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The Hidden Impact of Hospitalization on Infant Cranial Movement

Uncategorized Aug 23, 2025

When your child is hospitalized as a newborn or infant, the medical team has one goal: to save your child's life. And we are deeply grateful for that. These life-saving interventions – intubation, PICC lines, Tagaderm, NG tubes, and more – are often necessary, and without them, many children wouldn't survive their earliest days.

But here's what no one tells you: those interventions come with physical consequences. Not in a fear-based, regretful way. But in a movement-based way.

As a parent, once the adrenaline fades and you're finally able to sleep, it's easy to assume that "nothing major happened." But that hospitalization period is critical – not just for survival, but for your child's developing nervous system, cranial structures, and long-term movement patterns.

Cranial Movement Isn't Just About the Brain

When I work with babies who've experienced serious hospital stays, the first thing I look for isn't the diagnosis. It's the medical history:

Were they intubated?
Did they have a PICC line?
Were their heads taped down for cannulation?

Why? Because these interventions disrupt cranial movement. And that's what often creates the delays and difficulties later on – not just the underlying condition.

A baby's head isn't just a container for the brain. It's a dynamic, moving structure. The bones of the skull are meant to shift, glide, and respond to stimuli – including touch, vision, and sound. When these movements are restricted by hospital positioning or medical devices, a baby may lose access to critical developmental inputs.

Movement Matters More Than Diagnosis

I've worked with children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, torticollis, or feeding delays whose core challenges stemmed from how their cranial system was handled in the hospital. The issue wasn't always brain damage – it was cranial immobility.

For example:

Babies who can't move their tongues side-to-side may not be tongue-tied – they may have cranial restrictions.
A child with poor oral motor skills may be reacting to early taping and intubation trauma.
Asymmetrical facial growth? It may trace back to days or weeks of fixed head positioning with tubes and tape.

Teeth, Tongues, and Midline

When you see severe dental issues in children with special needs, consider the early hospital environment. Baby teeth buds begin aligning from infancy. If the skull and jaw are compressed or restricted during intubation or tube placement, it can misalign the buds and lead to lifelong dental challenges.

In movement work, we look for whether the teeth can cross midline, just like limbs do. Midline crossing isn't just for hands – it applies to cranial bones, sutures, and oral structures.

You're Not Alone. And You Didn't Do Anything Wrong.

Parents often carry guilt. They wish they had known. But you did what every parent would do: you trusted the hospital to save your child. And they did.

Now it's time to add in development.

Not blame. Not regret. Just a shift in focus.

What You Can Do

Observe your child's head movement. Is it free? Does it rotate evenly? Can they respond to sound or light from both sides?
Notice oral motor skills. Can they lick, chew, and explore with their mouth?
Ask questions about early hospital experiences. Tape placement, intubation type, head positioning – it all matters.
Learn about cranial movement. My courses are designed to teach you, not gatekeep the work.

You don't need to be a therapist to help your child.

You need to understand the movement cues your baby is giving you – and how to restore what was interrupted gently.

If your child has had serious medical intervention, there is a path forward. We can't change the past. But we can support your child's nervous system now.

And that changes everything.