One of our post partum patients was being seen for a diastasis recti and stress urinary incontinence and she brought in her 5 1/2 month infant complaining that he had not an unassisted bowel movement since birth. He also suffered from severe reflux. She was instructed to give her son a rectal suppository once per week by her pediatrician which caused one bowel movement per week only. We found that the baby had visceral mobility and motility impairments of his cardiac sphincter (the valve between the stomach and esophagus), ascending colon, sigmoid, small intestine, stomach, hepatic portal system, and anal sphincter. He also had restrictions of his respiratory and pelvic diaphragms. He has had 2 consecutive treatments of manual therapies consisting of Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT) visceral and strain/counterstrain techniques, Craniosacral Therapy, and Barral visceral techniques, and classic gentle intestinal massages. His mom was to continue to perform the intestinal massages at home daily. His mom reported that her son has now had several unassisted bowel movements in 4 days and is now passing gas for the first time. At his next follow-up with us the baby had improved color in his cheeks, he was more alert, and had stronger movement patterns. She is breastfeeding and his reflux is “what a normal baby does now.” Awesome end to the week!
