Cranial Sacral Therapy to help relieve symptoms of colic in newborn infants
Infant colic is usually seen as abdominal pain with spasmodic cramping lasting from a few weeks to six months, usually until your baby’s digestive system matures.
There a few different causes:
- An under-developed digestive tract (the muscles of the digestive tract and bacteria need to develop over time).
- If baby is being breast-fed the food eaten by Mum may lead to gas and bloating in the baby.
- If baby is bottle-fed they may have difficulty digesting components of certain formulas.
- When feeding (or crying) baby may swallow a lot of air which worsens the colic.
- During the birth process strains on the baby’s head and spine can disrupt the regulation of breathing and digestion.
- The sucking reflex may be a little “out of sync”causing difficulty for baby to latch on to the breast and suck.
Because of its positive effect on so many body functions and its gentle, well-intentioned touch, Cranial Sacral Therapy is often recommended for infants and older babies. Whether as a treatment in its own right or as an adjunct to other approaches, Cranial Sacral Therapy can assist babies and older children with a wide variety of challenges. Many parents report that their newborns and young children are more settled after the sessions; they sleep better, they eat better, they appear more calm and relaxed. Many times the therapy helps new mums to relax as well! The precise, although gentle touch of the therapist hands, help the cranio-sacral and the central nervous system release tension and stress that has built up in the body and help it return to its natural rhythm. No matter how old your child is, it can benefit from this gentle, yet powerful therapy. Infant colic may be caused by one or a combination of the above. With Cranial Sacral Therapy, it can gently rule out problems that may be related to birth difficulties or sucking reflex.
