It is a common misconception that infants and children are without any physical structural imbalances. Actually, the birthing process itself is one of the most stressful events their bodies will experience.
Babies are subject to enormous forces while navigating the natural resistance of the birth canal. The safe passage of a baby’s head though the mother’s pelvis involves proper forward bending, rotation and backward bending of the neck and head in order to reach its final exit.
The four parts of the occiput are exposed to multiple complex forces, commonly becoming twisted and compressed, causing an irritation of the nerves in that area. Should the mother suffer of uterine fibroids, structural coccyx and/or pelvis problems, then the issue can be further exaggerated. If labor requires intervention, such as the use of suction or forceps, then the baby’s ability to absorb these stresses may be compromised.
The strain on a baby at birth may lead to nerve compression at the occiput causing difficulties with breastfeeding (latching and suckling) as well as colic and gas. In fact, some misalignments may have been acquired before the birthing process even began.
Tension patterns may be present prior to birth if the baby’s head has been engaged in the mother’s pelvis for a long time. Research conducted by Viola Frymann D.O., on over one thousand children, showed that 10% of newborns demonstrate significant distortion in shape and mobility of the cranium after birth, 80% demonstrated moderate distortion, while only 10% showed no significant distortion of the cranium.