If you have a baby, and if something is wrong with that baby (something always seems wrong), somebody will suggest that you take your baby to a chiropractor. Perhaps you will hear this recommendation even when nothing is wrong. Friends, do not take your baby to the chiropractor.
Wait, why will people want you to take your baby to a chiropractor when nothing is wrong? Because, according to chiropractors, only a chiropractor can detect the tiny mis-alignments of the spine that are definitely totally real (they are not) that cause all of the problems and non-problems of childhood (there is no evidence of this).
So what’s the harm? Well, manipulating a person’s spine, especially their neck, can end badly. Children have died and become paralysed as a result of spinal manipulation, with nine severe cases collected in this 2007 study published in Pediatrics. Of those, five were caused by chiropractors. (The others included a medical doctor, a physical therapist, and two people whose profession was not reported.) In 2013, an Australian chiropractor broke a baby’s neck.
All medical procedures carry some risk, so it’s up to us as patients and parents to decide which risks are worthwhile. Vaccines, for example, have caused severe illness in very, very rare cases. But they are still worthwhile, because going unvaccinated is more dangerous than taking your chances with routine childhood vaccines. Measles causes pneumonia in one of every 20 kids that contracts the disease, and death in one of every 1000. The measles vaccine causes a life-threatening allergic reaction in one out of every 3.5 million to 10 million doses. The smart decision is clear.
Chiropractors do not provide an essential treatment. Any actual problems they claim to treat, like ear infections or reflux, your actual doctor can treat at least as well. (The chiropractor is more likely to try to sell you probiotics or something on your way out the door, but I trust you can figure out where to buy those on your own.) If your kid is having trouble breastfeeding, direct yourself to the Australian Breastfeeding Association and/or contact your assigned carer.
Comments
7 responses to “Don’t Take Your Baby To A Chiropractor”
This might be the truth to some extent but not entirely. Our family chiropractor is also an osteopath and practices kinesiology. He’s treated our baby to release the tension in her hip after her hip dysplasia was corrected, giving her more freedom in movement in both hip joints. He also helped correct the flat spot on her head, and we could notice the difference within a couple of treatments. We told him we don’t want her neck cracked or for her to be swung around and he’s never done it or even suggested it.
The issue here is communication. Tell your chiropractor you don’t want your baby’s neck cracked or your baby swung around (like those YouTube videos). They don’t need to do any of those things to treat your baby if he/she needs treating.
Ideally, chiropractors should not be able to practice on babies. The rubbish about them being cramped in the womb (all babies are) and needing specialist fixes to their spine is stupid.
All you need for back pain is a small pot of hibiscus and chamomile tea
/s
….. Don’t take ANYONE to a chiroquacker…. *smh* …. Ok for a massage maybe but all else is snake oil…..
My point exactly!
Jesus, taking your baby though….. That’s almost on par with Anti-Vaxxers
Chiropractors discover that chiropractors shouldn’t be treating many of the conditions they’ve been attempting of late:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29632661
Chiropractor‘s pretty much belong in the same category as naturopaths.
They are, the chiropractic association of Australia says they are alternate health practitioners.
Sounds like someone has a lot of hate for a profession they know little about.
Just like physios and osteos, chiros are taught evidenced based medicine in universities all over Australia. Cant say what chiropractors in other countries are doing (eg. America) but it is a very regulated profession – due to the great work at AHPRA (looks after all health professions).
Legally not allowed to claim the treatment of anything without evidence to back it up – just like every other medical profession
There are chiropractors that have gone through years more of training to work with paediatrics, so go to someone with the experience – just like u would with any other medical professional.
I believe the case with the ‘broken neck’ turned out to not be the case.
Have you seen what a majority of hospital births are like on infants? its often pretty rough
Vaccines? really, that’s such a dated stereotype of what chiropractors believe. You could have anyone in any profession these days pro or anti vaccines.
All the different health practitioners serve a roll and some do it better than others – if you are getting told something you don’t agree with by any practitioner take it AHPRA and it will be sorted out – trash talking articles like this make me sick (GP can help me with that)