Why Your Newborn Needs to be Adjusted Right After Birth

As a parent, you want to give your newborn the absolute best start in life. But what many parents don’t realize is that even the most “normal” birth can place tremendous stress on your baby’s delicate nervous system… And that stress doesn’t always show up in obvious ways.

In the U.S., 1 in 5 deliveries involve C-sections, and many others include interventions like vacuum extraction or forceps. Even without those, the physical process of birth like twisting, compression, and traction, places immense force on the upper neck and nervous system of a newborn.

Positioning in utero, the placement of the cord, and other factors also play a role! Even if baby has no manual assistance, birth is still a crazy athletic event for both mom and baby. That’s why so many parents find themselves in those tough early days facing nonstop crying, trouble latching, reflux, colic, or restless sleep—told again and again that these are just “normal baby things” that they’ll grow out of.

But what if those signs aren’t just part of the newborn phase? What if they’re your baby’s way of saying, “My nervous system is stressed, and I need help”?

And here’s what we know as pediatric chiropractors to be true:

• Birth trauma can affect ALL babies, not just those with “complicated” deliveries.
• Subluxation and neurological interference can interfere with your baby’s ability to eat, sleep, poop, move, and grow well.
• The vagus nerve, which controls digestion, sleep, and regulation, is especially vulnerable during birth. Dysfunction here can lead to colic, reflux, constipation, poor sleep, and more.
• Colic, reflux, latching issues, and sleep problems are often signs of a dysregulated nervous system, not just “normal baby behavior.”

The first year of life is the most critical window of neurological development. When we support and protect the nervous system early, we create the foundation for better immunity, stronger regulation, more restful sleep, optimal digestion, and healthy development.