Birth is a wonderful part of the cycle of life. However labour can sometimes be a very physical, and sometimes stressful, process on a babies body. The birthing process is even capable of becoming a baby’s very first ‘trauma’.

At birth, much of a baby’s skeleton is more like cartilage, especially the plate-like bones that make up the skull. These bones are quite soft and malleable, and are designed to overlap and glide over each other, enabling them to sustain the forces of labour and allow the head to pass through the birth canal. However, this pliability may mean that they are susceptible to strain and ‘moulding’, which is often evident after birth in babies that have asymmetrical, flattened, or markedly pointed head shapes.

A degree of moulding is normal, and usually resolves within the first few days after birth along with the normal processes of adapting to breathing in air, crying and sucking. However, in some cases the moulding can be retained and will need attention. Left untreated, the bony plates may remain overlapped, pulled apart, or under excessive strain. This is turn can cause tension or pinching in the delicate membranes that cover the brain and nervous system. Overstrain of tissues and compression of joints in the head, neck and upper back may also occur as a result. This may affect the nerves which come from the base of the skull and help in body functions such as feeding, digestion and breathing, and may cause other imbalances in the rest of the body.

Such problems may be accentuated if the labour has been too long, too short, caesarean, breech, or traumatic such as births when instruments/forceps are used.

Dr Patrick Kuhn has a special interest in treating babys. He use’s a highly developed sense of touch to assess the subtle movements of the baby’s skull and body, and use equally gentle techniques to release restrictions and to stimulate the babies own inherent healing mechanisms, aiding a return to health. If you have a baby or know someone who has a baby who needs osteopathic treatment please make an appointment to see Dr Kuhn regarding your condition.