Chapter 15: THE BIRTHING PROCESS and CHIROPRACTIC
The previous chapter has set the stage for this next topic. I believe that the birthing process is the start of the slippery slope that is our current healthcare system. Again, I would propose that hospitals and doctors are putting money, speed, and efficiency above the welfare of the patients, in this case, babies. More and more hospitals are encouraging cesarean sections, or C-section as it is commonly abbreviated. It makes sense to the hospital and the doctor from a financial standpoint. C-sections can be scheduled and planned for. That way the guesswork is taken out of birth. Doctors don’t like to be woken up at 2:30 in the morning to come and deliver a baby-think about it!
The problem is, C-sections are not natural and unless the procedure is an emergency-type of medical necessity you are gambling with the wellbeing of your newborn. There are multiple reasons the C-section is dangerous. First and foremost is the method of delivery putting pressure on the skull and the cervical (neck) part of the spine. Have you ever seen a C-section performed? I invite you to watch a YouTube video of a C-section before you consider allowing it to be done to yourself, your wife, or especially your child.
Conditions like ADHD, SIDS, and autism in children are rising at alarming rates. If you compare the statistics you see an interesting overlay between the simultaneous rise in C-section rates for the same time period. There are a growing number of healthcare providers that believe there is a link. As a chiropractor this makes perfect sense to me. I now understand how subluxations of the spine can grossly affect health, and if you have ever seen a C-section performed you can easily see how it stresses and misaligns the cervical spine. This subluxation of the first few vertebra in the neck puts pressure on the spinal cord of the newborn baby, and that is not only harmful, in some cases it is deadly. A group of newborns that died from SIDS were examined afterwards and gross subluxations of the first cervical vertebra (C1) were seen in all cases. Is it possible that torsion to the neck during the birthing process could be at least a contributing factor to disease? I believe the answer is yes. In fact, there is already a disease that is known to be caused by birth trauma, cerebral palsy. Most of these cases involve the use of forceps or vacuum-assisted births, similar to the approach that is used in a C-section delivery. It stands to reason that less serious birth trauma (if there is such a thing) may go undetected for years, putting just enough pressure on the cervical spine and the spinal cord to contribute to these childhood diseases.
What can be done? Simply and plainly, get your child to a chiropractor as soon after birth as possible, especially if you have had a C-section. Adjustments performed on babies are very light and gentle, many times using the pinkies and putting the same amount of pressure as it would take to move a dime across a table. The same way you take your baby to a doctor to check their height and weight checked, you should have your baby’s spine checked as well. Chiropractic can help your newborn. How can you help potentially prevent a C-section? Get adjusted throughout your pregnancy. I am friends with an amazing chiropractor here in Dallas, Dr. Autumn Gore, who works closely with Baylor hospital. In fact, she is frequently invited to go into the hospital and adjust mommas during labor and babies immediately after birth. Since she began working in Baylor 7 years ago, C-section rates have fallen from 37% to less than 20%. That’s amazing! If you are expecting get yourself to a chiropractor! If you have kids and they have never had their spine evaluated-what are you waiting for?
Kids love Chiropractic Care!