David M. Rosenberg, DO Family Practice

May 01, 2005

Craniosacral therapy — a soft touch to the base of a a baby’s head — after birth benefits 90% of the newborns I see. It’s not part of the traditional newborn examination, but its something a physician who practices complementary medicine would do.

Complementary medicine uses alternative medicine, such as osteopathic manipulation or massage, together with conventional medicine. A complementary approach to pediatrics is distinctive. It emphasizes comprehensive care for the child and family. Parents who want care for their children that goes beyond traditional pediatrics should look into what complementary medicine offers. What they’ll find is a holistic approach that focuses on prevention.

The benefits of a complementary approach can begin at birth. For example, if a newborn’s cranial base becomes compressed by labor and birth, the baby won’t feed well. Using a soft touch of generally no more than five grams, about the weight of a nickel, a trained physician can release restrictions in the craniosacral system, the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord, improving the function of the central nervous system. That improves the baby’s ability to nurse.

The medical community as a whole is moving toward more preventive medicine, but prevention has always been basic to complementary medicine. It means we not only treat the symptoms and disease, but also examine our patients’ lifestyles, their home environment, their family history — all relevant information that provides a full picture of what might be causing any illness or distress. We offer holistic care that encourages healthful living. Consequently, we spend most of our time educating patients, knowing that many medical problems can be avoided through appropriate lifestyle changes.

The philosophy behind treating the whole person comes from the knowledge that the body is composed of interrelated systems. A disturbance in one area can cause altered functions in other systems of the body. Doctors practicing complementary medicine pay particular attention to the musculoskeletal system, recognizing that other body systems can be affected when the musculoskeletal system isn’t properly aligned. For example, body structure has a lot to do with how the immune system works.

Taking the role of an educator is a product of practicing complementary medicine. It means that physicians like myself sit down with new mothers, spending half an hour educating them about caring for their newborns. I routinely cover breastfeeding, sleeping positions for the baby, creating a healthy home environment, cord care, skin care, bathing, supplements — everything they need to know for the first couple of weeks of their baby’s life.

Since complementary medicine encourages physicians to treat the whole person and family, we also examine patients with a wider perspective. When a baby has a rash, we don’t just prescribe a cream to treat the symptoms. We try to get at the cause. Is the rash an allergic reaction to a food or to a chemical in the soap used to wash the baby?

When doing well-baby check-ups, we pay attention to a mother’s mood and attitude. Is she showing signs of depression? Does she feel overwhelmed? If so, I don’t let her sweep it under the table. I will encourage her to get someone to help her with her children, the house and other responsibilities, so she can focus on caring for her baby. I encourage her to tend to her own psychological needs and seek help when it’s appropriate.

I have new mothers drink chamomile tea. It helps them relax, which helps ease the postpartum pain and, at the same time, it stimulates breast milk production. It also helps newborns with colic.

Another example of the holistic approach is the way I treat children’s ear infections. Most pediatricians prescribe antibiotics in this case, and I do too. But at the same time, I am concerned about the body flora, the bacteria that our bodies need to function well. When children take antibiotics, they often get diarrhea because the antibiotic is killing the beneficial bacteria in the intestinal system. Studies show the bacterial flora in the intestines is an important part of the immune system, that we can’t just destroy it without consequences. So, by prescribing pro-biotics, I replace the normal intestinal bacteria the antibiotics destroyed so the body will function as it should.

Not only does complementary medicine teach us to look at the whole person, their lifestyle and environment, it also teaches us to take a long-range view. I know that the lifestyles of the children I treat today will affect their health in their forties and fifties. Are they getting the vitamins and minerals now that they need to help them have good memories and strong bones when they are older? If they’re eating fast food everyday, they may not feel it now, but will see the consequences in mid-life.

I teach children and their parents to pay attention to nutrition and exercise. They should also be alert to the chemicals they are exposed in products in their daily environment like perfumed soaps, chemical cleaning agents in the home and the air quality in their environment. All of these things factor in to their health in the long run. While individual pediatricians may address some of these same topics with their patients, especially when a patient or parent has questions, some doctors—like those who practice complementary medicine—are trained to be comprehensive in their approach.

It’s a lot for a mother to remember to ask about. With the right doctor, you won’t have to. We’ll bring it up.

So adopt a healthy lifestyle and enjoy your new baby. Slowly but surely, you’ll get rid of those pregnancy pounds. and you’ll be back in your stylish jeans before you know it.