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ARTICLE 1

Babies with Square Heads

On Saturday 29 April 2006, the Body and Soul section of the Times featured an article by Leah Hardy entitled 'Little Square Heads'.  In it she described a condition that is affecting a lot of babies; odd shaped heads or 'positional plagiocephaly'.

 

In my Osteopathic practise I see quite a few of these children. Leah Hardy wrote that the practice of sleeping babies on their backs and leaving them for long periods in car seats, probably both contribute to the rise in problems relating to the shape of the baby’s head. She suggested using a sling, carrying them more often and helping them to turn their heads while they are lying down.

 

All these simple things do make a huge difference. Osteopathic treatment also seems to help. Through treatment, the underlying strains which contribute to the head shape can be resolved. This often changes things aesthetically but can also have profound effects on the general health of the child.

 

Rose came to me with a head that was flat at the back and also twisted sideways. It was noticeable and distressing to her Mum, although Rose herself was flourishing. She would lie on the couch with her Mum sitting beside her, while I cradled Rose’s head in my hands. Often she would make eye contact and smile at me. This seemed to coincide with the moments when I could feel changes going on. I saw her over a period of a few months and watched the changes gradually take place.

 

Cranial Osteopathy is a supremely gentle, tactile therapy. The baby often stays in the mother’s or carers’ arms while I gently make contact on the head or the back with my hands. Through this contact I can feel the ways in which the fluids of the body are moving, and the way in which the bones are relating to each other. It seems to be a case of just gently asking a question with my hands:

“Is that comfortable?”

“Is there a better way for this bit of you to be?”

And then the baby’s own health and desire to be well and comfortable, the 'Intelligence' of the body, is able to do the rest. The results are visible and often dramatic, but the process is peaceful and allows the baby to change in his or her own time.

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