KIDS PHYSIO GROUP: BABIES
Kids Physio is a group of private physiotherapy clinics specializing in care for babies, kids, and teens. We attend to a variety of conditions ranging from baby milestone development, sports injuries, aches & pains, to a variety of diagnoses such as Autism and Cerebral Palsy. Leading the way will be Silvana, one of our physiotherapists and owner of our Cambie Kids Physio location. She has over 5 years of experience working in private pediatrics and will be providing expert tips and advice for parents of children in a variety of age groups! We will start with babies discussing topics like head-shape, motor milestones, and carriers, as well as when you should seek physiotherapy for your baby. We will provide similar information about toddlers, school-aged kids, and teenagers in later newsletters, so stay tuned!
So many times I have parents with babies who come into the clinic saying things like “I wish I had known about this sooner”. So over the years, I have come up with a few topics that I think every single new parent should know about.
The first important topic is baby head-shape and neck. With the “Back-to-Sleep Campaign” (babies are supposed to sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS), we see a lot of plagiocephaly and brachycephaly, or "baby flat head syndrome". Because babies’ heads are so malleable as they grow, when they spend too much time applying pressure to one part of the head, it will result in flattening of the skull leading to deformity. In association with this, we often also see torticollis (tight neck muscles), which limits the ability of the baby to turn his/her head in one direction. Usually, if a baby has a preference to look in one direction, they will likely have some form of skull flattening or neck muscle shortening. Hint: go back through some of the pictures you’ve taken of your baby and see if they always happen to be looking in the same direction! This is very common, and can be so easily corrected with physiotherapy; however, the quicker you take action, the faster and more complete recovery we can expect. If your baby prefers to look to one side, or if you notice any flat spots on their head, take them to see a pediatric physiotherapist sooner rather than later! Here are a few tips that you can try to prevent these issues from taking place:
Change the direction you place your baby in the crib every night
Make sure to put toys and fun things on both sides of your baby, every time
Tummy time! Try to spend as much time as possible with your baby on their tummy
Switch walks in the stroller for walks in a carrier to reduce the amount of pressure on the baby’s head
That last tip takes me to the second important topic: baby carriers. These carriers are great for a number of reasons: they keep the pressure off of the back of the baby’s head, can help increase tummy time endurance, and keeps your hands free! Here are the two most important tips for carriers:
Hip position: You can use carriers for newborns, but for the first few weeks, babies should be tucked into the fetal position (think how they were in the womb) and should be handled carefully. Babies over a few weeks old should always have their legs in a "frog leg position" in a carrier that supports their bum as well as the back of the thighs. This is the most congruent position for the hip, so it decreases the risk of the hip dislocating while the joint develops as the baby grows. Don't use carriers that allow the legs to hang in extension. This is also a good tip for swaddling and car seats!
Facing in: Babies should definitely face in until they have full, independent control of their head and neck. Ideally, keep your baby facing in as long as possible! As your baby starts to get stronger and interested in the world around them, they can start facing outwards, but you should still keep them in the "frog-leg position" to the best of your ability, by making sure you use a carrier that is able to support their hips and thighs.
Last but not least, important baby milestones: Most parents are very interested in baby milestones, whether or not they are being met, and how to help their baby achieve them. It’s vital to know that every baby is different and will develop at their own rate, but we definitely do want to see some progress as they grow! Knowing what milestone comes next allows you to give your baby the space and motivation to achieve it. For example, if you put your baby on their tummy and place a toy just out of their reach, they are more likely to discover crawling on their own than if toys are placed within their reach each time. One important thing to note is that there is no rush for walking! Crawling on hands and knees is a very important skill that has a lot of benefits (strengthening, coordination, brain development, etc), so the longer a baby can crawl, the better! Walking before a baby is ready or doing other forms of mobility such as bum scooting can sometimes affect a child’s development, so we always recommend crawling on hands and knees and not rushing into walking. If you are concerned about your baby’s gross motor skills, you can always reach out to a physiotherapist.