Treatment of infants by chiropractors during the first year of life. Occurrence and reasons for seeking treatment
Munck, L.K.; Hoffmann, H.; Nielsen, A.A.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 150(30): 1841-1844
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 3413855 Document Number: 315970
It is not unusual that children are treated by chiropractors but the extent of treatment of infants is sparsely illustrated. In a retrospective questionnaire investigation to which 84.2% replied, 162 out of 1,454 families with infants of one year (11.1%, 99% confidence limits 9.0%-13.2%) stated that these infants had been treated by chiropractors and of these 73% on account of infantile colic. Treatment by chiropractors was most frequent in the upper social classes and much more frequent in the suburbs of Copenhagen than in the municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg. Families of children treated by chiropractors felt more stress than the remaining families. 62% of the infants commenced treatment prior to the age of the two months and 40% received four or more treatments. Only 13% received a single treatment. In the majority of cases, treatment consisted of manipulation of the cervical spine. Contact with the chiropractor resulted in lasting improvement in 59% of the children.