Children & Babies

Ear Infections

• Acute Otitis Media (AOM or Middle Ear Infection)
No parent wants to watch their child suffer from a painful ear infection. Today ear infections are affecting children in epidemic numbers. Fortunately, more and more parents are bringing their children suffering from ear infections to their chiropractor (often after first going the medical route without resolution of the problem).

• The Medical Approach: Antibiotics & Tubes
Antibiotics, oral decongestants and surgery (tubes in the ears) are the most common medical treatments for ear infections. These treatments are not safe or effective. Antibiotics are often expensive and can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, allergic reactions and antibiotic resistance.1
In fact most ear infections clear up in a few days by themselves; “watchful waiting” is a better approach than antibiotics or surgery.

According to E.J. Cantekin, Professor of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine: There is no evidence that antibiotics are effective in treating acute otitis media or chronic otitis media with effusion (fluid in the ear) and there is clear evidence that antibiotics are harmful.2

Antibiotic usage has also been linked to allergies, asthma and non-Hodgkins lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system).

• Tubes In The Ears (Tympanostomy)
The rush to put tubes in a child’s ears is comparable to the tonsillectomy fad in the 1960’s and may be causing more harm than good. In a long-term study ear tubes were found to harm children’s eardrums and cause scarring that could damage hearing later in life.3-4

• Dr. Mendelsohn On Ear Infection
According to the late world-famous pediatrician Robert Mendelsohn, MD: We doctors may have to consider whether … antibiotics, antihistamines, insertion of tubes, tonsillectomy does not represent overkill for a condition that, except in malnourished children, is almost always self-limited.5

• The Chiropractic Approach
Chiropractors relieve the body of a serious stress—the subluxation, a distortion in your body that interferes with your proper function. Correcting or removing subluxations through chiropractic care is essential for anyone with ear infections.6 In fact, chiropractic care has an excellent record of safety and effectiveness for infants and children suffering from ear infections.

• Case Studies
This story of a child who had been on antibiotics for six years and had ear tubes placed provides a great example of how chiropractic can help a child suffering from ear infections.
A nine-year-old boy with chronic ear infections came to my [chiropractic] office. Five years prior, tubes were put in his ears. The child was scheduled for another ear surgery and to have his swollen tonsils and adenoids removed…. The boy stopped complaining about his ears after the first chiropractic adjustment. The ears, tonsils and adenoids returned to normal size. The ENT doctor cancelled surgery and at five-month follow-up the child remained free of ear infections, sore throats, colds, flu and medications.7

Another paper describes two case studies. In the first case, a six-month-old boy was scheduled for ear tube surgery. After one chiropractic adjustment, his ear infection cleared within 24 hours. The surgery was cancelled. The other case is of two [girls] aged three and four with chronic ear infections and upper respiratory dysfunction. Both conditions resolved after one office visit.8

A three-year-old boy lost his hearing after three unsuccessful ear tube surgeries. After the first adjustment the mother reported he had less ear pain, better speech and less irritability. An audiology exam later showed improved hearing in both ears.10

In another case study, a nine-month-old boy with a history of chronic ear infections was brought in for chiropractic care. The boy’s infections began immediately after his four month vaccinations and would temporarily respond to antibiotics only to recur every three weeks. The ENT physician recommended ear tube surgery. Within a week of chiropractic care both ears had cleared up and the mother reported the child’s naps were longer and he was getting better quality sleep. After seven weeks of care he visited his ENT who reported the ears were clear and tubes were not needed.9

• Research Studies
Twenty-two children with acute otitis media received chiropractic care. After the first adjustment, the red and bulging tympanic membrane returned to normal in 95% of them.11

A review of the chiropractic care of 650 children revealed significant reduction in ear infections and fevers and improvement in immune function and general health.12
In a famous study by German medical doctors of 211 infants examined five days after birth who suffered from vomiting, hyperactivity and sleeplessness, chiropractic care frequently resulted in the immediate cessation of crying, muscular relaxation and sleepiness. The authors wrote that an unhealthy spine “causes many clinical features from central motor impairment to lower resistance to infections—especially ear, nose and throat infections.” They assert that all newborns should have their spines checked by chiropractors as “the success of adjustment overshadows every other type of [care].”14

In another study, 332 children (ages 27 days to five-years-old) suffering from recurrent bouts of otitis media and who had been on repeated doses of antibiotics were given chiropractic care. The children healed quickly without antibiotics and experienced few repeat infections.13

• In Conclusion
It is essential that a child with an ear infection have a chiropractic checkup. Keeping your child’s body free from subluxations will help your child’s natural defenses against disease. This will help you avoid drugs with all their side effects. Give your child the great advantage of safer, more natural, drug-free chiropractic healthcare.

References
1. American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline for Diagnosis and Management of Acute Otitis Media now calls for “judicious use of antibacterial agents.”Pediatrics. 2004;113:1451–1465.
2. Crossen C. A medical researcher pays for doubting industry claim. January 3, 2001. The Wall Street Journal; Dow Jones & Company.
3. Stenstrom R et al. Hearing thresholds and tympanic membrane sequelae in children managed medically or surgically for otitis media with effusion. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159:1151-1156.
4. Berman S. Long-term sequelae of ventilating tubes: implications for management of otitis media with effusion. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159:1183-1185.
5. Diamant 4. The People’s Doctor. 1981;9(5):1-4.
6. Alcantara J, Ohm J, Kunz D. The chiropractic care of children. J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16:621–626.
7. Bofshever H. Case history. ICPA Newsletter. Nov/Dec 1999.
8. Hochman J. The management of acute otitis media using SOT and SOT cranial. Sorsi Communicator. July 2001;14(2).
9. Stone-McCoy S, Boutilier A, Black P. Resolution of otitis media in a nine-month-old undergoing chiropractic care: a case study and selective review of the literature. J Pediatr Matern Fam Health. June 21, 2010:99-106.
10. Brown C. Improved hearing and resolution of otitis media with effusion following chiropractic care to reduce vertebral subluxation. J Pediatr Matern Fam Health. 2009:1-7.
11. Zhang JQ, Snyder BJ. Effect of the Toftness chiropractic adjustments for children with acute otitis media. JVSR. March 29, 2004;1-4.
12. Ressel O, Rudy R. Vertebral subluxation correlated with somatic, visceral and immune complaints: an analysis of 650 children under chiropractic care. JVSR. October 18, 2004;1-23.
13. Fallon JM. The role of the chiropractic adjustment in the care and treatment of 332 children with otitis media. Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics. 1997;2(2):167-183.
14. Gutman G. Blocked atlantal nerve syndrome in babies and infants. Manuelle Med. 1987;25:5-10.

Healthier Children

• Healthier Children
“Chiropractic care for my child? Why? Her back doesn’t bother her.” Many parents appreciate the importance of regular checkups for their children’s teeth, hearing and vision but draw a blank when it comes to a chiropractic checkup. A chiropractic checkup could be one of the most important checkups your children will ever have! The spine and structural system protect billions of nerve fibers that send messages and energy to every part of their bodies.

• Toddlerhood Through Childhood
Toddlerhood through childhood is a very “physical” time for children. Those first hesitant steps soon evolve into jumping, running, falls and accidents that are all part of a normal active childhood. While most falls are minor, at times they can cause nerve-damaging subluxations with serious long-term consequences.3 This is why all children need periodic chiropractic checkups.

• Nerve & Energy Blockages
Dis-ease is a state of disharmony in the body that can lead to lowered resistance to disease, organ malfunction (including brain malfunction) and sickness.1 Blockage of nerves in the spine and structural system is often caused by subtle structural distortions that are known as subluxations.
If there is blockage of any of the nerves in the body, any nerve damage at all, then a state of “dis-ease” can develop.

• The First Subluxation
Health problems in childhood or even adulthood have been traced back to spinal and structural damage at birth. How can your child’s body lose its natural alignment and develop subluxations? Subluxation damage can be caused by a constricted uterus, a breech presentation or a difficult delivery. Immediately after birth, damage can occur if the baby is handled poorly. As the famous French obstetrician Frederick Leboyer has written in Birth Without Violence:

We know very little about our bodies, so little that we forget the importance of the spine…. Why, when the vulnerable spine has always been curved, do we insist on holding the newborn upside down and jerking the back straight? 2

• A Family Affair
Doctors of chiropractic love to see the whole family, from babies to grandparents, coming in for checkups. Many families that get regular chiropractic care report having more energy, improved health and less dependency on drugs and medication. It is not unusual to hear parents state that since starting chiropractic care their children get sick less frequently and less severely, have fewer ear infections and take less antibiotics and other drugs than their classmates.4

• Physical & Psychological Benefits
Among the many observed benefits are improvements in children with hyperactivity, low mental stamina, autism, anxiety, and asthma, lack of concentration and discipline problems. Improvements in grades and IQ have also been recorded.5-10 For decades parents, clinicians and researchers have noticed positive changes in the behavioral, physical and emotional health of children under chiropractic care.

The mechanisms explaining these results are varied. There is evidence that subluxation correction improves blood flow to the brain.11

• Chiropractic Checkups Are Vital
If your child is suffering from any of the following common conditions, it is essential to get his/her spine and body checked for subluxations—not as a treatment for these conditions, but because all children, especially if they are ill, need healthy bodies. Being free of blockages to the flow of energy and information over his/her nervous system can make a big difference in your child’s physical and emotional health.

• Asthma and wheezing
• Loss of hearing
• Ear infections
• Eye problems
• Painful joints
• Vision problems
• Skin conditions
• Sinus problems
• Weakness or fatigue
• Poor concentration
• Stomachaches
• Irritability
• Backaches
• Neck aches
• Bronchitis
• Arthritis
• Hip, leg or foot pain
• Constipation
• Poor coordination
• Breast-feeding difficulties
• Arm, hand or shoulder pain
• Nervousness
• Skin disorders
• Poor posture
• Sore throat
• Colic
• Allergies
• Scoliosis
• Croup
• Numbness
• Headaches
• Bed-wetting

• Warning Signs
Because it is possible to have subluxations yet be symptom-free, all children (and their parents!) need periodic chiropractic checkups. There are, however, certain warning signs indicating that the spine and structural system may be out of alignment:

• Fatigue
• Joint aches
• Shoulder blades flared out
• One arm looks shorter
• Hyperactivity
• Neck tilt
• Frequent falling
• One leg looks shorter
• “Noisy bones”
• A foot turned in or out
• One hip or shoulder higher than the other

• Conclusion
More and more families are finding that periodic chiropractic checkups for their children make a big difference in their health. Include chiropractic checkups as part of your family’s healthcare routine.

References

1. Al-Jishi A, Sreekantaswamy. Dystonia associated with atlantoaxial subluxation. Clin Neurol and Neurosurg. 2000;102(4):233-235.
2. Leboyer F. Birth Without Violence. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984:21,28.
3. Eleraky MA, Theodore N, Adams M et al. Pediatric cervical spine injuries: report of 102 cases and review of the literature. J Neurosurg. 2000;92
(1 Suppl):12-17.
4. van Breda WM, van Breda JM. A comparative study of the health status of children raised under the health care models of chiropractic and allopathic medicine. Journal of Chiropractic Research. Summer 1989:101-103.
5. Giesen JM, Center DB, Leach RA. An evaluation of chiropractic manipulation as a treatment of hyperactivity in children. JMPT. 1989;12:353-363.
6. Lovett L, Blum CL. Behavioral and learning changes secondary to chiropractic care to reduce subluxations in a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a case study. JVSR. October 4, 2006;1-6.
7. Gorman RF. Chiropractic Medicine for Rejuvenation of the Mind. Darvin, Australia: The Academy of Chiropractic Medicine, 1983.
8. Gibbons PF, Gosling CM, Holmes M. The short-term effects of cervical manipulation on edge light pupil cycle time: a pilot study. JMPT. 2000;23(7).
9. Pauli Y. The effects of chiropractic care on individuals suffering from learning disabilities and dyslexia: a review of the literature. JVSR. January 15, 2007;1-12.
10. Pauli Y. Improvement in attention in patients undergoing network spinal analysis: a case series using objective measures of attention. JVSR. August 23, 2007;1-9.
11. Carrick FR. Changes in brain function after manipulation of the cervical spine. JMPT. 1997;20(8):529-545.

Infants & Babies

• Starting Your Baby Out Right!
You do everything you can to make sure your baby is healthy.
You do so many things to ensure your baby’s health: during pregnancy you eat right; you avoid cigarettes, alcohol and all drugs (vaccinations, aspirin, cold, flu and other over-the-counter medications can damage your unborn child or cause problems in pregnancy); and you explore natural, drug-free birth alternatives. After the baby arrives, you (hopefully) breastfeed knowing that it is the superior form of nutrition for your baby’s physical, intellectual and emotional health.

But how do you know if your child’s spine is healthy? Have you had your baby’s spine checked?
Your child’s health can be affected by an unhealthy spine for his/her entire life. Your doctor of chiropractic is specially trained to check your child’s spine for areas of distortion causing nerve damage—the subluxation complex (subluxations).

• The Spine & Infant Health
With the birth process becoming more and more an intervening procedure, the chiropractic adjustment becomes even more important to the child’s future.3
— Larry Webster, DC, founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association

Research is confirming chiropractors’ observations that infants may suffer from spinal subluxations. In one study, 1,250 babies were examined five days after birth; 211 of them suffered from vomiting, hyperactivity and sleeplessness. Subluxations were found in 95% of this group. Although the researchers in this study were MDs, they recognized the power of chiropractic care and these babies were given the care they needed. The spinal adjustment “frequently resulted in immediate quieting, cessation of crying, muscular relaxation and sleepiness.” The authors noted that an unhealthy spine causes “many clinical features from central motor impairment to lower resistance to infections—especially ear, nose and throat infections.”4 The above study discusses an 18-month-old boy suffering from tonsillitis, frequent enteritis, therapy-resistant conjunctivitis, frequent colds, earache and increasing sleeping problems. He received a chiropractic spinal adjustment. The child demanded to be put to bed and slept peacefully until morning. His health returned to normal.

One wonders, what would have happened to this child if he never had chiropractic care? A life of antibiotics and other medications? A life of continued sickness?

The authors of the above-mentioned study concluded that a chiropractic spinal checkup “should be obligatory after every difficult birth” and any spinal stress “should be … adjusted … the success of adjustment overshadows every other type (of care).”5

In another study of 1093 newborns, 298 had upper neck stress and early signs of scoliosis.6 Surely too many children are born with subluxations that left uncorrected could hinder their health for the rest of their lives.

• The First Subluxation–Birth Trauma
Sometimes a newborn’s spine is harmed at birth.1 How can that occur? According to Abraham Towbin, MD: The birth process … is potentially a traumatic, crippling event … mechanical stress imposed by obstetrical manipulation—even the application of standard orthodox procedures may prove intolerable to the fetus … most signs of neonatal injury observed in the delivery room are neurological.2

For over a hundred years doctors of chiropractic have observed the often dramatic responses of
infants to chiropractic care.

There seems to be no limit to the conditions that can respond to chiropractic care: colic;7-10 difficulty breast-feeding;11-12 Erb’s palsy (an arm is limp and undeveloped);13 torticollis (twisted neck);14-15 unbalanced face and skull development;16 foot inversion;17 “nervousness;” ear, nose and throat infections;18 allergies and sleep disorders;19 and projectile vomiting20 are just a sampling. All infants however, sick or well, need to have a healthy structural system.

• Shaken Baby Syndrome
Because babies are very top heavy and their neck muscles are undeveloped, mild to moderate shaking of a child can result in serious neurological damage. This damage has been known to occur after playfully throwing the child up in the air and catching him/her. The damage caused is called Shaken Baby Syndrome. In addition to being shaken or thrown, being spanked can also cause structural or neurological damage to a child. Any child who has been subjected to this rough behavior desperately needs a chiropractic checkup to prevent possible nerve damage.

• When Does A Baby Need A Chiropractic Checkup?
According to the chiropractic pediatric specialist Larry Webster, DC, there are six times in a baby’s first year of life when chiropractic examinations are especially important:

• When the baby starts to crawl.
• When the baby starts to stand.
• When the baby starts to walk.21
• After the birth process.
• When the baby starts to hold his/her head up.
• When the baby sits up.

• Conclusion

Give your baby the best possible chance to have a healthy life. You have your baby’s eyes checked, heart checked, hearing checked—please bring your child(ren) in for a chiropractic exam. A simple checkup now might make a BIG difference for your child(ren) for the rest of their lives.
Our children deserve to be treated naturally, not with dangerous chemical drugs and unproven surgeries.

References

1. Uhing MR. Management of birth injuries. Clin Perinatol. 2005;32(1):19-38,v.
2. Towbin A. Latent spinal cord and brain stem injury in newborn infants. Develop. Med. Child Neurol. 1969;11:54-68.
3. Webster L. Int’l. Chiropractic Pediatric Association Newsletter. May 1990:1.
4. Gutman G. Blocked atlantal nerve syndrome in babies and infants. Manuelle Medizin, 1987;25:5-10.
5. Ibid.
6. Seifert J. Die kopfgelenksblockierung des neugeborenen. In K. Lewit &
G. Gutmann (Eds.). Rehabilitacia (Vol. 8). Prague: Bratislawa. 1975:53.
7. Ressel O, Rudy R. Vertebral subluxation correlated with somatic, visceral and immune complaints: an analysis of 650 children under chiropractic care. JVSR. October 18, 2004;1-23.
8. Nilsson N. Infantile colic and chiropractic. Eur J Chiro. 1985;33:264-265.
9. Pluhar GR, Schobert PD. Vertebral subluxation and colic: a case study.
J of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation. 1991;7:75-76.
10. Wiberg JMM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N. The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: a randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer. JMPT. 1999;22(8):517-522.
11. Sheader WE. Chiropractic management of an infant experiencing
breast-feeding difficulties and colic: a case study. Journal of Clinical
Chiropractic Pediatrics. 1999;4(1):245-247.
12. Cuhel JM, Powell M. Chiropractic management of an infant patient experiencing colic and difficulty breast-feeding: a case report. Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics. 1997;2(2):150-154.
13. Harris SL, Wood KW. Resolution of infantile Erb’s palsy utilizing
chiropractic treatment. JMPT. 1993;16:415-418.
14. Stone PA et al. Reduction of congenital torticollis in a four-month-old child with vertebral subluxation: a case report & review of literature. JVSR. January 7, 2008;1-8.
15. Toto BJ. Chiropractic correction of congenital muscular torticollis.
JMPT. 1993;16:556-559.
16. Gutmann G. Ibid.
17. Ellis WB, Ebrall PS. The resolution of chronic inversion and plantarflexion of the foot: a pediatric case study. Chiropractic Technique. 1991;3(2).
18. Fryman V. Relations of disturbances of cranio-sacral mechanisms to symptomatology of the newborn. JAOA. 1966;65:1059.
19. Munck LK, Hoffman H, Nielsen AA. Treatment of infants in the first
year of life by chiropractors: incidents and reasons for seeking treatment. Ugeskr Laeger.1988;150:1841-1844.
20. Van Loon M. Colic with projectile vomiting: a case study. J of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics. 1998;3(1):207-210.
21. Webster L. International Chiropractic Pediatric Association certification program, Module 1. Toronto, Canada, March 11, 1995.