Osteopathy for Infants and Children
Osteopathy for Babies: Supporting Recovery After Birth
Birth is one of the most physically demanding experiences for a baby. As the baby moves through the birth canal, intense pressure causes the soft skull bones to bend, overlap, and shift—a natural process called cranial moulding. This helps the baby’s head adjust to the tight space, but can sometimes lead to ongoing tension or misalignment.
What Is Cranial Moulding?
Cranial moulding involves movement and distortion of the skull bones during labour. While many babies’ heads return to a more typical shape within days, others retain compressions, especially after a difficult birth. This can cause discomfort, leading to various symptoms.
Common Infant Issues Osteopathy May Help With:
Irritable, Crying Baby
Excessive crying, needing to be rocked or held constantly.
Osteopathy can relieve head pressure, especially when worsened by lying down.
Feeding Difficulties
Slow feeding, windiness, or trouble latching.
Gentle osteopathic treatment may ease restrictions in the face, jaw, and throat, helping with suckling and digestion.
Colic, Reflux, Wind
Milk reflux, gassy discomfort, or prolonged evening crying.
Treatment can help relieve irritation to the stomach nerves and relax the diaphragm to improve digestion.
Sleep Disturbances
Short naps, restless sleep,and waking easily.
Cranial osteopathy can calm overstimulated nerves by easing skull and membrane tension, promoting deeper rest.
What Conditions can Osteopathy help with for my Child?
As your child gets older the effects of retained molding can lead to different conditions, which are often caused by a compromised immune system.
Sleep Disturbances; Behavioral problems & learning difficulties; poor concentration, constant fidgeting; hyperactivity; short attention span The restlessness as a baby can continue into childhood. Retained molding compression causes the child to be uncomfortable in one position for long which may become a habit. Severe compression can modify the speed of normal patterns of learning in the brain.
Sinus and dental problems; mouth breathers; constant blocked/runny noses Osteopathy can improve the drainage of the sinuses and bones of the face due to retained molding compression.
Headaches/Migraines; growing aches/pains; vulnerable to sprains/strains Retained molding can focus areas of pressure in the skull as the joints of the skull form at around 7-8 years. Postural tensions cause other areas of the body to be more vulnerable to strain and fatigue.
Recurrent ear infections Glue ear compromises hearing. Retained birth compression within and around the bones of the ear impairs fluid drainage around the ear, causing poor development of air sinuses in the ear and partial or complete blocking of the Eustachian tube. Infections don’t fully clear hence frequent recurrences and a stressed immune system. Please note, Osteopathic treatment is not a substitute for ventilation tubes/grommets which are normally recommended after your child has experienced glue ear for longer than 3 months. All children experiencing glue ear should be managed by multiple healthcare professionals which may include your child's GP, children's ear clinic, Audiologist and ENT specialist. Some children with otitis media also find reducing their dairy intake extremely helpful depending on which allergies are either suspected or confirmed.
Asthma; chest infections
Retained molding compression & stress upon the cervical spine (neck) at birth can disturb the nerve supply to the lungs. The nervous system becomes over-stimulated which further exacerbates respiration. Osteopathy can help relieve stress of a difficult beginning which can be retained in the Dural membranes surrounding the spine and brain which helps to alleviate respiratory difficulties. Some children also see an allergy nurse which can help identify any triggers in their diet.
Constipation; irregular bowel motions and straining can start in infancy; the infant may dislike lying flat. Nerve and blood supply to the digestive system are affected which impairs normal bowel function and can predispose to future back problems. Osteopathy can help the baby’s/child's lower back and pelvis to adjust after experiencing the compressive forces in early life..
