Birth: Life's most difficult Experience

Did birth have a negative physical impact on your child? A study by German Medical Doctor Hans Biedermann found that out of 1250 infants, 95% had a neck strain. He concluded that this was related to the birth. This injury is often visible in the upper neck area as a red mark and is commonly dismissed as an inconsequential "birth mark".

A highly important area of the spine, the upper neck houses the brainstem and is the only area we know of that has a ligament, the myodural bridge, spanning from the skin all the way to the spinal cord, 

This strain is not life-threatening, but it is an influential injury, and should be addressed.

Symptoms of this injury are:

• floppy head
• excessive crying
• sleeping difficulties
• asymetric skull
• preferential one-sided breast feeding
• sensitivity at the back of the head
• 
  

A trained Chiropractor has the skill to assess your baby and find out if this problem is present.

In the first 12 months, a baby's spine changes from a simple c-curve to a double s-shape with 4 curves. In 7 developmental steps a baby goes from lying on the back to walking and the spine changes its shape in the process. These steps do not necessarily take place in this order and their timeframe is different from baby to baby.

• 1) Head control. The first postural challenge after birth is being able to hold and rotate the head to both sides in a relatively controlled fashion. 
• 2) Rolling. Moving from the lying on the back to lying on the tummy is a major breakthrough, and should be celebrated as the first move towards independence. 
• 3) Tummy time. After rolling onto the tummy, being able to lift, hold and rotate the head to both sides comes next. This movement shapes the first additional curve, the cervical curve and develops the neck and upper body musculature. 
• 4) Crawling. Once a baby has the strength to hold the upper body weight with arms extended, the lower body will follow and crawling takes place to explore the newly discovered horizon. Being on all fours shapes the lumbar curve, the lower back, and its associated musculature.
• 5) Sitting. Once crawling takes place, it's natural for a baby to rest - by sitting. This places the head over the pelvis, a crucial postural development that strengthens the body in preparation for upright movement against the gravitational field.
• 6) Standing. Several important neuromuscular skills are fine tuned to achieve this major developmental step that reveals a greater horizon worthy of exploration.
• 7) Walking. This final step is the integration and mastery of all the skills learned thus far and achieves ambulant independence, a vital capacity for living life.