Babies & Infants
Your baby's nervous system starts developing before they're born. We can help it get the best possible start.
Birth is one of the most physically demanding experiences a human body will ever go through, and that includes your baby. Even straightforward deliveries place significant force on a newborn's head, neck, and spine. For some babies, that stress shows up immediately. For others, it emerges over the weeks that follow.
We've cared for babies as young as 20 hours old. The sooner we can assess what's going on, the more we can do to support your baby's nervous system right from the start.
Why Babies Need Chiropractic Care
When something doesn't feel right with your baby, trust that instinct. Parents often come to us having been told that colic, reflux, or unsettled behaviour is just something to wait out. And sometimes it is. But sometimes there's a physical reason, tension in the neck and upper spine from the birthing process that's affecting how your baby's nervous system is communicating with the rest of their body.
Chiropractic care for babies isn't about dramatic adjustments. It's gentle, specific, and focused on reducing that interference so your baby's body can do what it's designed to do.
Conditions We Commonly See In Babies
Colic
Excessive, inconsolable crying in an otherwise healthy baby is exhausting for everyone, and often has no clear medical explanation. Research suggests that tension in the spine and nervous system can contribute, and a growing body of clinical evidence supports chiropractic care as a helpful option for colicky infants.
Reflux
When a baby's digestive system is under nervous system stress, the muscles that control the valve between the oesophagus and stomach may not function as they should. Gentle chiropractic care aims to reduce that interference, supporting better digestive function and more comfortable feeding and settling.
Birth Stress
Whether your birth was straightforward or involved interventions like forceps, vacuum, or caesarean section, the forces involved can leave the upper cervical spine and nervous system under tension. Early assessment allows us to identify and address this before it starts showing up in other ways.
Head preference and torticollis
If your baby consistently turns their head to one side, or seems uncomfortable looking the other way, this often indicates tension or restriction in the neck. Addressing this early matters, because persistent head preference is one of the primary drivers of flat head syndrome (plagiocephaly).
Plagiocephaly (flat head)
Flat head syndrome has become increasingly common since the introduction of safe sleep guidelines. When a baby can't comfortably turn their head both ways, they naturally favour one position, and the skull flattens where it rests. Early chiropractic care addresses the underlying cause, restricted neck movement, which is far more effective than repositioning alone.
unsetelled sleep
A baby whose nervous system is under stress is often a baby who can't settle, sleep, or self-regulate. When we address the physical tension driving that dysregulation, many parents notice their baby becoming calmer, more content, and sleeping more soundly.
feeding dificulties
Latching difficulties, preference for one breast, or discomfort during feeding can all have a physical root cause. Tension in the jaw, neck, cranial system, or upper spine can affect how a baby opens their mouth, turns their head, and coordinates the suck-swallow-breathe reflex. We assess the jaw, cranial system, diaphragm, and shoulders alongside the spine, and work with lactation consultants where appropriate.
Wind and digestive discomfort
Excessive wind, trapped gas, and general digestive discomfort are closely linked to nervous system function. The nerves that regulate digestion run through the thoracic spine, and when there's interference in that area, the digestive system can struggle to work smoothly.
What Does A Baby Adjustment Look Like?
Chiropractic care for babies looks nothing like what you might picture. There's no twisting, no force, no popping. The pressure we use is gentle, often just the weight of a fingertip. Many babies sleep through their adjustment. Others stay calm and alert.
Your baby will be assessed in a position that's comfortable for them, often in your arms or lying on the table beside you. We use cranial adjusting and dural balancing as core techniques, and assess the whole body, the cranial system, dural system, jaw, diaphragm, shoulders, and spine. We'll talk you through everything we're doing and why.
"Parents are often surprised by how gentle it is. The techniques we use for babies are a world away from adult care, light, specific, and always guided by what we find in the assessment." - Dr Kate Anderson
When Should I Bring My Baby In?
You don't need to wait for a problem to bring your baby in. Many parents bring their newborn in within the first few weeks simply for a nervous system check.
Signs that it's worth getting your baby assessed sooner:
- Your baby is difficult to settle, cries excessively, or seems uncomfortable in their body
- Your baby consistently turns or tilts their head to one side
- You're noticing a flat spot developing on one side of your baby's head
- Your baby is struggling to latch, feed comfortably, or has a strong preference for one breast
- Your birth involved forceps, vacuum, caesarean, or was prolonged or fast
- You have a gut feeling something isn't quite right, trust it
What to expect at your baby's first appointment
Your baby's first visit runs for around 30 minutes. Here's how it goes:
1. History: We'll ask about your pregnancy, your birth, and what you've been noticing since. This context shapes everything we look for.
2. Assessment: We'll gently assess your baby's cranial system, dural system, jaw, diaphragm, shoulders, spine, and overall nervous system function. We observe how they move, how they hold themselves, and where we find restriction or tension.
3. Care: Depending on what we find, your chiropractor may begin gentle care at this visit. They'll explain what they found and what they're doing throughout.
4. Report of findings: At a second appointment, we'll walk you through everything in detail and give you a clear care plan.
Is chiropractic care safe for my baby?
Yes. Chiropractic care for babies, when performed by a chiropractor trained in paediatric care, is considered safe and well-tolerated. A 2019 systematic review of over 50 studies found adverse events to be exceedingly rare and typically mild.
Dr Kate Anderson has completed advanced postgraduate training in paediatric chiropractic and infant neurodevelopment and sees babies regularly from birth. She works closely with the whole team at First Chiropractic, infant care is something every one of our chiropractors approaches with skill and care.
Get In Touch
Book online anytime, use the form here to request a callback, or call us any time during clinic hours.
164 Kennedy Road, Napier
(06) 843 3384
napier@firstchiropractic.co.nz