The birth of a child is one of life’s most powerful moments.
But for some babies, the process of being born isn’t as gentle as we hope.
Even in hospital settings with the best intentions, birth can involve intense mechanical forces, especially during long labors, pitocin-induced contractions, assisted deliveries, or cases of shoulder dystocia. These forces can lead to birth trauma, affecting the spine, nervous system, and the baby’s overall ability to adapt to life outside the womb.
Some injuries, like a fractured clavicle, are visible. Others are harder to detect but still deeply impactful: difficulty nursing, poor sleep, inconsolable crying, or a baby who just doesn’t seem comfortable in their body.
At Awaken Chiropractic Center in Port St. Lucie, we see these signs as signals; they’re not something to fear or medicate away, but something to honor and explore.
They’re your baby’s only way of asking for help.
What Is Birth Trauma?
Birth trauma refers to physical stress or injury sustained during labor or delivery. It’s more common than most parents realize and can show up in different ways, including:
- Clavicular fractures (collarbone breaks)
- Head or neck strain from delivery
- Nerve pressure affecting the spine or jaw
- Restricted range of motion in the neck or shoulders
- Discomfort when being held or positioned
- Trouble latching or nursing from one side
While many of these symptoms don’t result in emergency interventions, they can interfere with a newborn’s ability to rest, feed, and regulate their nervous system.
Why Chiropractic Care Makes Sense for Babies
The nervous system controls and coordinates every function in the body: feeding, digestion, immune response, sleep, and even how a baby processes stress. When there’s tension or misalignment in the spine (what chiropractors call vertebral subluxations) that communication can be disrupted.
These subluxations aren’t just “bones out of place,” but subtle shifts that create interference in the way the brain and body talk to each other. In babies, they’re often found at the junctions of the skull, neck, and jaw, areas especially affected during birth.
Gentle chiropractic adjustments, specifically designed for infants, help restore clarity in the nervous system.
There’s no cracking or excessive force. We use safe, gentle techniques that release tension, ease discomfort, and help the body rebalance from the inside out.
A Real-Life Case: Breastfeeding Struggles After a Clavicle Fracture
One published case highlights the power of this approach. A 16-day-old baby girl came in following a traumatic birth that caused a fracture to her right clavicle. Her mother was struggling with painful breastfeeding, especially on the left side and mastitis kept returning. The baby cried often, couldn’t sleep well, and showed clear discomfort when being placed on her right side or in a car seat.
A chiropractic exam revealed limited neck motion, jaw tension, and signs of vertebral subluxation in the spine. Gentle care was started right away, alongside simple home support like cool compresses.
Over the next ten visits, the changes were profound:
- Neck movement improved
- Jaw function normalized
- Latching became easier and more comfortable
- The baby slept more peacefully and settled more easily
- Mom’s mastitis resolved
No negative side effects were reported, and chiropractic care continued to support the baby’s spinal development and nervous system growth.
Healing Begins with Connection
At Awaken Chiropractic Center, we don’t just look at symptoms. We look at the entire child: their posture, movements, energy, and how their body is communicating.
For infants who’ve experienced birth trauma, chiropractic care offers a natural, conservative option that works with the body, not against it.
We don’t override the process of healing.
We help remove the interference that’s preventing it.
This is not about chasing perfection.
It’s about restoring function, so the baby’s own innate intelligence can take over again.
Why Early Intervention Matters
The first weeks of life lay the foundation for everything that follows: how a child feeds, grows, adapts, and connects.
When nervous system stress is cleared early, babies tend to:
- Nurse more effectively
- Sleep more soundly
- Digest more easily
- Show better range of motion
- Experience less discomfort and colic-like symptoms
Parents also report feeling more at ease, more connected, and more confident in their ability to support their child’s needs.
Is Your Baby Telling You Something?
If your newborn is struggling to latch, showing signs of discomfort, or recovering from a tough birth, it’s worth asking what their nervous system might be trying to say.
Let’s listen.
Let’s respond.
Let’s help them begin life with clarity, ease, and connection.
Schedule your newborn’s chiropractic evaluation at Awaken Chiropractic Center today and give their body the support it needs to thrive – from the very beginning.
Positive Health Outcomes Following Chiropractic Care in an Infant with Birth Trauma, Clavicular Fracture, Subluxation, and Breastfeeding Dysfunction: A Case Report & Review of the Literature Andrew Dorough, DC, DACCP & Joel Alcantara, DC, PhD. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, Chiropractic ~ Volume, 2025