Colic
Differential compliance instrument in the
treatment of infantile colic: A report of two cases Leach
RA, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
January 2002 • Volume 25 • Number 1
Case 1: A 6-week-old
female infant crying almost continuously since birth, which
the mother described as often “violent
screaming,” had steadily gotten worse. She slept only
3 hours a night and had 15 minutes of rest 3 or 4 times per
day, or brief periods of feeding or riding in a car.
Her pediatrician
diagnosed the infant with infantile colic, and the mother
brought the infant for chiropractic evaluation after a nurse
suggested that adjustments might help.
[Diagnosis of] T8 segmental dysfunction was made on the basis
of the mother’s statements and observation of the child’s
behaviors since entering the clinic. After a single adjustment
the child rested for 11 hours during the following 24-hour
period and slept for 9 uninterrupted hours during the night.
The infant awakened smiling and laughing.
Case 2: A 9-week-old
male infant had infantile colic. The mother had been taking
Lorazepam ™ , Paxil ™ ,
Zyprexa ™ , and Wellbutrin ™ for the first 4
months of her pregnancy until she discovered she was pregnant.
At that time she discontinued all medications except Zyprexa,
which she continued throughout her pregnancy.
Child was diagnosed
with acid reflux as a result of crying day and night; unrelieved
by normal parenting behaviors, and Zantac™ was prescribed.
On entrance to the office 3 weeks later, the parents stated
the crying had progressed to about 14 hours per day in spite
of these interventions.
After 4 consecutive daily adjustments
crying was reduced to 7 hours, uninterrupted sleep increased
to 5 hours (from 3 hours before care), and total sleep in
a 24-hour period increased to 13 hours (from 5 hours before
care).
After 9 adjustments over 2 weeks, the infant was crying an
average of only 2 hours per day, was sleeping 5 hours per
night and averaging 14 hours of total sleep per day. The
baby no longer screamed but smiled and remained awake without
crying for long periods and responded appropriately to normal
parenting efforts. On subsequent consultation with the pediatrician,
all medications were discontinued except Benadryl™ as
needed. However, the mother occasionally gave the infant
Mylicon ™ on occasion. Colicky behaviors, such as inconsolable
crying and clenching of fists, did not return.
The short-term
effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile
colic: a randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded
observer, Wiberg JMM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N. Journal of
Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. October 1999;
Vol. 22, No. 8, pp. 517-522.
This is a randomized controlled
trial that took place in a private chiropractic practice and
the National Health Service's health visitor nurses in a suburb
of Copenhagen, Denmark.
One group of infants received spinal
care for 2 weeks, the other was treated with the drug Dimethicone ™ for
2 weeks. Changes in daily hours of crying were recorded in
a colic diary.
Hours of crying reduced by 1 hour in the Dimethicone
group compared with 2.4 hours in the chiropractic group by
day 4-7. On days 8 through 11, crying was reduced by 1 hour
for the Dimethicone group, compared with 2.7 hours in the chiropractic
group.
In the 12 days of the study, the children under chiropractic
care had a 67% reduction in crying while the group treated
with drugs had a 38% reduction in crying. The mean number
of adjustments given during the two-week study was 3.8.
From
the popular press: "Chiropractic Care Conquers
Colic" December 1998 issue of Country Living's Healthy
Living, Page 53.
An inconsolable newborn
finds comfort after six sessions with a chiropractor; Nicholas
Roe tells the family story.
Following the first adjustment,
the child was more reactive and colicky, but mom followed the
instructions given her by the DC and the baby calmed right
down. "We had five
more sessions with Stephen. Each lasted 20 minutes and Lucy
(the infant!) really seemed to enjoy them. It completely
changed what was fast becoming a nightmare. I would like
to recommend to everyone with a colicky infant see a chiropractor.
It certainly worked for us.”
A six week old baby with
colic. International Chiropractic Pediatric Association Newsletter.
May/June 1997.
A six week baby with colic who could not sleep for more than
one hour at a time and could not hold food down. was brought
in for chiropractic care.
A subluxation at C1 was corrected.
After the first adjustment the infant fell asleep before
leaving the office and slept for 8 hours straight. The baby
gained two pounds in one week.
The child was seen three times
per week for two months, thereafter once a week. The colic
symptoms never returned.
Chiropractic management of an infant
experiencing breastfeeding difficulties and colic: a case study.
Sheader, WE, Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, Vol.
4, No. 1, 1999.
This is the case of a 15-day old emaciated male
infant experiencing inability to breastfeed and colic since
birth.
When he entered the chiropractor’s office, he was
crying constantly, “shaking, screaming, rash, and vomiting
during and after feeding”. The baby also had “increased
distress” 30 minutes after feeding and had excessive
abdominal and bowel gas since birth. The mother reported
the infant was given a Hepatitis B vaccination within hours
after birth. The pediatrician prescribed formula but baby
reacted poorly to it.
During the examination the infant continuously
cried, with high-pitched screams, and full-body shaking.
Child had a distended abdomen with excessive bowel gas.
After
the first adjustment (to C1) a significant reduction of crying,
screaming and shaking occurred. On the second visit, two days
later the mother commented, “This is
a completely different baby”. The vomiting before and
after feeding had ceased. Another adjustment was given. By
the third visit, a “significant decrease of symptoms” was
reported and complete remission of abdominal findings. Baby
had been successfully breastfeeding since last visit. No
adjustment was needed.
The baby had been symptom free for 5
days and received a second Hepatitis B vaccination. All symptoms
returned to a severe degree, plus a low grade fever. Adjustment
was given but there was no reduction of symptoms. The patient
was adjusted three more times over the next week with minimal
reduction in symptoms. By the eighth visit, eight days after
receiving the vaccination, the child began to show marked
improvement and by the 11th visit, no symptoms were noticed
and no adjustment was given. Seventeen days after vaccination
there was a return of all symptoms; by the 13th visit “the
infant did not exhibit any significant recurring symptoms.
Dr.
Koren comments: the high-pitched screaming the child exhibited
is a neurologic cry (cri-encephalique) which is due to irritation
of the central nervous system. Children who react this way
should not be vaccinated again. The MD who vaccinated this
child did not follow protocol. The author should have discussed
the possibility of vaccine damage with the mother so she
could make an informed choice regarding the vaccination of
her child.
Colic with projectile vomiting: a case study. Van
Loon, Meghan. J of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics. Vol. 3
No. 1 1998. 207-210.
This is the case of a three-month-old male
medically diagnosed with colic and projectile vomiting increasing
in severity over the previous two months despite medical intervention.
Care
consisted of chiropractic spinal adjustments and craniosacral
therapy with the resolution of all presenting symptoms within
a 2-week treatment period. Proposed cranial and spinal etiologies
are discussed as well as the connection between birth trauma
and non-spinal symptoms.
Chiropractic care of infantile colic:
a case study. Killinger LZ and Azad A. J of Clinical Chiropractic
Pediatrics. Vol. 3 No. 1 1998. Pp. 203-206
This is the study
of an 11-month-old boy with severe, complicated, late onset
infantile colic. He was unable to consume solid foods for a
period of four months, and suffered from severe constipation,
muscular weakness and lack of coordination. The baby was unable
to crawl, stand or walk and was greatly unresponsive to his
surroundings.
[The child had been under medical care at the
Rochester Medical Clinic, with no improvement in his condition.]
Following
upper cervical specific chiropractic adjustments for a subluxation
of the first cervical vertebrae (atlas), there were immediate
improvements in muscle strength, coordination, responsiveness,
and ability to consume solid foods without vomiting.
Systemic
effects of spinal lesions. Dhami MSI, DeBoer KF In Principles
and Practice of Chiropractic, 2nd edition, Appleton and Lange,
East Norwalk, CT 1992.
The authors list “organic disorders reported to be
related to spinal lesions or affected by chiropractic manipulation,” including: “abdominal
discomfort, asthma, Barre-Lieou syndrome, cardiac arrythmia,
colic, constipation, dysmenorrhea, high blood pressure, low-blood
sugar and hyperinsulinism, migraine, pulmonary diseases,
ulcers, and vertebral autonomic dysfunction.”
Chiropractic
management of an infant patient experiencing colic and difficulty
breastfeeding: a case report. Cuhel JM, Powell M, Journal of
Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics 1997 2(2) 150-154.
A 12-day-old
male with difficulty in feeding on the right breast, “fussy” and
producing excess bowel gas was brought to the chiropractor.
Subluxations
were found at the occiput and atlas. The infant showed visible
signs of distress on palpation of the right cervical soft tissue
structures.
A chiropractic adjustment was performed to the atlas
and the mother was able to breastfeed the infant at the office
immediately following the adjustment with no problems nursing
on the right breast.
However additional chiropractic adjustments
met with limited success. The mother was advised that the injections
of Depo-Provera (contraceptive injection) she was receiving
may be contributing to the infant’s problem. She did not receive the next
injection as scheduled. Adjustments were continued and the
infant’s pattern of breastfeeding and bowel function
normalized.
Infantile colic treated by chiropractors: a prospective
study of 316 cases. Klougart N, Nilsson N and Jacobsen J
(1989) Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics,
12:281-288.
Seventy three chiropractors adjusted the spines
of 316 infants (median age 5.7 weeks at initial examination)
with moderate to severe colic (average 5.2 hours of crying
per day).
The mothers used a diary to keep track of the baby’s
symptoms, intensity and length of the colicky crying as well
as how comfortable the infant seemed. 94% of the children
showed a satisfactory response within 14 days of chiropractic
care (usually three visits). After four weeks, the improvements
were maintained.
One fourth of these infants showed great improvement
after the very first chiropractic adjustment. The remaining
infants all showed improvement within 14 days.
Note: 51% of
the infants had undergone prior unsuccessful treatment, usually
drug therapy.
Infantile colic and chiropractic. Nilsson N. European
Journal of Chiropractic 1985;33 (4) :264-65.
In this study,
a retrospective uncontrolled questionnaire of 132 infants with
colic, 91% of the parents reported an improvement after an
average of two to three adjustments and within one week of
care.
Vertebral subluxation and colic: a case study. Pluhar
GR, Schobert PD. J of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation,
1991;7:75-76.
A three-month-old female suffering from colic
with resultant sleep interruption and appetite decrease received
three adjustments with two weeks between adjustments. The areas
adjusted were T-7 and upper cervical area. Colic symptoms were
relieved.
Chiropractic adjustments and infantile colic: a case
study. Hyman CA in Proceedings of the fourth National Conference
on Chiropractic and Pediatrics. International Chiropractors
Association. Arlington, VA 1994: 65-71.
This is the case story
of a five-week-old male infant delivered with vacuum extraction.
Two
weeks after birth he began to have episodes of “gut
wrenching” crying accompanied by arching of the back
and gas and flatulence. The child was adjusted at C-1 and
T-9 and his condition improved greatly after each adjustment.
Kinematic
imbalances due to suboccipital strain in newborns. Biedermann
H. J. Manual Medicine 1992, 6:151-156.
Dr. Biedermann, at the
time of this paper, had treated more than 600 babies for what
he determined to be “suboccipital
strain,” (an upper cervical subluxation.)
135 infants
were reviewed in this case series report whose suboccipital
strain’s main symptoms included torticollis,
fever of unknown origin, loss of appetite and other symptoms
of CNS disorders. Other symptoms included swelling of one
side of the face, asymmetric development of the skull and
hips, crying when the mother tried to change the child’s
position and extreme sensitivity of the neck to palpation.
Most
patients in the series required one to three adjustments
before returning to normal.
Dr. Biedermann writes: “Removal of suboccipital strain
is the fastest and most effective way to treat the symptoms...one
session is sufficient in most cases. Manipulation of the
occipito-cervical region leads to the disappearance of problems....” Some
of the cases included:
Case #1 – 4-month-old girl who
always slept on her left side, left side of the neck was extremely
sensitive to palpation and left lateral flexion of the cervical
spine was reduced. A single C-1 adjustment corrected motor
activity and child now has normal sleeping patterns.
Case #2 – 5-month-old
boy with torticollis, reduced left arm use, asymmetrical development
of the skull. A single C1 adjustment and several months later
symmetrical development was noted.
Case #3 – 6-month-old
girl who was colicky with retarded motor development and recurrent
fever. Could not turn head to left. Within hours of her first
C1 adjustment she spontaneously turned her head to the left.
Her health returned to normal.
The side-effects of the chiropractic
adjustment. Burnier, A Chiropractic Pediatrics Vol. 1 No. 4
May 1995.
E.L. male age 4 months suffered from uncontrolled
crying and screaming during all waking hours for months.
There
was an immediate resolution of behavior following the first
adjustment of CO/C1
on 5/1/91. To date (2/10/94) the child is
a normal healthy baby.
Birth trauma results in colic. Krauss
LL, Chiropractic Pediatrics Vol. 2 No. 1, October, 1995
This
9 ½ month old female child was diagnosed as
colicky: paroxysmal abdominal pain and frantic crying. The
child was adjusted C1 on the right side (using an adjusting
instrument) T4-T5 was manually adjusted and the sacrum was
instrument adjusted. The following day the mother reported
that the infant had slept through the night, a consistent
12 hours, and woke up happy and playful.
Treatment of infants in the first year of life by chiropractors.
Incidents and reasons for seeking treatment. Munck LK, Hoffman
H, Nielsen AA. Ugeskr Laeger 1988; 150:1841-1844.
The authors
performed a retrospective survey of 162 children cared for
by doctors of chiropractic in their first year of life
The
conditions seen by DCs were:
- Infantile colic 73%
- Curvature 8%
- Bronchitis 3%
- Allergy 2.5%
- Sleep disorder 1.8%
- Middle ear inflammation 1.8%
- Eczema 0.6%
Copyright 2004 Koren Publications,
Inc. & Tedd Koren,
D.C.
SEE ALSO - Colic Breastfeeding, Colic Chiropractic Adjustment, Colic Chiropractic Children, Colic Infantile Chiropractic, Colic Projectile Vomiting