18/07/2023
This smiley little one came to me suffering with infant gastro-oesophageal reflux. This is a common condition that affects 4 out of 10 babies where they regurgitate some of the stomach contents with most feeds usually settling around 1 year of age. Some babies are perfectly content with reflux, however others are very unsettled and sometimes incredibly distressed. It can interfere with feeding and sleeping and can be a very hard time for exhausted parents to manage.
Osteopaths often find mechanical strain patterns in the spine, pelvis, neck and head in babies suffering with infant reflux. These can occur due to sub-optimal positioning during pregnancy (eg. breech, transverse, long engagement in maternal pelvis, maternal stress) or a tricky birth (eg. instrumental delivery with forceps or ventouse). This can contribute to a disruption of the delicate balance that is required in the nervous system for optimum digestive functioning.
Also, the sphincter that closes off the top of the stomach once the milk has entered is anatomically a part of the abdominal diaphragm, the large breathing muscle in the chest. If the diaphragm is tight and imbalanced, this can directly affect the strength and function of the oesophageal sphincter, therefore releasing this area of the body can also help with digestion.
Alongside NHS support, this little one began to feel much better once these physical strain patterns has been released 😊