CST is successfully used to treat the following conditions in babies and toddlers:
Craniosacral therapy for babies
- Abnormal Head Shape
- Poor sucking, latching or other breast feeding problems
- Sleeplessness and irritability
- Excessive crying
- Colic and digestive problem
- Infant Reflux
- Constipation
- Birth shock
- Trauma from forceps and ventouse (vacuum) suction
- Toxicity from anesthesia and other drugs
- Developmental problems
- Recurring ear infections (glue ear)
- Listlessness and low muscle tone
As a result, babies can often be born with tension/ compression or a strain within the head (cranial vault). Over the first few weeks, the head shape changes as it unmoulds, when the baby suckles, cries and yawn. However, if this moulding and compression is maintained, particularly if the birth has been difficult, the baby can manifest a variety of problems.
Birth can be traumatic and this trauma can have long-term effects on the child’s health and well-being. The compression, stresses and strains that we undergo during the birth process can, if not resolved, influence the way our whole structure and personality develops. For instance, babies born by caesarian surgery, whether elective or emergency, can be prone to endocrine and adrenal problems due to the residual shock from this dramatic event. If forceps or vacuum suction were used in the birth process, the soft bones of the baby’s head can be distorted, leading to subsequent neurological conditions, learning and behavioral disorders. Spinal curvature and pelvic misalignment can be the result of a baby being restricted or twisted in the birth canal. The nerve centers that control the lungs are located in the back of the brain, and any compression to the head during birth can lead to respiratory problems.
CST, when accurately applied, guides the bones to a more comfortable balance. The younger that this is done, the better, before the bones are fully developed so that any strains or residual compression is reduced as far as possible.