Treatments · Babies and children

Osteopath for babies and children in Asnières-sur-Seine

I see babies and children at the Asnières-sur-Seine practice using gentle techniques only, at the pressure of a fingertip. The most frequent reasons: head always turned to the same side, flattening of the skull, reflux, feeding difficulties, restless sleep. The consultation costs €60 for under-16s.

Book an appointment06 49 35 35 32

The legal framework, before you book

This is the most important point on this page. French decree no. 2007-435 of 25 March 2007 requires that, before any manipulation of the skull, face or spine in an infant under six months, a doctor must have established a diagnosis confirming the absence of medical contraindication.

In practical terms: if your baby is under six months, see your paediatrician or GP first. That visit is not administrative box-ticking: it rules out medical causes that look like osteopathic complaints and that must be treated medically.

A practitioner who offers to treat an under-six-month-old without that opinion is not following the regulation. At this practice I ask for it every time.

Reasons for consulting with a baby

Once medically cleared, the situations where osteopathy has a place:

  • Head always turned to the same side (positional torticollis)
  • Flattening on one side of the skull (positional plagiocephaly)
  • Feeding difficulties, asymmetric latch
  • Frequent posseting outside pathological reflux
  • Baby arching, digestive discomfort, colic
  • After an instrumental birth (forceps, ventouse) or breech delivery
  • Very fragmented sleep with no identified medical cause

What belongs to the doctor, not to me

Fever, refusal to feed, weight loss, a break in the growth curve, unusual inconsolable crying, suspected craniosynostosis, reflux with distress: all of that belongs with the paediatrician or paediatric emergency care, immediately and without an osteopathy session first.

I treat no childhood disease. My scope is mobility and functional discomfort, nothing beyond it.

How a session with a baby works

The session lasts around 30 to 40 minutes. Your baby stays clothed if preferred, on the table or in your arms, and you stay present throughout. The techniques are pressures of a few grams, held for a few seconds. There is no forceful manipulation and no cracking, ever.

A baby may cry because they are awake, undressed or hungry, not because they are in pain. Bring a feed: many fall asleep during or just after.

And with older children

With children and teenagers the reasons change: repeated falls, recurrent ankle sprains, growing pains, back pain from school bags and prolonged sitting, follow-up during a rapid growth spurt, support while wearing braces.

A diagnosed scoliosis belongs first to orthopaedic follow-up. Osteopathy can support comfort and mobility alongside it, never instead of it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a referral to bring a baby to an osteopath?

For an infant under six months, French regulation requires a prior medical diagnosis confirming the absence of contraindication before any manipulation of the skull, face or spine. After six months, access is direct, though a paediatric opinion remains useful.

From what age can a baby be seen?

There is no regulatory minimum age, but prior medical clearance is mandatory before six months. In practice most infant consultations take place between three weeks and six months, after the paediatrician has signed off.

How many sessions for a flat head?

One to three sessions as a rule, always combined with daily positioning measures: alternating sides, supervised tummy time while awake. Without that work at home, sessions alone are not enough.

Is the fee different for a child?

Yes: €60 for under-16s versus €70 for an adult. Many private health schemes reimburse part or all of the session, including for babies: check your policy.

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