From the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
October 2009
This is a case series of 114 infants who were diagnosed in a hospital or by a lactation consultant with breast feeding problems. These patients were referred to seek chiropractic care in addition to routine pediatric care.
The three most common diagnoses for why these infants were unable to breastfeed were:
1. cervical posterior joint dysfunction
2. temporomandibular joint imbalance (TMJ)
3. inadequate suck reflex.
“Treatment was chiropractic therapy in addition to support given elsewhere.
All children showed some improvement with 78% being able to exclusively breastfeed after 2 to 5 treatments over a 2-week time period.”
Chiropractors are experts in diagnosing and treating disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems - in this case series the most common issues being with the cervical spine and jaw.
This article demonstrates the benefit of pediatric chiropractic care as a multidisciplinary approach to breastfeeding issues with a musculoskeletal cause.