Almost all infants develop periods of fussiness. This is often referred to as colic. It has been defined as periods of irritability, fussiness and inconsolable crying in a healthy baby (that lasts for at least three hours a day, at least three days a week). But colic is actually a default diagnosis.
Pain from sources other than the gastrointestinal tract can be improperly diagnosed as colic. If a baby is crying inconsolably, it is very difficult to know if he is actually suffering from a digestive disturbance. Since many subluxations in infants are in the upper cervical area, there is a strong possibility, especially when there has been a history of birth trauma, that these babies are suffering from head and neck pain due to spinal subluxations in this area.
In a study looking at babies receiving chiropractic care for colic, 94 percent of parents saw improvement in their baby's behavior within two weeks of initiation of care. A little over half of these babies had already been unsuccessfully treated, usually by pharmacological means (Klougart et al., 1989). Another study found 91 percent of babies experienced a reduction in colicky behavior following as little as two chiropractic adjustments (Nilsson, 1985).
References:
- Killinger LZ; Azad, A. Chiropractic care of infantile colic: A case study J Clin Chiro Peds 1998; 3(1) :203-6 / Mantis ID: 39686
- Klougart N, Nilsson N, Jacobsen J, Infantile colic treated by chiropractors: a prospective study of 316 cases. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1989; 12(4):281-8 / Medline ID: 89361049
- Nilsson N; Infant Colic And Chiropractic. Eur J Chiropr 1985; 33(4): 264-265 / Mantis ID: 12365
- Pluhar GR; Schobert PD; Vertebral subluxation and colic: A case study. J Chiro Research and Clin Invest 1991; 7(3):75-6 / Mantis ID: 13429
- Talmage DM; Resnick D. Infantile colic: Identification and management. Top Clin Chiropr. 1997; 4(4): 25-9 / Mantis ID: 37795
- Van Loon M. Colic with projectile vomiting: A case study J Clin Chiro Peds 1998; 3(1) :207-10 / Mantis ID: 39687
- Wiberg JM, 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. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999;22(8):517-22 / UI: 20008926
