• Bourque A

• Affiliation / Private Practice
• Affiliation(G) / Canada / Quebec / Montreal
• Birth Injuries / complications
• Clavicle / injuries
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Male
• Manipulation, Chiropractic / methods
• Open Access Document
• Shoulder Injuries / rehabilitation

Objective: To present chiropractic management of a 5-month-old patient with multiple complaints related to a neonatal clavicle fracture and the resolution of all symptoms after 4 treatments.

Case presentation: A 5-month-old male presenting with history of a fractured left clavicle, fussing, irritability, crying, grunting, rigidity, abnormal positioning of his left arm at rest, breastfeeding difficulties on the right side and apparent discomfort lying on his stomach. He presented to a chiropractic office after consulting various health professionals without improvement.

Interventions, and outcomes: Various techniques, including touch and hold, sacro-occipital, light vibration and mobilization were used to treat the 5-month-old male infant during the 4 visits complimented by home exercises. Objective findings of subluxations of the left clavicle, left 1st rib, T2, T5, occiput, left scapula and left gleno-humeral joint were confirmed with static palpation, motion palpation of the spine and the upper limb. Following 4 visits, grunting and crying ceased, the left arm was in normal position at rest with complete active and passive range of motion, breastfeeding successfully bilaterally without nipple pain for the mother. The child also demonstrated improvement in motor development.

Conclusion: Chiropractic management should be considered collaboratively with medical follow-up in cases of birth trauma such as clavicle fracture. Further research is warranted to asses the long-term musculoskeletal sequelae with similar cases of neonatal birth trauma. Key Words: case report, chiropractic, subluxation, neonatal clavicle fracture, footling breech presentation, birth trauma, Caesarean section, breastfeeding difficulties, irritability, sleep disorder.

Author keywords: case report, chiropractic, subluxation, neonatal clavicle fracture, footling breech presentation, birth trauma, Caesarean section, breastfeeding difficulties, irritability, sleep disorder

Author affiliation: Private practice, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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