Successful breastfeeding requires the baby to do several things simultaneously: turn the head to one side, open the jaw wide, extend the neck slightly, and sustain a rhythmic sucking pattern without tiring quickly. Each of these actions depends on the muscles and joints of the neck and jaw moving freely and without pain. When there is restriction in the cervical spine — particularly in the upper cervical segments near the base of the skull — the baby may not be able to turn the head as far as needed, or may find one feeding position significantly more comfortable than the other. Tension in the muscles of the jaw and the joint where the jaw meets the skull can affect how wide the baby opens the mouth and how consistently they can maintain suction.
These are the structures Dr. Bronstein evaluates during a feeding and latching assessment at Beacon Clinic of Chiropractic in Grover Beach. The cervical assessment looks at range of motion and joint restriction at each cervical level. The jaw assessment evaluates the tone and symmetry of the muscles involved in sucking and swallowing. The craniosacral assessment addresses the broader tension patterns in the skull and sacrum that can influence all of the above. For California central coast families whose baby clearly favors one breast over the other, or who cannot seem to open wide enough for a deep latch, these structural factors are often a useful part of the picture to evaluate.
