Chiropractic Care for Infants with Colic and Reflux

Welcoming a newborn into the world is meant to be a joyful experience, but for some parents, those early weeks can be clouded by distress. If your infant is crying for hours on end, struggling to sleep showing signs of discomfort after feeding, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and helpless.

While colic and reflux are often brushed off as phases your baby will “grow out of”, many parents are now turning to chiropractic care as a gentle, drug-free way to ease these common infant issues.

According to the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, three out of four randomised controlled trials of chiropractic care for infant colic in Australia reported positive results. In fact, Australian practitioners and peer-reviewed observational data also show that parents often report fewer hours of crying, better sleep and calmer feeding after just a few sessions.

In this article, let us deconstruct what colic and reflux in infants actually look like and how chiropractic care for infants can help address these issues in a safe and effective way.

Understanding Colic and Reflux in Infants

Colic is broadly defined as frequent, prolonged intense crying in an otherwise healthy baby. Typically, it begins within the first few weeks of life and peaks around six to eight weeks. The causes of colic are still debated, but theories range from digestive discomfort to nervous system imbalances.

Reflux, on the other hand, occurs when the contents of a baby’s stomach come back up into the oesophagus, often leading to irritability, spitting up, arching of the back disrupted sleep.

While both conditions are common, that doesn’t make them any easier to cope with. The good news is, you don’t have to simply wait it out.

A Case Study: When Gentle Care Makes a Big Difference

A compelling study published in Clinical Chiropractic followed the treatment of a seven-week-old baby girl who had been very unsettled since birth. Her mother described her as extremely fractious and diagnosed her symptoms as colic. The baby could only sleep for 25 to 45 minutes at a time, waking up screaming. After each episode of waking, she would cry for four to five hours at a stretch.

Despite seeking help, the mother was advised by both the family GP and a health visitor that the baby would eventually grow out of it. Frustrated and exhausted, she turned to chiropractic care as an alternative.

The infant received chiropractic adjustments three times a week for three weeks. The treatment focused on:

After just four sessions, the changes were remarkable. The baby no longer experienced prolonged crying spells. Her sleep improved significantly and, perhaps most importantly for both her and her parents, she remained calm and content after feeding.

Why Chiropractic Might Help

During birth, especially if it is prolonged or requires intervention such as forceps or vacuum extraction, a baby’s delicate spine and skull can experience stress and misalignment. These subtle dysfunctions may interfere with the baby’s ability to feed, digest and rest comfortably.

Paediatric chiropractic care uses very gentle, precise techniques to restore balance to the nervous system and support proper function.

How Chiropractic Care Can Soothe Infant Colic and Reflux Symptoms

Adjustments for infants are nothing like those for adults. In fact, the amount of pressure used is similar to the pressure you would apply when checking the ripeness of a tomato.

What to Expect at Tan Chiro

At Tan Chiro, we always begin with a thorough consultation and assessment. If you’re bringing in your baby, we’ll discuss their birth history, feeding patterns, sleep habits- any symptoms you’ve noticed. We’ll gently assess their spine and cranial structure, looking for areas of tension or imbalance.

If chiropractic care is deemed suitable, we’ll explain the treatment plan clearly and proceed only with your consent. Many parents report noticing changes after just a few visits, such as improved sleep, easier feeding a calmer, happier baby.

Is It Safe?

Paediatric chiropractic care has been shown to deliver overwhelmingly positive outcomes when provided by trained professionals. In a comprehensive observational study involving 697 infants, 82% of parents reported definite improvement in their baby’s symptoms after chiropractic care.

Even more compelling, over 90% of mothers rated their satisfaction as 8 or above on an 11-point scale 95% believed the care was cost-effective. These findings reflect the high level of trust and satisfaction parents place in chiropractic support for issues like colic, reflux and sleep disturbances.

Final Thoughts

No parent wants to see their baby in distress. If your little one is struggling with colic, reflux general unsettledness, chiropractic care may offer the gentle support you’ve been looking for.

Every baby is different, not every case of colic or reflux has the same root cause. That’s why it’s essential to work with a practitioner who takes a holistic, individualised approach.

At Tan Chiro, we understand just how exhausting and worrying it can be when your baby is unsettled and uncomfortable. That’s why we’re committed to providing safe and effective chiropractic care tailored to the needs of even the youngest members of your family.

If you’re curious about whether chiropractic care could help your baby, we welcome you to reach out and book a consultation with our team at Tan Chiro. Sometimes, the smallest adjustments can make the biggest difference.