Results of manual treatment methods for functional disorders of the digestive system and problems associated with breastfeeding in children of the first year of life

Introduction. The body of a newborn and a child in the first year of life is extremely vulnerable, so it is difficult for them to choose an effective and safe therapy. At the same time, in early postnatal ontogenesis, the organism has high reparative capabilities. It is at this age that primary and secondary prevention of many chronic diseases is highly effective. It is very important to find optimal, preferably non-drug, methods of treating diseases in children in the first months of life, to create conditions for the formation of health for the subsequent life of a person.

The aim of the study — according to the literature, to study the results of the use of manual methods of treatment in newborns and children of the first year of life.

Materials and methods. A literature search has been carried out on Russian and foreign scientific medical literature databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, eLibrary, KiberLeninka, as well as official websites of specialized journals). The main search was carried out from 2014 to 2024. According to the key words, 225 studies were found, of which sufficient level of evidence (presence of a control group, randomized controlled trial (RCT), systematic review, meta-analysis) was in 55 studies, of them 8 metaanalyses and 28 RCT. Nosologies was excluded from further analysis, with less than 5 articles. Publications on the results of treatment for neurological diseases and disorders of the cervical spine were also excluded, as they describe very diverse nosologies, and the quality of research is insufficient. The systematic review included 15 studies describing treatment outcomes for gastrointestinal organ dysfunction, breastfeeding problems and sucking disorders.

Results. Summing up all the results described in the publications, it can be stated that manual methods of treatment (most often osteopathic treatment) for functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and problems related to breastfeeding in newborns and children of first year of life leads to the following results: Shorten crying time in infant cocos; Improve sleep time; Improve the ability of infants to cling to their breasts; Parents′ complaints related to breastfeeding difficulties are reduced; Increases the likelihood of continued breast-feeding.

Conclusion. Over the past 10 years, studies have been conducted on the use of manual methods of treatment, including osteopathic treatment, for various disorders in newborns and children of the first year of life. The articles found often contain studies with a low level of evidence. In foreign studies, which were the overwhelming majority, osteopathic treatment is usually carried out with a certain set of techniques, without taking into account the dominant somatic dysfunction and individual approach to the patient. A detailed analysis of articles on the results of osteopathic treatment of infant colic and problems associated with breastfeeding showed that osteopathic treatment is more effective than no treatment, placebo and routine care. The level of proof is moderate. Chiropractic and other manual methods of treatment have not demonstrated efficacy in these violations. Osteopathic and other types of manual treatment in newborns and children of the first year of life are safe. Further well-designed, reliable studies are needed to provide the necessary evidence that osteopathic treatment is not an alternative but an integral component of pediatric care.

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