Pediatric CranioSacral Therapy
Naturopathic Doctors versed in pediatric craniosacral therapy (CST) offer a powerful treatment tool for the constellation of diseases and development stunting associated with poor vagal tone in infants.
CST combined with naturopathic interventions to improve GI health, preserve the breastfeeding relationship and heal pregnancy and birth trauma experienced by both mom and baby can result in marked improvement for everyone in the family.
Pediatric Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, hands-on bodywork modality that can be used to address a large variety of pediatric growth and development disorders that present very early in infancy.
CST for infants should be considered for:
- All breastfeeding and nursing problems
- GI distress and extreme colic such as chronic constipation, which can be caused by poor gastric motility
- Any hint of lax motor reflexes or delayed growth and development.
Pediatric CST offers a powerful therapy that infants respond well to; it is a therapy that respects the bodies innate healing mechanism and desire to move toward balance and homeostasis.
An infant CST session may last only 10-15 minutes and occur while the infant is breastfeeding or napping in moms or docs arms. Positive signs include euphoric burblings, bubble blowing, cooing. Releases are accompanied by toe wriggling and frequently infants will move to a ‘Still Point”, a hallmark of CST treatment and philosophy.
The Vagus Nerve aka ‘The Wanderer”
The tenth cranial nerve connects the brain to the entire GI tract, and its name describes the wandering path this nerve takes from the cranium to the gut. In Latin Vagus means ‘wanderer’.
A 6-month-old infant sitting straight up with their heart open to the world and an engaging smile locked on a person is demonstrating the physical and emotional hallmarks of good vagal tone.
Also known as the pneumo-gastric nerve for its role in parasympathetic (unconscious) control of the heart, lungs and digestive tract, the vagus nerve connects the ‘gut-brain’ to the mind brain. It is the main thoroughfare for the mysterious autonomic nervous system, acting as a switchboard for our most vital physical and spiritual functions.
Trauma to the vagus nerve through the birth process and passage through the birth canal can result in impingement at the point where the nerve emerges from the base of the skull.
Beyond physical blockage of the vagus nerve, infants born from prenatally depressed mothers (and prenatally angry and anxious mothers) are more likely to have infants who show low vagal activity (link below to the study published in the journal Infant Behavior and Development). This study and others highlight the relationship between a mother’s mental state during gestation and her babies vagal tone and social behaviors such as attentiveness, facial expressions and vocalizations.
Doctors measure nerve activity by looking at muscle tone, diminished nerve activity may be visible for its impacts on muscles, such as a drooping eye lid and poor facial tone on one side only like you see in stroke or Bell’s Palsy. An infant with low vagal tone nerve may have no outward physical signs, the problem may show as constipation, not ‘hitting milestones’, poor eye contact and other very early signs of autism.
In my 20+ years doing CST, I have found parents of infants and children receiving CST report improvements in their child’s sleep, demeanor and gastric motility. CST for autism, when applied in a consistent manner together with 360-degree holistic lifestyle interventions, improves eye contact, reduces ‘stim’ behavior such as flapping, and results in better sleep and self-control.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to diagnose or treat a medical condition. Please consult your healthcare provider, preferably a Naturopathic Doctor, before starting or stopping any herbal medicine or supplementation regimen. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Where homeopathy is discussed, any claims represent traditional homeopathic practice and are not FDA evaluated or considered accepted medical evidence.
