THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF INFANT CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY
The Potential Benefits of Infant Craniosacral Therapy
The newborn stage can be a lot. Between feeding, diapers, little sleep, and trying to figure out why your baby is crying, it is completely normal to look for gentle ways to help your little one feel more comfortable.
Infant craniosacral therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on approach that some families explore as a complementary therapy. The amount of pressure used is about 5 grams (similar to the weight of a credit card).
Here are a few potential benefits:
1. May Help Reduce Crying
One of the main reasons parents consider CST is frequent crying or colic.
Some research has found that babies receiving CST experienced less crying and lower levels of colic symptoms.For a parent who has spent hours trying to soothe a crying baby, even a little extra calm can feel like a big deal.
2. May Support Better Sleep
Some studies have reported increased sleep time among infants who received CST.
Of course, every baby is different. CST isn't a guarantee of longer naps or sleeping through the night—but helping a baby settle and relax may be helpful for some families.
3. Encourages Relaxation
CST uses a very gentle touch and creates a calm environment where your baby can simply slow down and relax.
For some babies, that quiet time and gentle contact may be soothing. It can also give parents a peaceful opportunity to focus on their baby without the usual distractions of daily life.
4. May Help Babies Who Seem Unsettled
Some parents seek CST when their baby seems tense, fussy, or generally uncomfortable.
While research is still developing, gentle manual therapies have been explored as supportive approaches for unsettled infants.
Every baby responds differently, but some parents feel that their little one seems calmer and more comfortable following a session.
And mama, if you're reading this while holding a sleepy baby with one hand and drinking cold coffee with the other, you're doing just fine.
References
Castejón-Castejón, M., et al. (2022). Treatment of infant colic with craniosacral therapy: A randomized controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 71, 102885.
Castejón-Castejón, M., et al. (2019). Effectiveness of craniosacral therapy in the treatment of infantile colic: A randomized controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 47, 102164.
Ceballos-Laita, L., et al. (2024). Is Craniosacral Therapy Effective? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare, 12(6), 679.
Carnes, D., Plunkett, A., Ellwood, J., & Miles, C. (2018). Manual therapy for unsettled, distressed and excessively crying infants: A systematic review and meta-analyses. BMJ Open, 8(1), e019040.
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