Advanced Pediatric and Adolescent Considerations

Course overview

*Describe the rationale for advanced pediatric chiropractic care and recognize common misconceptions presented in anti-chiropractic literature targeting newborn adjusting. *Recognize signs of perinatal spinal cord injury and explain why prompt identification of neonatal spinal trauma supports optimal chiropractic and medical management. *Identify the top ten reasons parents seek chiropractic care for children and describe the research supporting pediatric chiropractic conditions. *Describe Chiropractic practice guidelines for pediatric care and outline the regional adjusting framework used throughout the course. *Apply a structured pediatric history form to capture referral source, prior care, conditions, and antibiotic use during the consultation. *Identify key prenatal and pregnancy factors, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and medications, that influence pediatric chiropractic care. *Evaluate birth process variables including forceps, vacuum, cesarean delivery, and Apgar scoring to identify potential trauma and genetic concerns. *Describe how vaccination history, mitochondrial disorders, and prior surgeries inform pediatric examination and anticipated musculoskeletal compensations. *Analyze pediatric posture and developmental milestones in position-appropriate examinations to identify subluxation indicators. *Differentiate primitive reflexes by expected age windows and explain the three-dimensional subluxation model compared to the five-component model. *Apply thermal scanning, inclinometry, and static and motion palpation techniques to identify pediatric subluxation listings. *Interpret pediatric cervical flexion and extension radiographs to confirm AS and PS occiput listings prior to adjusting. *Demonstrate occiput adjusting setups including contact points, segmental contacts, and lines of correction for AS and PS listings. *Apply atlas and axis adjusting techniques using sustained contact and toggle methods with appropriate force based on patient age. *Demonstrate cervical, thoracic, and lumbar adjusting options including instrument, drop-piece, double-thenar, and jump adjustments tailored to child size. *Identify sacral and ilium listings using foot flare, gluteal folds, and palpation, and demonstrate prone and side-posture adjustments.