Infants and Children

Children's problems can show in many different ways. For example, parents have brought their children to the osteopath with complaints as varied as:

inconsolable crying and distress, colic, reflux, unsettled child, poor feeding, wind, sleeping problems, glue ear, painful ears, breathing difficulties, nasal congestion, recurrent infections, poor concentration, disruptive behaviour, aggression, head pain, misshapen head, plagiocephaly, Down's syndrome.

There is no irrefutable scientific proof available that osteopathic treatment can help or improve any particular condition, including those above; it may not even be possible to achieve that degree of proof, so for that reason we cannot claim to treat these disorders, but these are some of the complaints that have prompted parents to bring their children.

Osteopathy - Infants

MORE INFORMATION and LINKS

Otitis Media (Glue Ear)
Mills et al: The use of osteopathic manipulative treatment as adjuvant therapy in children with recurrent otitis media (2003) Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2003;157:861-866
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/157/9/861

Colic
Hayden C, Mullinger B.A preliminary assessment of the impact of cranial osteopathy for the relief of infantile colic. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2006;12:83–90.
Lim KW. Infantile colic: a critical appraisal of the literature from an osteopathic perspective. International Journal of OsteopathicMedicine 2006; 9:94–102



Initial Treatment

Allow 30-40 minutes for their first visit. You will be sent a questionnaire to complete and return before the appointment. This allows us to concentrate on your child and avoids them feeling talked about. You may download the file here:-
Questionnaire PDF - 17kb.

Newborn Babies

Checks are free of charge for the first two weeks of age. There is a Mother and Baby information leaflet available for download here:- Mother & Baby PDF - 70kb.

Treatment is more effective if you child is relaxed and keeps still. Parents can help by reading to their child during treatment. We have toys and books, but do bring with you any favourite toys and books from home.

Please dress babies and children in easily removable garments as they can become hot and uncomfortable during treatment.

Older Children

Wherever possible children are examined in their underwear, however with younger children the osteopath may just lift clothing to look at the child's spine rather than cause upset on the first visit.

Older children may prefer to bring a light pair of shorts and/or T shirt to change into, but not denim please!

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