Can Acupuncture Relieve Colic & Teething in Babies?
Acupuncture has been used traditionally for many years in the paediatric population, including safely, gently and effectively in babies.
If your child suffers from colic or teething, it can be both uncomfortable for them and distressing for you as a parent or caregiver to see them in pain. Also being a parent myself and a paediatric doctor, I see first hand how both colic and teething affect the whole family from more sleepless nights for the whole household and how there are few options outside TLC that seem to offer an resolution to help settle these children in distress.
A study by Landgren et al in January 2017 published in Acupuncture in Medicine, showed that that acupuncture (even minimal acupuncture) 'appeared to reduce crying in infants with colic.' Acupuncture was also safely used in these infants with no adverse events.
However, I know what most parents are thinking - Is sticking needles in my baby going to help or hurt them?
Well, I can reassure you, that only the smallest and finest needles are used in babies and children and often, they hardly notice they are in! In my experience, the babies are more curious to what's going on and inquisitive to touch the needles but are not overly distressed by the fine gentle needling. A lot of babies sleep right through the treatment too!
The single use sterile needles that we use at The Whitfield Clinic are finer than a hair and are not at all like needles used for blood taking or injections.
Children are classed as strong responders' so that means the needles only have to be inserted up to a few millimetres for a few seconds to have an effect and in fact, very few acupuncture points need to be stimulated to generate a response.
For the treatment of colic and teething, I often only use around 4-6 points which are classically used in acupuncture practice to relieve the discomfort, but it can be as little as 2 points to gain an effect.
Also, babies may only need 1 - 3 treatments to gain effect.
If you want to see for yourself how gently and quickly acupuncture can calm symptoms from colic and teething, watch Baby Ralph having a gentle acupuncture session for teething. His parents were certainly grateful for the more settled child they got after treatment and a more peaceful nights sleep as a welcome side effect!
As our Special Christmas Gift to the parents & babies of Sussex, we are offering 'Baby Calming Acupuncture For Teething & Colic' Sessions for only £20.
Appointments are limited and booking up fast, and this offer is only available in December 2017.
If you would like to book or discuss how acupuncture can help your child, contact kerry@whitfieldclinic.co.uk, phone 01903 680 860 or book directly at a time to suit you online here and click on the Special Baby Calm offer to see the appointment slots left.
