ABSTRACT

A Study of the Efficacy of Cranial Osteopathic Treatment on Neonates, Infants and Children with Sleep Disturbances

Philip N. Owen D.O

Sleep disturbances in neonates, infants and children can cause untold stress to both the child and parents. Parents often resort to anti-depressants in order to cope, and children can develop behavioural difficulties if their sleep disorder does not resolve. Thus sleep disturbances can, on a long-term basis, result in both social and emotional difficulties.

Cranial Osteopathic treatment has been verbally rumoured to be a treatment that can help to resolve sleep disturbances. The purpose of this research project was to determine whether cranial osteopathic techniques, when administered by a qualified and proficient osteopath, could have any influence on sleep disturbances in neonates, infants and children.

For this study, a randomised group of subjects (n=23), suffering from sleep disturbances, as determined by the parents. The study proposal was validated by the University of Manchester (UMIST).

23 infants under 4 years of age were randomly chosen from the patient lists of two osteopaths. All patients had received treatment for sleep disturbance within 4 months of the date of the study.

The method used for the study was a researcher completed questionnaire, used to collect data by a third party, not involved directly in the treatment process. This related to changes detected by the parents of their child’s sleeping habits following cranial osteopathic treatment.

Factors observed to determine effect of treatment were: Sleep patterns, number of hours slept during different sections of the day, and number of waking times.

Of the study group, 100% reported an overall improvement in sleeping. 68% reported a substantial improvement, 32% reported a marginal improvement, 0% reported no improvement, 0% reported that the condition was made worse. 64% reported the results were on-going and lasting.

These preliminary findings suggest that Osteopathic treatment may be an effective form of treatment for neonates, infants and children suffering from sleeping disturbances. The findings suggest that osteopathic treatment reduces the number of times the subject wakens in a 24 hour period, and increases the number of hours slept at any one time.