Baby Scar Considerations

Kiddos and babies have my heart, and I have spent half my career doing physical therapy in pediatrics. Many babies go through challenging starts, especially if their health is more fragile and NICU or PICU care are required. Many times, these young ones have to endure multiple sticks for blood and labs, or have peripheral or central IV lines placed for life-saving access or treatment. Some babies have surgery in utero or soon after birth, or multiple surgical procedures over their young years.

How can this skin trauma impact development and movement?

Scars impact good communication between the brain and muscles. Even tiny scars that healed well or may not be visible to the eye can impact movement. The brain stores trauma in skin, scars and tissues. The best way to assess this is to look at how the skin moves, or where it is "stuck" or lacks good movement.

The brain gets different input to plan movement based on how the skin is moving.

This is why addressing scar tissue at an early age can help developmental progression.

I had the privilege to help a baby who had a long NICU stay and was struggling with torticollis (neck muscle imbalance and holds head more to one side). After finding some skin and connective tissue restrictions in her belly and neck, I was able to use The Scar Lady Protocol to help improve skin movement and brain reprogramming through assisted body movement. I noticed a significant improvement in her neck posture after her brain had better access to her head and neck (abdominal and cervical core) muscles. Her family reported a leap in the next developmental skills the next week.

Nerve endings can get trapped in scar tissue as well. This may cause pain, or there may be numbness or lack of sensation in an area. Sometimes this improves with scar work. Each nerve has both a sensory (feeling) and motor (movement) component. The beauty in scar work, especially for littles, is that there are super gentle techniques that are highly effective. This doesn't have to be a super painful experience for either the child or the caregiver/parent.

Let's set up our kiddos for success and optimize their movement potential! I'm happy to chat about your specific situation and point you to the most helpful resource. Request a free 15 minute call here.