Why Your Newborn Needs to Be Checked After Birth
At New Hope Chiropractic, we believe that the best start to life begins with a calm, connected, and well-regulated nervous system. As new parents, you're doing everything possible to give your baby a healthy beginning—but one critical piece that often gets overlooked is how the birth process impacts your baby's nervous system.
Even in the most natural, uncomplicated deliveries, birth places a tremendous amount of physical stress on a newborn's spine and nervous system—especially in the upper neck and brainstem region. In fact, studies show that over 90% of newborns experience some degree of spinal misalignment, known as subluxation, during birth. These subluxations can interfere with your baby’s ability to feed, sleep, digest, and develop properly.
The Reality of Birth Trauma
Whether your baby was born via cesarean, vacuum or forceps delivery, or even a fast or prolonged labor, their delicate spine and nervous system were likely affected. This can show up as:
Trouble nursing or latching
Colic, reflux, or constipation
Difficulty sleeping
Torticollis or head preference
Fussiness or excessive crying
While these may be dismissed as "normal newborn issues," they are actually signs that your baby’s nervous system may be under stress and not regulating optimally.
Why Early Chiropractic Care Matters
Our approach at New Hope Chiropractic is Neurologically-Focused, meaning we don’t guess—we assess. Using gentle INSiGHT Scans, we evaluate your baby’s nervous system function to detect areas of imbalance and tension. When needed, we provide the most gentle and specific adjustments (with pressure no more than you'd use to test a peach!) to help your baby's body unwind that early stress and restore optimal function.
Why the Vagus Nerve Matters
The brainstem and upper neck, the area most commonly affected by birth, house the vagus nerve—the key to your baby's digestion, immune system, sleep, and regulation. If this nerve is stressed or stuck in "fight or flight," your baby may have trouble calming down, eating, or pooping—all things that make those first weeks extra hard.
What We See in Practice Babies under our care often experience:
Better latching and feeding
More restful sleep
Less reflux, gas, and colic
Easier bowel movements
A calmer, more connected demeanor
Supporting a Lifetime of Health
The first year of life is a critical time for brain and body development. Ensuring the nervous system is free of stress from the very beginning gives your baby the best chance at reaching milestones, growing strong, and thriving naturally.
If you're looking for a natural, proactive way to support your baby's health and development, we're here to help. Schedule your newborn’s first visit with New Hope Chiropractic, where we specialize in gentle, neurologically-focused care for even the tiniest members of your family.
Not local? Check the PX Docs directory to find a trusted pediatric chiropractor near you.
