This scenario plays out every day in America. I believe the outcome is so preventable.
A three-year-old boy presented as a “difficult” child. He had trouble sleeping, concentrating, focusing, and had anger outbursts.
There was a tremendous amount of birth trauma. Mom was in the labor pipeline for three plus days, and eventually the fetus got stuck.
With mom completely exhausted and forceps applied to his head, the doctor said if he does not come out with the next push, mom would need a cesarean section. If birth was meant to be a sacred event with fairies and angels present, this was not on anyone's radar screen.
He later had many issues that the best doctors blew off, but the parents knew that he was not right. Their firstborn had a great birth and was a completely different child.
He presented with a zero-second brain cycle and extremely tight neck. Otherwise, his fascial web was surprisingly loose. I felt that he was a “good boy” who was primarily dealing with unresolved head and neck birth trauma.
It could have been vacuum extraction or many other factors instead of the forceps. The bottom line was that he was still suffering from the effects of his birth trauma, which may negatively affect him for the rest of his life.
He freed up to a 40-second brain cycle at his first visit. I expect improvement with more therapy as his nervous system shifts from sympathetic mode into parasympathetic mode.
My mantra is the work at birth can effectively address soft tissue injuries occurring during the first 40 weeks. It will be a great day for families when these children do not fall through the cracks of the current birthing system.
Gillespie Approach Training is a must for all newborn providers.
