DO - DEUTSCHE ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR OSTEOPATHIE (German Journal of Osteopathy) 4/2008

Children!

Eric Hebgen, D.O., IFAO, Königswinter

To see children grow up, to experience how each day they discover more of the world for themselves, is certainly one of the best things that life holds in store for us. They conquer their parents' hearts by storm, and life without them becomes practically inconceivable. But every father and every mother has surely been preoccupied at times with such thoughts as: "Am I doing everything right? Am I not overlooking something that will later be a disadvantage for my child?" Feelings of insecurity can be strong when the health of one's own child is involved, but we can be assured of one thing: The vast majority of all children are healthy and thriving without any need to worry.

Nevertheless, there are certain warning signals that we should pay attention to, to avoid the risk of missing something that can truly have grave consequences for the health of the child. Allow me to explain three of these warning signals that affect especially children aged 0-12 in more detail:

 

Delayed or Halted Development

Some children learn to walk at 10 months, some only at 18 months. This shows the wide range within which children can develop. The situation becomes critical when we are unable to see any development at all over a larger time span. For example, a child shows no signs of wanting to turn from the back to the stomach or fails to support him- or herself on the extended arm in the prone position or move to the sitting position.
In such cases, the first step should be a visit to the pediatrician who should rule out the possibility of a serious neurological disorder hiding behind such developmental delays. Once you have confirmed this, osteopathic treatment can provide remedial action in situations where the delay in motoric development is caused by a blockage in the spinal column. The osteopath will examine your child and attempt to release the blockage with a few gentle manipulations. Such blockages can have formed as the result of certain positions in utero, during delivery, or after falls that occurred later in life.

 

Permanent Restlessness in the Child

 

In such cases, the first step should be a visit to the pediatrician who should rule out the possibility of a serious neurological disorder hiding behind such developmental delays. Once you have confirmed this, osteopathic treatment can provide remedial action in situations where the delay in motoric development is caused by a blockage in the spinal column. The osteopath will examine your child and attempt to release the blockage with a few gentle manipulations. Such blockages can have formed as the result of certain positions in utero, during delivery, or after falls that occurred later in life.
In babies, we notice in such cases that they only quiet down when they are moved. Either they are carried, driven around in the stroller or car, rocked on the arm, etc. As soon as you put them down and try to let them rest, they start crying again. After the pediatrician has ruled out a serious disorder in the child, osteopathy is a good treatment option. In this condition as well, a blockage in the spinal column can be the cause. It is also possible that the cranial bones shifted during birth and are now pinching any of the various nerves that leave the head at the base of the skull. One of these nerves is in charge of digestion. From the osteopathic perspective, three month colic involves the compression of this nerve. During osteopathic treatment, such shifts are palpated and corrected by means of gentle pulling and pushing on the skull.

If we fail to treat such blockages in the cranial bones or in the head joints during infancy, they affect the child during the preschool and school years. Recurring headaches, poor concentration, ADHD or KISS syndrome are potential results. While osteopathy also offers solutions at this age, the sooner an osteopath sees the child, the easier it is to remove the blockage.

Susceptibility to Infections

Children suffer from mostly harmless colds more frequently than adults. Their immune system still needs to mature, and for this purpose it needs the confrontation with a variety of pathogens. Nevertheless, if children are sick with great frequency, perhaps even during the first year of their life when the mother's antibodies are supposed to give protection against infections, and if this does not change even during the preschool and school years, the first step should be a trip to the pediatrician who can rule out the possibility that an excessive susceptibility to infections is related to a cause treatable by biomedicine. Osteopathic treatments can contribute to therapy by strengthening the immune system or resistance in the organs and are hence a helpful supplement for the development of your child.
One more word for all parents because we can contribute to the good health of our children as well by our behavior. Hereby, we often mean too well - one example: With an outside temperature of 25° C, the baby is dressed in a diaper, a body, a playsuit, a bonnet, and socks, is lying on a sheepskin in the stroller, and is covered with a blanket - the fear of hypothermia is so great that we forget that a heat buildup is just as bad. Often a little less care - without being negligent of course - is healthier.

 

And to conclude: Give your child time. Development, growth, physical and intellectual maturity do not follow a hard and fast formula. Every child has his or her own speed. To respect this also benefits the health of our children because it saves them from excessive demands and expectations.

 

 

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