Baby treated with controversial back 'cracking'
Melbourne chiropractor Dr Ian Rossborough has been criticised for performing a controversial technique on a four-day-old baby.
An Australian chiropractor has called for calm after a video showing him performing a chiropractic technique on baby was slammed by experts.
In the video, posted to YouTube in January and viewed more than 1 million times, Melbourne-based Dr Ian Rossborough treats a four-day-old baby suffering from colic and reflux.
Experts have been quick to voice concerns, with paediatrician Dr Chris Pappas telling News.com.au there are "no scientifically-proven benefits of chiropractic manipulation for young babies and children".
"There are documented complications and injuries that have occurred because of spinal manipulation," said Pappas, who has three decades of experience with children's health.
Associate professor Cameron Grant, head of the paediatrics department at the University of Auckland, says that as a general rule it is not something he'd recommend.
"To me, spinal manipulation seems radical and unnecessary on very young babies."
Three days ago, Rossborough posted a follow-up video to YouTube explaining the technique that caused all the commotion.
"Guys, I've never had so many questions in my whole life about anything, so I thought the best way to answer you is to make a post," he said.
"We don't crack anything, it's not a crack, it's a very specific, it's the end of my fingers ... and it's about that much pressure," he said, demonstrating the pressure on his week-old daughter.
"It's not to stretch them out ... it's to take the stress off the structure.
"The reason why we adjust it is because the parents come to us. They've usually been to the medical doctors, hospital, a number of different places.
"What we do? We check the spine, just like you would check the hearing, the vision ... it makes sense to adjust the spine, or at least to check it, right. It's the chassis that everything's connected to."
He referred specifically to the child in the original video.
"The situation that prompted all these questions; that baby was adjusted once, we never adjusted it again. It didn't need it."
Rossborough says the video was created for educational purposes, not advertising, and that they are giving the public knowledge about what options for healthcare are out there.
He invites anyone with questions to come and visit him in his clinic, or to contact him personally.