An early concern I heard about and worried about was constipation. Not only was my son with Trisomy 21 susceptible to problems feeding, he also had low muscle tone that affects every muscle, including the gastrointestinal mucles. This can cause a struggle for stool to move effectively down the chute, so to speak. I learned about it when Cooper was just a couple months old and immediately begin searching for ways to avoid it.
Diet is obviously a big part of how poop develops. We started solids in the summer when produce was abundant. He ate a lot of peaches, pears, and other foods that would help his digestion. He got backed up only a couple times. One mom I found online detailed how she combats constipation with her daughter with Down syndrome. I followed some of her advice, which included adding olive oil and avocado fats to Cooper's bottles and using a prebiotic (in addition to the probiotic which he was already on). I still avoid lots of hard solids today and push hydration. For Cooper, having a softer diet, staying hydrated, and avoiding constipating foods (like bananas, potatoes, breads) seems to work pretty well for him.
Someone else suggested chiropractic practice as a way to avoid constipation, as well as other health issues. They said it can help the overall development because it can help open pathways to the brain, which seemed important to me because a person with Down syndrome will likely be behind developmentally. I knew of a chiropractor who had helped some of our friends, so when Cooper was about 8 months old, we made an appointment and went to check it out. It was over an hour away. I could count on one hand how many times I've been to a chiropractor prior to this visit. I know very little about the field. I went in expecting some kind of preventative/ maintenance plan, maybe once a month. Looking back, I think I was trying to find some magical solution to help our son develop more normally. And, though we work hard to help him get where he needs to be, there is no such thing as a magical solution. He will develop in his own time, just like every other child on the planet.
This doc ran a scan machine down Cooper’s back, showed us the scan and the issues on it, and then told us he wanted us to come in three times a week for two months to "fix" the constipation. I was kind of confused why he kept fixating on constipation. Yes, I was concerned about it, but it wasn't an ongoing issue. My expectation was that he would just adjust Cooper at somewhat regular intervals throughout his development to help him progress. Because of the aggressive approach and the time and financial commitment, we opted not to use that specific chiropractor.
One reason finding a chiropractor (or really any doctor) can be a challenge is because there are specific things about Down syndrome the doctor should know. With any doctor, I want to know how much experience they have working with kids who have Down syndrome. If they have little or none, I pass. With a chiropractor, I wanted to also be sure they were aware of the neck instability issues that people with Down syndrome can have. From what I've been told, they are either born with it, or they're not. People don't usually check for it until the child is older because it requires an x-ray to know for sure.
I found a different chiropractor closer to our home and made an appointment. His website says “Natural Health and Chiropractic” and I learned upon entering his office that he also is a master herbalist. I have to preface this whole experience by saying that I am very new the world of “natural” healing/remedies, so what I say may not be accurate or indicative of the field. You should definitely check things out for yourself and decide if it’s for you. For me, I am unsure.
This natural doc did not run a scan. He told me those were scams, and well, those doctors with the fancy equipment had to have a way to pay for said equipment, so they charge a ton of money. Makes sense, I thought. So instead, at this office we experienced muscle testing, which is the doctor using his own touch and internal insight to determine what your health needs are. He also addressed chakras that were out of whack and released stored up emotions (I had 752, Cooper had 54) by rubbing a small bullet shaped magnet down our backs. He even allergy tested Cooper by touching dozens of small vials filled with different allergens (milk powder, eggs, nuts, etc) to Cooper’s forearm. (I should mention that Cooper’s arm was covered with a sleeve, and I wondered if the testing would be more accurate on bare skin.) Each vial touched his sleeve for less than a second, the doctor determining if there was an allergy present by holding his fingers together, as if he was about to snap his fingers. If his fingers slipped when the vial touched Cooper’s arm, then there was an allergy. If the fingers stayed touching, no allergy.
Each vial went so quickly that I wasn’t even able to see what we were testing for. For at least 60 seconds, the doctor picked up a vial, tapped it to Cooper’s arm, and tossed into a basket. My head twisted back and forth quickly to try and keep up. I tried hard to keep a very shocked look off my face. Was he really allergy testing like this? It seemed absurd. When he was almost out of vials, his fingers slipped. He showed me the vial. “Oh, a cigarette. Good thing you aren’t giving these to your baby, right?” he said with a smile. Now I couldn’t hide the shocked look on my face, and I thought for sure he was going to tell me this was a big joke. But no, this was actually how he did allergy testing. I will spare the details of the rest of the appointment, but needless to say, we have not returned to that chiropractor. Again, I am not knocking this field of medicine. I am sure there is a place for it. Right now, I am not yet a believer.
So, the chiropractor search continues. I have been told it can help with lots of things, not just constipation, like ear infections, brain function, and overall health and wellness. I am interested in it for those reasons, and will continue to watch for a chiropractor that fits our needs.
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