentle and effective way to help with a range of issues that may be causing your child to be upset and unsettled. Your baby can be seen by an osteopath for treatment as early as just a few days after birth, right through all developmental stages.

The process of childbirth can be a stressful journey for mother and baby. The birth itself puts a lot of force upon the baby as it travels through the birth canal.  The baby needs to manoeuvre through the pelvis twisting and turning its way through. This can cause abnormal head shapes due to the softness of a baby’s skull and overlapping cranial bones. It can also cause muscle tension in the head and neck as well as stomach, pelvis and digestive issues.

Some common issues Osteopaths can address;

• Neck tension/strain
• Hip functionality
• Unsettled sleep or continuous crying
• Latching/breastfeeding difficulties
• Gastrointestinal problems, such as colic and reflux
• Skull asymmetry, head favouring one side
• Constipation and or loose bowel motions

How does and Osteopath treat babies and children?

Healthy babies become healthy children and have the best start in life. With a gentle physical assessment of your baby or toddler, your Osteopath can determine what treatment will help benefit your child.

Halswell Rd Osteopaths use a very gentle, hands-on approach which helps to calm your baby’s nervous system and relax their muscles. Children, especially babies, respond well to gentle cranial osteopathy.  A child’s head posture and tendency to favour one side is a common concern for parents. Cranial practitioners can use their gentle, hands-on approach to improve head posture and help restore the important movements of the soft cranial bones.

4 out of 10 young infants experience colic which causes prolonged periods of crying. Osteopathy also helps to restore healthy functioning to your child's digestive tract. Osteopaths are trained to work to support the vagus nerve, which helps manage the functionality of the digestive system. The vagus nerve can be disturbed by the position of the baby in the womb and by the birth process, resulting in an increase in digestive contractions and irritability.

Before Your Osteopathic Appointment

• Schedule a time that will suit your child’s feeding and sleep routine,
• Bring along any favourite toys or books from home to help them settle,
• Dress your child in comfortable clothing.

If you'd like to make a booking with one of our osteopaths, you can call 03 3224506 or use the following link for online bookings;

Make A Booking