Birth is a big physical event, even when everything goes beautifully. A study of 100 healthy newborns offers a reassuring, eye-opening look at why.
The short answer
Yes, and it’s more common than most parents expect. A 2015 osteopathic study of 100 healthy newborns found signs of restricted or asymmetric motion in nearly all of them when examined 6 to 72 hours after birth. How the baby was delivered was not linked to how much restriction they had, but longer labor was. That doesn’t mean anything went wrong. Birth is simply a big physical event.
Inside the study
The study is Waddington et al., “Incidence of Somatic Dysfunction in Healthy Newborns,” Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 2015 (the journal is now the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine).
Researchers examined 100 healthy newborns between 6 and 72 hours old for what osteopaths call “somatic dysfunction.” In plain terms, that means areas where tissue or joints aren’t moving as freely as they should, often with muscle tightness nearby. It’s similar to what chiropractors look for.
The babies were healthy, with an average gestational age of 38.5 weeks. They weren’t all uncomplicated vaginal births. The group included babies born by different delivery modes, and mode of delivery was not associated with how much dysfunction the babies had.
What they found
- A strain pattern at the base of the skull in 99 percent of babies
- Compression where the skull meets the top of the neck in 95 percent
- Restricted motion in at least one neck segment in 91 percent
- Restricted motion in at least one lower-back segment in 94 percent
- Temporal bone restrictions (around the ears) in 85 percent
- A posterior sacral base (the base of the spine tilted back) in 80 percent
The detail that stood out: labor length
The researchers added up each baby’s findings into an overall score. That score wasn’t associated with mode of delivery or with whether labor was augmented. But it did rise with the length of labor: each additional hour raised the predicted score slightly, by about 0.12 points.
Your baby’s head and neck do a lot of work during birth, and longer labors mean more time under those forces.
Please don’t carry guilt about your birth. You can’t control how long labor takes, and these findings came from healthy babies. Noticing is simply where gentle support begins.
Dr. Ashley DeBoer, DC, IBCLC
Signs to look for at home
Newborns can’t tell us where they feel tight, but their bodies offer clues:
- Preferring to turn the head to one side
- Difficulty latching, or feeding comfortably on one breast but not the other
- Arching, stiffness, or seeming hard to settle
- Flattening on one area of the head
If you notice any of these, mention them to your pediatrician, too.
How gentle care fits in
At reluume, I begin with your birth story, including labor length and any interventions, then do a careful head-to-toe assessment. Care for newborns uses very light, specific contact and gentle craniosacral work. The goal is to help your baby’s body release tension so they can move, feed, and rest with more ease.
Questions parents ask
Do babies born by C-section have tension too?
They can. In the 2015 study, mode of delivery was not associated with how much restriction babies had. Babies may experience pressure from positioning in the womb, from labor before a C-section, or during delivery itself. Every baby is worth assessing individually.
How soon after birth can my baby be checked?
Newborns can be seen within the first days of life. Early visits are short and gentle.
Will tension from birth go away on its own?
Some does as babies move and feed. Other patterns can linger and turn into compensations, which is why a gentle check can be helpful.
Tell me your birth story
Whether your labor was long, very fast, or you’re simply curious, I would love to help. Text or email to schedule a newborn visit at reluume in Scottsdale.
This article is for education and is not a substitute for care from your pediatrician.
