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A study published in the April 10, 2010 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, documents the case study of a 3 week old baby girl who was saved from head surgery due to timely specific chiropractic care.

In this case study, a 3 week old girl who was medically diagnosed with craniosynostosis was brought to a chiropractor in an attempt to help avoid skull surgery. According to the website WebMD, “Craniosynostosis is a problem with the skull that causes a babys head to be oddly shaped. A baby’s skull is not just one bowl-shaped piece of bone. It is made up of five thin, bony plates that are held together by fibrous material called sutures . The sutures let a baby’s skull expand as the brain grows. Over time, the sutures harden and close the skull bones together. When a baby has craniosynostosis, one or more of these sutures close too soon. The head doesn’t form a normal shape.”

The research article starts off by noting that a baby’s head growth is largely determined by the growth of the brain. At one year of age, the infant brain reaches approximately 90% of its adult size and by 6 years of age, the brain is 95% developed, and is essentially complete by age 7. Craniosynostosis not only affects skull shape but can also affect brain development creating serious issues.

In this case, a mother brought her 3 week old baby girl to a chiropractor following a medical diagnosis of craniosynostosis by her obstetrician and pediatrician. According to the patient’s mother, she was advised that the medical care plan was to monitor her child for 3 months and if craniosynostosis progressed further, surgery would have to be performed on her baby’s skull. The baby girl had no other health issues at that time.

A chiropractic examination revealed the presence of subluxations, and a course of specific chiropractic care was initiated for correction. Measurements of the size of the baby’s skull were regularly taken and showed that once chiropractic care was initiated, the skull started to show normal growth. After 6 chiropractic visits, the little girl was 10 weeks old and her skull had grown from 34.5 cm, to 39.2 cm. After approximately three months of care the girls mother reported that her daughter’s cranial development had progressed so well that she would not require skull surgery.

Dr. Joel Alcantara, a chiropractor and Director of Research for the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) and the lead author of the paper, noted, “In this case we have a defect in the infants skull that did not require a planned surgery following a trial of chiropractic care of the spine and skull.” He concluded, “The research shows that not only is chiropractic for children extremely safe but it is also highly effective.”

A case study appeared in the February 14, 2011, issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health. This study documented the case of a 4-year-old boy with a history of enlarged adenoids, nasal congestion, hearing loss, speech difficulties, developmental delay, and behavioral concerns, who was subsequently helped with chiropractic.

The article begins by noting that otitis media is one of the most common causes of hearing loss among young children with possible further implications for speech, language, and learning delay as well as subsequent behavioral concerns. Otitis media accounted for 24.5 million doctor’s visits in 1990 and is the most common reason for emergency visits among children.

In this case, a 4-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor’s office, having been previously diagnosed by the pediatrician and ENT physician with bilateral hearing loss, fluid build-up in the middle ears, swollen adenoids, and swollen nasal tissue. The boy’s parents also mentioned he was diagnosed with expressive speech delay and developmental delay associated with behavioral issues. The boy also seemed more immature than children his age and was behind with his language ability for his age.

A chiropractic examination was performed on the boy and restriction was noted in the upper cervical (neck) spine. It was determined that subluxations were present in the boy’s spine. These subluxations created interference with the boy’s nervous system therefore decreasing his ability to function normally and be healthy.

Care was initiated with a series of specific chiropractic adjustments to correct the subluxations. The study reports that after 11 chiropractic visits the boy had a medical examination to test his hearing. The results of that test revealed that his hearing had improved and he was within normal limits. By the 24th visit another medical examination was performed and the boy’s hearing was completely normal. Additionally it was reported that the boy also showed improvements with speech development and behavior.

This case also documents that the boy showed improvement in his language skill until he was on level with other children his age. It was also reported that his ability to interact with others and in school had also improved to appropriate levels.

In their conclusion the authors noted, “It is hypothesized that chiropractic care may increase overall immune function not limited to those with the conditions presented in this case report but also in the general pediatric population. Not only can this help to reduce sickness, but has great implications for prevention and to dramatically lower health care costs since otitis media is the number one complaint among pediatrics.”

The above is the actual headline from the August 7, 2007 Milford Daily News in Massachusetts. This article addresses the benefits of chiropractic care in pregnancy. The article starts by following the story of one chiropractic patient, Amanda Giampaoli-Martinez, who was receiving chiropractic care throughout her pregnancy. The story notes that when Amanda was ready to give birth she called her chiropractor Dr. Maryam Ahsan, to be present at the birth.

It was not two minutes after the birth of Amanda’s new baby girl, Arianna, that she was checked by Dr. Maryam. New mother Amanda recalled the activity by stating, “Dr. Maryam was driving when I called her and asked if she could come to the hospital. She just turned her car around.” Giampaoli-Martinez continued, “When I was having bad pain, (Dr. Ahsan) put me on my side and adjusted me while I was on the table.” Ms. Giampaoli-Martinez was pleased with her results and noted, “I went three times a week, and after a month my back pain was gone. I was also having shooting leg pain and the hip alignment helped to take that away.”

The article explains that the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association teaches a technique named after the associations late founder Dr. Larry Webster, called the Webster Technique. The article explains that the Webster Technique decreases intrauterine constraint, resulting in a quicker, less difficult delivery. This technique became prominent after it was discovered that certain adjustments had a high success rate in reversing the position of breech babies.

Dr. Jeanne Ohm, executive director of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, explained the procedure, “There is no deep tissue massage with this technique. It’s a really light force,” she said. “Chiropractors will check the woman’s sacrum (pelvis bone) and press on different areas to restore balance. They (patients) turn her on her back and check her belly and a round ligament for tightness.” Dr. Ohm continued, “There are no known contraindications or complications to the adjustments. No one’s ever called back to report a problem, and I would definitely be the first to know. Osteopathic studies have shown the adjustments reduce labor time and fight dystocia (abnormal or overly long childbirth).”

The article also interviewed Dr. David Bilstrom, a board certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, and director of Oasis Center for Health in Hinsdale. He feels that most medical doctors are unfamiliar with chiropractic care. He states, “Chiropractic care tends to be quite safe. In the right hands, I would feel very comfortable seeing the treatment done.”

A case study involving a 7-year-old boy suffering chronic colds, allergies, and asthma since the age of 5 months, who was subsequently helped with chiropractic, was documented in the August 17, 2009 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health.

In this study the young boy’s parents explained that their son had been suffering from his problems since age 5, and was now taking the medications Alavert daily for allergies and Albuterol for asthma as needed. The child also required nebulizer treatments for his asthmatic episodes. Additionally steroid injections were also used “regularly”. Because of his illnesses he missed 1-2 days of school per month. He also had monthly visits to the medical doctor for all his health issues.

Finally his parents brought him to a chiropractor to see if he could be helped. The chiropractic examination revealed multiple postural abnormalities and changes in the boy’s ranges of spinal movement. Additionally areas of the spine felt abnormal to the doctor’s touch. These findings are all indicative of spinal subluxations. Subluxations are when bones of the spine are positioned incorrectly and create pressure or irritation on nerves. This causes changes in the function of the nervous system and can result in a variety of health issues depending on the severity of the nerve system interference and the areas of the nervous system involved.

Specific chiropractic care was initiated on the boy at the initial frequency of 3 visits per week for the first month of care. Within two weeks of the child’s first chiropractic adjustment, the patient’s mother indicated that her son no longer was dependent on his prescription medication for allergies, so they decided to discontinue them on their own. His parents also reported that his frequency and severity of the asthma attacks had greatly improved, and he no longer required his nebulizer treatments since beginning chiropractic care.

According to the study records within 3 months of the initiation of chiropractic care, the boy’s mother reported that all the young boy’s initial complaints were addressed successfully. The child continued chiropractic wellness care, and after a 16 month follow up, it was noted that the boy experienced only 1-2 minor colds or sinus infections and required the use of his nebulizer on only two occasions. Neither the patient nor his mother reported any adverse reactions to the chiropractic care.

A case study appeared on July 22, 2009 in the scientific periodical, The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, documenting the correction of a breech pregnancy and therefore saving a woman from having an unnecessary C-section delivery.

This case involved a 41 year old woman who was 33 weeks pregnant and had confirmation by ultrasound that the baby was in a breech presentation. She came into the chiropractor’s office looking for an alternative to prevent the cesarean procedure which was planned for her 39th week of pregnancy.

The woman did have a history of back pain during her pregnancy. The chiropractic examination showed muscle spasms and tenderness over multiple areas of her spine including her lower back. Her spinal range of motion was also significantly reduced. Numerous other orthopedic tests were positive, and trigger points were detected around her abdomen. It was determined that she had a subluxation of the sacrum and was a good candidate for a technique known as the “Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique”.

According to WikiParenting, “The Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique is a chiropractic procedure used to correct subluxations in the pregnant mothers sacrum and pelvis. The technique was developed the late Dr. Larry Webster, Founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), in 1978. This technique is considered a safe means to restore proper pelvic structure and function for pregnant mothers.” The ICPA defines the procedure by saying, “The Webster Technique is defined as a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and facilitates biomechanical balance in pelvic structures, muscles and ligaments. This has been shown to reduce the effects of intrauterine constraint, allowing the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.”

The results of this case study documented that after 5 Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique adjustments were given to the patient over a 1 month period, an ultrasound was performed by the woman’s medical physician. The ultrasound confirmed that the baby had moved into the vertex position resulting in the planned cesarean section being cancelled. The patient had a vaginal delivery of a baby boy weighing 7lbs 8 oz without complications.

Manitoba, Canada has become the focal point of a heated battle by the chiropractic profession to protect the rights of children to receive the benefits of chiropractic care. Over the past year several anti-chiropractic forces have started a false smear campaign to gain publicity by trying to say that chiropractic care may be dangerous. This flies in the face of all evidence showing that chiropractic has always been among the safest health care professions.

In spite of facts to the contrary the Canadian smear campaign has been effective and accomplished their first goal in getting the government of Manitoba to discontinue chiropractic coverage for children up to the age of 19. This move effectively forces many children away from a natural choice of chiropractic and toward drugs or surgery. In a statement dated May, 10, 2002, one of the world’s renowned chiropractic pediatric experts, Dr. Maxine McMullen Vice President of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) and founder and president of the ICA Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics stated, “This decision is not based on science or good health care practice. Chiropractic care has been proven to be safe and effective for children and people of all ages. This decision is based in fear and not in fact. The world chiropractic community will mobilize to take those steps necessary to see that fairness and open access for all people prevail.”

Other chiropractic organizations have also begun to mobilize. In a release dated May, 8, 2002 Dr. Jeanne Ohm, Secretary of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association asked all their members to, “Please e-mail the Premier of Manitoba, the Honorable Gary Doer with a short, professional e-mail on behalf of chiropractic care for children. Take the moment now to turn this around. His address: Premier@leg.gov.mb.ca .

In the 1970’s the American Medical Association was sued for restraint of trade and antitrust activities. In that famous “Wilk vs. AMA suit”, the AMA lost, and had to publicly admit wrongdoing in their journals as well as cease any illegal and unlawful activity against chiropractic. Since then the AMA has been barred from the types of false smear campaigns in the US that have now taken place in Canada. The chiropractic community and the patients we serve are continuing to mobilize to reverse this situation. It is our belief that everyone should have open access to chiropractic care if that is the form of health care they choose.

According to a Canadian study reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, antibiotics and vaccines are the medicines that most often cause adverse reactions in children. “There is relatively little pediatric data on adverse reactions, which can range from rashes to potentially fatal hypersensitivity”. More than 1,500 Canadian cases were reviewed between 1985 and 1995 by Sandra R. Knowles and her colleagues at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto. In all, 1,800 drugs were implicated in this study.

The leading problems were caused from: Amoxicillin/Ampicillin with a 24% reaction rate, vaccines in general with a 19% reaction rate, Trimethoprim came in with 8%, Sulfamethoxazole (sulfa drug) at 8%, Erythromycin – was at 3%, and Penicillin also at 3% reaction rate.