"Most people don't think of babies or expecting moms when they think of chiropractic, and that's kind of our fault as a profession,"
Dr. Edwards said he was attracted to supporting HealthyStart because of a common mission to protect infants and lower the infant mortality rate in Florida. Edwards cited a study that showed newborns who died from SIDS had suffered varying degrees of birth-related microtrauma at the very top area of the neck where the brainstem comes out, and said that was where he felt chiropractic could help the most.
"Doctors do the best they can when delivering babies, but if I pulled an adult by their head through an opening narrower than their shoulders, they'd want to get their necks looked at," Edwards said. "It amazes me that we think newborns are somehow immune from those kinds of pressures. If a baby had a long labor or a tough delivery, including a c-section, it makes total sense to me that she should get checked for subluxations in her spine."
The infant mortality rate in Southwest Florida has declined 55% since Healthy Start began in 1992, and 17,000 local moms and babies receive services from the organization every year. Edwards feels the area still has a lot of room for improvement, and he hopes his sponsorship will raise awareness of why chiropractic care is important for expecting moms and babies.
For more information please visit http://www.facebook.com/
