The birth of a baby is one of life’s most incredible moments, but it is also one of the most physically demanding experiences the body will ever go through.

Even during a normal delivery, a newborn experiences significant mechanical forces that can place stress on the spine, muscles, and nervous system.

A study examining 100 healthy newborns found that 99% had at least one area of somatic dysfunction within the first 72 hours after birth. Researchers also found that the severity of these dysfunctions increased with longer labor durations.

These findings suggest that even healthy deliveries can create mechanical stress that may influence how a baby’s body moves and adapts after birth.

Somatic dysfunction simply means areas of the body that are not moving or working as well as they should. In babies, this is not disease or damage, just small areas of tension or restriction.

At Markham Chiropractic Centre, we recognize how important early nervous system development is for growth, feeding, sleep, and overall regulation.

Pediatric chiropractic care uses extremely gentle, precise adjustments designed specifically for infants and children. These adjustments use light pressure, often no more than what you would use to test the ripeness of a tomato, and are focused on improving mobility in areas of spinal restriction.

The goal of gentle pediatric adjustments is to support normal movement and reduce tension in the spine, which may help the nervous system function more efficiently as the baby adapts to life outside the womb.

Parents often seek care for concerns such as feeding difficulties, unsettled sleep, or general tension patterns in their newborn.

While more research is still needed to fully understand the long-term effects of correcting somatic dysfunction in infants, early identification and gentle care play a supportive role in helping babies develop and regulate during this critical stage of life.

MLA Citation

Waddington, Elizabeth L. “Incidence of Somatic Dysfunction in Healthy Newborns.” Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 2015.