Ottawa Holistic Health Centre
Multidisciplinary Health Care Practitioners
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​- Pre and Post Natal
Mother and Infant Care
- Adult and Pediatric Osteopathy​​
**Please Note: Maria Variola is not taking new patients**
Pediatric Osteopathy
It is a common belief that babies and children should have no stresses or strains in their bodies, because they are 'so young'. The reality is very different. Birth is one of the most stressful events of our lives.
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The baby is subjected to enormous forces, as the uterus pushes to expel the baby against the natural resistance of the birth canal. The baby has to turn and twist as it squeezes through the bony pelvis, on its short but highly stimulating and potentially stressful journey.
The baby's head has the remarkable ability to absorb these stresses. In order to reduce the size of the head, the soft bones overlap, bend and warp as the baby descends. The baby's chin is normally well tucked down towards its chest to reduce the presenting diameter of the head.
​After birth the baby may be uncomfortable by compression in the bones and linings of the skull , with a constant feeling of pressure in the structures of the head. This may be made worse by the extra pressure on the head when lying down.
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The esophagus passes through a sheet of muscle under the ribs called the diaphragm. Stress from a difficult or fast birth can cause tension in the diaphragm, trapping wind. If the diaphragm is pulled out of shape around the esophagus it can compromise the ability of the stomach to retain its contents. Any strain through the umbilical cord, for instance if the cord was around the baby's neck, can add to strains in the abdomen. This is just one of the many examples of labor induced stress on the infant.