The Complex Infant Case
A six-week-old infant presented with a bilateral cleft lip condition. Mom and dad felt fortunate that doctors have formulated a plan to correct the problem. But the parents had other concerns as dad described in an email:
“The cleft formation has us on the lookout for other things that may have gone wrong and are waiting to present as issues:
- His digestive system is a particular concern for us. Despite doing the best we can with burping him, and feeling lucky that we can keep him on breastmilk instead of formula, he still seems to have gas that bothers him, and spit-up issues that have been a fairly consistent worry when he is horizontal.
- He sometimes has a lazy eye on his left side, the same side as the more prominent cleft.
- He favors turning his head to the left in sleeping and resting positions. He does not turn right unless encouraged or occasionally tracking something visually.
We’ve addressed all of these issues with his pediatrician, and have been told that they are normal things to monitor for newborns. We’ve been told the head turning is normal, but that we’ll have to encourage more balanced turning for him. His lazy eye is not of concern until the eyes are more fully formed over the next few months.”
On my examination a left-sided pelvic strain was pulling up his left side. His digestive area presented with a lot of tightness. A neck fascial twist was affecting his left eye. My findings corresponded perfectly to dad’s concerns.
The first visit resulted in a much looser baby, as reported by the parents. I expect that his Gillespie Approach conditions will resolve over a series of visits.
As much as I appreciate that some of the best pediatric doctors in the world are here in Philadelphia, I wish they would take a look at our fascial web concept to have a more complete picture of infant health.
—Dr. Andrew Still, the Father of Osteopathy
Gillespie Approach–Craniosacral Fascial Therapy Articles on Health Conditions
