Expert: Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman - 8/31/2007

Question
Hi, Dr. I've been taking my 6 month old daughter to my chiropractor since she was a month old and at about 2 months, she started doing this strange thing with her legs and her body. She will cross her legs and stick them straight into the air, and her body becomes rigid or stiff. My Chiropractor said it isn't anything to worry about, but I read her chart (I used to work at this same office), and it said she has "hypertonicity of the left side with limited range of motion". I've been reading up on babies who are hypertonic and who favor one side over the other and the sites that always come up are ones regarding Cerebral Palsy. I got two pediatric opinions as well, and because she is reaching her milestones at the normal age, they see no cause for concern, but I'm terrified! Am I exaggerating or should I question her doctors and her chiropractor further?? Her chiropractor said although it isn't common, I just have to break her of her habit (she only crosses her legs when she is angry, tired or hungry). He said her left hip also seems to be locked in one single position and that it could be due to her being in her carsear too long. I would appreciate any advice as I am losing my mind and sleep over this matter. Thank you so much for your help.

Answer
Dear Kathy,

Infants can often asymmetric problems due to the experience of birth itself.  Cranial molding as the child is exiting the birth canal happens in every vaginal birth, and c-section births can actually be worse if the OB has to tug on the baby to extract it from the uterine cavity.  It has been stated that most infants will experience some degree of birth trauma, and often they need to have the cranial bones examined for subtle fixations that can actually impede the flow of cerebral spinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord.

Although I am not an expert in cranial-sacral therapy, many chiropractors are, and I think you should pursue this treatment technique for your child.  My wife is a chiropractor as well and treats exclusively pregnant women and children.  We have had quite a few cases of infants with resistant seizures that have responded to care with only 4-5 treatment of gentle cranial remodeling techniques.  The treating pediatricians almost refused to believe that a chiropractor could have such a profound effect upon the neurological function of an infant, but after seeing the results they had to admit that it worked.

I would recommend that you research cranio-sacral therapy so that you can get a better understanding of the technique, and find a local practitioner who is certified or competent in this field.  Check out the Upledger Institute, and SORSI organization.  These are two programs that seem to have the best training and credentials regarding this type of treatment.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net