• Miller JE
• Benfield K

• Child
• Colic / therapy
• Infant
• Irritable Mood
• Manipulation, Spinal / adverse effects
• Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
• Retrospective Studies

METHODS: A 3-year retrospective study of pediatric case files from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (AECC) (Bournemouth, England) teaching clinic practice in Bournemouth, England. All files (n = 781) of pediatric patients younger than 3 years of age were selected manually in sequential order from current files stored in the AECC clinic presenting to the AECC clinic during a specific period. Most (73.5%) patients presenting were 12 weeks of age or younger (n = 574).

RESULTS: Six hundred ninety-seven children received a total of 5242 chiropractic treatments, with 85% of parents reporting an improvement. Seven parents reported an adverse effect. There was a reaction rate of approximately 1 child in 100, or one reaction reported for every 749 treatments. There were no serious complications resulting from chiropractic treatment (reactions lasting >24 hours or severe enough to require hospital care).

CONCLUSION: This study shows that for the population studied, chiropractic manipulation produced very few adverse effects and was a safe form of therapy in the treatment of patients in this age group.

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