Pregnancy and birth have special significance for the chiropractor, as often the mother and child are exposed to harmful routine practices for which scientific investigation is poorly documented, or often not assessed for long term effects on the fetus and the mother. With respect to the infant, the longer undetected dysfunction is allowed to continue in the developing nervous system and spine, the greater the potential to affect the patient. The following areas are important to address during pregnancy and birth to detect potential sources of fetal intrauterine stress prior to labor, stressing the passage of the fetus during labor, and management at the time of birth.
Smoking is another insidious toxin.
Whether the mother smokes or lives in a smoke filled environment, the fetus is the receiver of the second hand smoke. It has been my experience that many women take over the counter prescriptions without questioning their safety. The thinking is that since it is not prescribed, it will do little harm. It is important to educate all mothers that there is no drug which is 100 percent safe for the fetus as no one can clinically know the effects of all medications on a particular fetus. Certain types of medications are well known to cause problems for the developing fetus.