Pregnancy

From the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, a case study published on March 25, 2015, reports on the case of a pregnant woman suffering from migraine headaches, hypothyroidism, and tachycardia being helped with chiropractic. The study authors begin by pointing out that the use of chiropractic by pregnant women is fairly common. A survey of women between the ages of 18 and 49 years who were pregnant or had children less than 1 year old found that 37% of pregnant women and 28% of postpartum women reported using some form of CAM (complementary or alternative medicine) in the last 12 months. Of the practitioner-based CAM therapies, chiropractic remains the popular choice for care. In this case, a 28-year-old woman, who was in the 14th week of her pregnancy, presented herself for chiropractic care. A previous pregnancy resulted in a cesarean delivery. She sought chiropractic care in the hopes that it would help improve her chances of an easier labor and a vaginal delivery. …Read More

An article published on March 5, 2013 in the Medill Reports - Chicago, from Northwestern University reports how more children are going to chiropractors. The article titled, "Chiropractors crack necks, backs and ankles - increasingly among children", by Kristin Callahan, reports on the trend toward chiropractic for this younger demographic. The author of the article starts by noting, "With the demand for complementary and alternative treatment increasing, more people are considering the use of chiropractic care for children and newborns." The article also reports that according to a 2010 study done by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, (ICPA) chiropractic is the most popular form of alternative (non-medical) care for children. The most recent data available in the ICPA study showed that an estimated 86 million pediatric visits were made to chiropractors throughout the United States, Canada and Europe in 2007. Dr. Sean Curry, a Chicago area chiropractor explained, "My…Read More

A case study published in the January 17, 2013, issue of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health documented the resolution of breastfeeding difficulties in an eight-week-old infant. Breastfeeding difficulties are typically characterized by an inability of the infant to exercise the normal innate suckling reflex. The authors discuss the importance of breastfeeding by noting, "Infants that are breastfed are 50% less likely to experience acute otitis media if breastfed for at least 3-6 months, they are 40% less likely to have asthma even with a familial history and also those exclusively breastfed for at least 4 months were 3 times less likely to suffer severe respiratory tract infections." In this case, an eight-week-old infant girl was brought to the chiropractor with the inability to suck properly and with difficulty breastfeeding since birth. The infant was also born with hip dysplasia, and was wearing a soft brace which was being adjusted by the orthopedist weekly. The…Read More

A baby with colic who was helped by chiropractic was the focus of a study published in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal, & Family Health on Nov. 28, 2012. Colic in babies has classic symptoms of crying for more than 3 hours a day, usually at the same time each day, and for at least 3 days a week. Infants may have a hard abdomen, burp and pass gas a lot, spit up frequently after eating, and cry while pulling their legs up and making tight fists. The crying sounds as if the baby is in pain. Colic is distressing not only to the baby, but also to the mother and father who witness the suffering of their baby, and are frustrated by their inability to help the baby. In this case an 8-week-old baby girl was brought into a chiropractic clinic with the classic signs of colic. The mother said that the baby cried constantly for up to 5 hours, and that the baby's face showed pain when making a bowel movement. The baby also had diarrhea, and would scream and cry during these episodes. A chirop…Read More

A shocking research study published on May 4, 2011, shows a link between the number of vaccinations given to infants and an increase in infant mortality rate, (IMR). The study, published in the peer reviewed international journal, Human & Experimental Toxicology, looked at the infant mortality rate (IMR) for 34 nations including the United States, and compared that to the number of vaccinations given in the first year of life. In the study's introduction, the authors note that infant mortality rate (IMR) is one of the most important measures of children's health and overall development in countries. In developing nations, IMRs are higher because the basic necessities, such as clean water, good nutrition, good sanitation, and easy access to health care, are lacking or unevenly distributed. In developed nations, such as the US, these factors do not come into play and are not primarily responsible for IMR statistics. The United States spends more than any other nation per capita on he…Read More

A qualitative study of pregnant women with low back pain, and their chiropractors was published on Oct. 9, 2012 in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies with the title of "The treatment experience of patients with lowback pain during pregnancy and their chiropractors: A qualitative study". The pregnant women, all in their second or third trimester and suffering with low back pain, were interviewed by the study's authors to investigate their feelings about the experience of chiropractic care during their pregnancy. Anonymity and confidentiality of the study’s respondents were protected by assigning a number to each respondent. Low back pain is a common symptom during pregnancy. Between 50 to 80 percent of pregnant women report low back pain during pregnancy because of hormonal, postural, and structural adjustments to the body. Chiropractic care for low back pain during pregnancy is safe and effective according to previously published studies and reviews. Positive results with no adverse…Read More

On January 13, 2015, a study was published documenting the case of a pregnant woman with a transverse breech pregnancy being corrected under chiropractic care. The study also reviewed a number of other such cases documented in research adding to the body of evidence showing chiropractic helping with this issue. A Transverse Breech Pregnancy is when a fetus is lying across the womb with the spine perpendicular to the mother's spine. Later in pregnancy, the baby should be head downward in preparation for birth. The authors report that by the 28th week of pregnancy, about 4% of women have a breech pregnancy. Of these, it is expected that 86% will deliver via cesarean section. Nationally, the rate of cesarean birth continues to rise, being at 31.6% in the year 2010. In this case study a 31-year-old pregnant women went to a chiropractor for help. She had been diagnosed by her obstetrician with transverse breech malposition, confirmed by ultrasound, at 30 weeks gestation. She was also suffer…Read More