The following is a short, edited film demonstrating basic and key techniques used in Classical Osteopathy in the treatment of sick and immune-compromised infants.

The severity of the condition may require urgent palliative treatment in the attempt to control potentially life-threatening symptoms. At the same time there is often the need to attend to the severely dysfunctional body mechanics and delayed physiological development.

In an attempt to integrate both aims, the treatment protocol used is one known as the ‘total body adjustment’. Its aim is to both modulate the neuro-endocrine-immune systems as well as to simultaneously improve any biomechanical dysfunction.

It is hoped, furthermore, that the intense mechano-tranduction effects produced by such treatment may also positively effect genetic expression.

This integrative and correlative approach cannot be undertaken, however, during an acute infection or constitutional crisis. In this case the pressing and potentially life-threatening symptoms must be palliated by way of very short and repeated osteopathic intervention of a much more local nature.

In the case of infection or auto immune dysfunction, the treatment would be directed to specifically enabling, for example, an effective immune response, causing a rapid rise in immunoglobulin levels and an increase in anti-inflammatory markers.

In addition, an attempt would also be made to detect the presence of any somatic component that may contribute to exacerbated somato-visceral reflexes related to the disease or patho-physiology. Procedures designed to correct or modify such somatic dysfunction and concurrent aberrant reflexes would be attempted. Both aims are illustrated in the following video.

The child in question in this film is a boy of 1 year and 8 months who was born by way of an urgent caesarian operation at 34 weeks because of a breech presentation and maternal haemorrhaging.

While his weight was normal at birth, no increase in head circumference size was noted during the weeks following birth, remaining at 31.5 cm diameter.

In addition, within a few weeks after birth he developed severe gastro-oesophageal reflux, approximately 4-6 times per day and weight gain was very retarded as a result. This symptom continued unabated till some 1 month ago when it almost remitted following his 3rd osteopathic treatment.

The child also suffered an umbilical hernia soon after birth and underwent operative repair.

Examination of the infant within the first few weeks of life strongly suggested that the child suffers a rare genetic condition known as Kabuki syndrome.

The signs and symptoms include recurrent urinary tract infections, delayed and impaired mental development, reduced distance between the temporal bones, widened orbits, mild lop ears, short neck, repeated sucking movements, intermittent eye contact and severe dystonic movements of the limbs together with severe muscular hypo-tonicity together with skeletal abnormalities and joint laxity. Many of the above listed signs can be observed on viewing this film.

In the past few months the child has also developed atopic dermatitis and has been hospitalized of late suffering recurrent asthma and pulmonary infections.