Defined as periods of irritability, fussiness and inconsolable crying in a healthy baby, colic is often a default diagnosis. Pain from sources other than the gastrointestinal tract can be improperly diagnosed as colic. If a baby is crying inconsolably, it is very difficult to know if he is actually suffering from a digestive disturbance. Since many subluxations in infants are in the upper cervical area, there is a strong possibility, especially when there has been a history of birth trauma, that these babies are suffering from head and neck pain.
In a study looking at babies receiving chiropractic care for colic, 94 percent of parents saw improvement in their baby’s behavior within two weeks of care. A little over half of these babies had already been unsuccessfully treated, usually by pharmacological means. Another study found 91 percent of babies experienced a reduction in colicy behavior following as little as two chiropractic adjustments.