Chiropractic--Is it Safe for Babies and Kids?

🍼 Why Chiropractic Is Safe for Babies & Kids

Parents often wonder: “Is chiropractic just for adults?” The good news is—when administered by a trained pediatric chiropractor, care for infants and children is gentle, safe, and designed to support natural growth.

At LIFE Chiropractic NH, your child is seen by Dr Mackenzie Briley, who is a trained and certified pediatric chiropractor. In fact, she is one of three chiropractors in the entire state of NH that has the additional certifications of pediatric, perinatal and Webster technique certifications from the ICPA.

1. Pediatric Adjustments Are Extra-Gentle

Unlike the high-velocity thrusts used with adults, adjustments for infants and children use soft pressure—more like checking the ripeness of a peach 🍑 or avocado spinalresearch.com.au+2chiroeco.com+2chiropractic-singapore.com.sg+2pinnaclebradenton.com+1wellfamilychiro.com+1collectivefamilychiro.com+1journals.sagepub.com+1. Many providers use tools like the Activator, which offers precise, low-force therapy ideal for newborns and kids bronsonheritagechiropractic.com. This is the case at our office, where Dr Mackenzie adjusts babies up to one year old solely with sustained contacts, using the pressure of checking an avocado's ripeness. After baby's first birthday, Dr Mackenzie will often start using the activator, infant toggle head piece, and sustained contacts for their adjustments.

2. Serious Risks Are Exceptionally Rare

1. A comprehensive 2015 systemic review of 31 studies found very few serious adverse events in children, and no deaths linked to chiropractic care pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+6pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+6journals.sagepub.com+6.
2. An earlier AECC clinic study (ages 0–3) reported mild side effects like fussiness in only about 1 in 100 children—with no serious complications capitalchirodsm.com+5pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+5abilitychiro.com+5.
3. A prospective study of pediatric clinics reported only a 0.67–4.45% rate of minor, self-limiting effects—supporting that chiropractic is indeed safe pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+9nature.com+9sciencedirect.com+9.

3. Parent-Reported Improvements Are Encouraging

A large study of nearly 800 infants found statistically significant improvements in feeding, sleep, excessive crying, and neck mobility—with over 82% of parents reporting definite benefits and no adverse events pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+1verywellfamily.com+1.

4. Research Shows Promise for Common Infant Concerns

While more studies are needed, several trials and reviews point to benefits such as:

1. Colic: RCTs show chiropractic can reduce infant crying time by ~1 hour/day theaustralian.com.au+11pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+11nature.com+11journals.sagepub.com+14capitalchirodsm.com+14verywellfamily.com+14.
2. Reflux & digestion: Small case studies indicate improvements in spit-up, feeding ease, and GI comfort bronsonheritagechiropractic.com+3abilitychiro.com+3wellfamilychiro.com+3.
3. Latch & breastfeeding support: Gentle adjustments may reduce tension affecting jaw alignment, helping latch issues chiropractic-singapore.com.sg+4verywellfamily.com+4abilitychiro.com+4.
4. Torticollis & sleep: Research suggests chiropractic can improve range of motion in “wry neck” and general sleep regulation abilitychiro.com.

5. Clinical Best Practices Maximize Safety

1. Thorough history-taking and physical exams ensure no undetected issues before treatment pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
2. Providers follow age-appropriate, consensus-based guidelines developed through Delphi studies and professional bodies verywellfamily.com.

✅ Final Take: Gentle, Safe & Carefully Monitored

When performed by a qualified pediatric chiropractor, spinal adjustments for babies and children are:

adverse effects are extremely rare 

wholefamilychiropractic.com+14pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+14bronsonheritagechiropractic.com+14

Gentle Techniques use minimal force tailored to age 

Parents report positive outcomes in sleep, digestion, colic, and mobility🙌

If your child struggles with colic, reflux, latch, torticollis, or sleep issues, chiropractic care can be a safe, natural, and compassionate addition to your healthcare toolkit—especially when performed in partnership with your pediatrician.

🔗 Helpful Research References:

1. Sanghamitra Misra et al., Journal of Pediatrics (2024): Rare serious adverse events, pediatric techniques are gentle abilitychiro.com+1verywellfamily.com+1nature.com+3journals.sagepub.com+3sciencedirect.com+3.
2. Alcantara et al., Pediatr Res (2011): Adverse event rate <1% nature.com+1sciencedirect.com+1.
3. Todd et al., J Manipulative Physiol Ther (2015): No deaths found, underlining rare risk pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+4pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+4capitalchirodsm.com+4.
4. Prospective infant behavior study—82% improvement, no harms pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
5. Colic & reflux evidence: Cochrane & JMPT trials indicate reduced crying and improved feeding abilitychiro.com+1verywellfamily.com+1.