Resolution of Otitis Media & Developmental Delays Following Chiropractic Care in a Boy with Birth Trauma

The title above is from a case study published on February 21, 2023, in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health that documents the correction of ear infections and developmental delays because of chiropractic care.

The author of this case study begins by noting that "Speech and language development are useful indicators of a child's overall development and cognitive ability and is related to school success." She continued, "Speech and language disorders are the most common developmental problems among preschool children."

One of the reasons noted for language delay can be hearing loss caused by otitis media with effusion (OME). This is a condition where fluid collects in the middle ear without any signs or symptoms of an acute ear infection, and typically develops after there has been an acute ear infection with fever and pain.

In this case, a 12-month-old boy was brought to the chiropractor. The boy's major issues were altered crawling and developmental delays. The history revealed that the boy was born 5 days early by an emergency cesarean section delivery. Due to lung and blood issues, the baby boy was kept in the hospital in a neonatal intensive care unit for seven days after his birth. During his hospital stay, a series of other medical issues developed which required medications and one surgery.

After his initial problems, it was noticed over the next several months that the child was having problems crawling. As he got older, it was noted that he had significant delays in his speech ability as well as many other developmental benchmarks. His parents attempted to seek help for their son in the form of developmental therapy and speech therapy.

After a chiropractic examination, the boy was diagnosed with vertebral subluxation complex (VSC). Chiropractic care (appropriate to the boy's age and size) was started to address the subluxations.

The author explains the purpose of subluxation care in cases like this by stating, " The principles of the vertebral subluxation are as follows: The body is a self-regulating, self-maintaining organism; The nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the body; The spine and vertebrae house and protect the nervous system; Vertebral subluxations can occur and interfere with the function of the nervous system; Reducing and/or correcting vertebral subluxations allows the nervous system to function better and allows the fullest expression of life."

The study reports that, over time, the boy's speech improved and his vocabulary increased. The boy also improved in his motor skills and was able to crawl better. The boy's sleeping improved and he was more responsive to his mother's voice. The fluid in his ears cleared and he continued to progress and improve at the writing of this study.

In her conclusion, the author wrote, "This case illustrates how chiropractic can be an option for children not only suffering with OME and are experiencing developmental delays but can help with other childhood issues or diseases. Alternative methods should be researched thoroughly that are low risk like chiropractic before seeking other methods of treatment such as antibiotics or surgery, which would be considered higher risk."