Can Cranial Osteopathy Therapy help Your Baby?

Author Name: Heidi Holvoet, PhD

Use the survey below to find out if your child may benefit from cranial osteopathy therapy. By relieving overall discomfort the gentle treatment can improve sleep, reduces baby crying, colic and reflux.

If your baby has trouble sleeping or often seems uncomfortable, a single visit to an osteopath can work wonders. If you answer yes to one or several of the questions below, chances are even bigger that osteopathy therapy can help.

Important Note : Osteopathy is alternative medicine, please be aware of that when you decide to try this path. Many people worldwide report good results while others have doubts and suggest caution.

Be well informed and only consult a good certified specialized pediatric osteopath you trust 100%. Otherwise the therapy may be life threatening. He or she performs extremely gentle care, barely noticed by babies. Cranial osteopathy therapy aims at releasing nerves or tiny bones that often (!) get stuck during pregnancy and delivery.

5 days - 1 year old cranial osteopathy therapy questions*

These questions relate to typical symptoms and causes your osteopath can treat for newborns and under 1 year olds.

Jot down the number of 'Yes' answers you have. As soon as you have one or several, chances are high that a visit to a specialized osteopath is a very good idea.

Cranial Osteopathy Baby Therapy

  1. When you hold your baby or change the position she is in, does she seem uncomfortable?
  2. Does she often throw her head back, curving her back?
  3. When lying down, does she hold or press her head against a bedside systematically?
  4. When lying down, does she always (want to) be on the same side?
  5. When lying down, does she always turn her head to the same side?
  6. When lying down, are your baby's arms and legs in an asymmetric position?
  7. When lying down, does she try not to be on her back?
  8. Does  seem to fear being touched on her neck or head?
  9. Does she cry often without easily being comforted by nursing, feeding, rocking,...?
  10. Does she have difficulties sucking or swallowing?
  11. Do you have to force her to take the breast or bottle?
  12. After a feed, does your baby often bring up milk too much and systematically?
  13. Does she vomit often or systematically?
  14. When you are near, do you often hear her breathe with difficulty?
  15. Does she often seemed drained, with not much energy or on the contrary over-active?
  16. Does she cry systematically before settling to sleep?
  17. Does she wake up at night regularly for no apparent reason?
  18. Does she mix up day and night?
  19. Does she have one or two watery eyes?
  20. Does she have an asymmetry in her face or skull?
  21. Is the head flattened on one side?
  22. Does the spine seem rigid and not very mobile?

1 - 6 years old cranial osteopathy therapy questions*

Ask yourself these questions if your child is 1 to 6 years old. If you have one or more 'Yes' answers, consult a good osteopath.

  1. Does your child have regular ear infections in spite of medical treatment?
  2. Does she have regular colds and nose infections, in spite of medical treatment?
  3. Does she always breathe through her mouth?
  4. Did she fall on her buttocks a couple of times or more?
  5. Did she fall on her head a couple of times or more?
  6. Has she had a car accident with a violent impact?
  7. Does she have a visible asymmetry of the eyes?
  8. Does she have a form of strabismus (eyes not aligned properly) or eye fatigue?
  9. Is there a large gap between his upper and lower jaw?
  10. Does your child have a pacifier or suck her thumb?
  11. Does she have dental braces?
  12. Does she have a poor dental occlusion (the contact between upper and lower teeth)?
  13. Does she appear to have scoliotic attitude , i.e. non-structural scoliosis?

*These questions were kindly provided by Carole Chevallier-Nourry, Osteopath DO MROF in France.

Article Author: Heidi Holvoet, PhD - Founder, senior sleep consultant

Heidi Holvoet, PhD

Heidi Holvoet, PhD, is the founder of the Baby Sleep Advice website and movement, an award-winning author, baby & toddler sleep consultant with 15+ years experience as well as a certified lactation counselor.

Over the years, Heidi has received several awards inluding a Mom's Choice Award (MCA) and National Parenting Awards (NAPPA) for her Baby Sleep Advice website, programs and books. Also, Baby Sleep Advice was awarded "Most Trusted Infant's Sleep Solutions Company 2023" in the Benelux Enterprise Awards 2023.

Heidi continually conducts personal research and participates in continued education and in that way stays up to date with current scientific and pyschosocial infant care.

Association of Professional Sleep Consultants

She is also a member of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants of which she was one of the earliest contributors. She obtained her PhD degree in physics at the University of Ghent in Belgium.

Heidi is passionate about helping babies and their parents sleep more and better, with her trademark approach that has been proven and praised time and again by parents worldwide to be effective and truly no-tears. Respect for you as a parent and your baby, is at the heart of Heidi's warm and kind support. Her approach always keeps in mind a baby's needs and abilities at any given age, is based on pediatric science and the most up to date knowledge in infant care and sleep science.

As well as the award-winning baby sleep programs, Heidi offers popular 1:1 consults and easy-access 30-minute SOS Sleep sessions.