Level One

Treating Babies – Learning to Help Babies with “Hands On” Manual Treatment
 
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course the student will have the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to perform a hands on examination and treatment of a baby.

Required Prior Learning
There is no pre-requisites for this course as it is tailored to beginners in this field. However, prior experience of adult patient/practitioner dynamics or of working with babies in any capacity will be of benefit.
Course Tutor
Dr. Jonathan Evans (Registered Osteopath)
Course Delivery
The course will be delivered online via two mediums:

1. 3 Interactive Zoom Sessions
2. 2 Online Kindred Academy courses

1. Getting Started Treating Babies
2.  Baby Health and Stretch course
   
   

The above includes video footage of babies being examined and treated by Dr Evans in his clinic in Australia. Dr Evans has an extensive library of footage to draw upon and he has been using this footage to teach Pediatric Osteopathic skills through an online format since 2016.

The Zoom sessions will be recorded and replays available within the CPPN portal
Kindred Academy – Getting Started Treating Babies - this course will be made available to students after the completion of Zoom Session 1
Kindred Academy – Baby Health Check & Stretch Course - this course will be made available to students after the completion of Zoom Session 1
 
Homework and Practical
After each zoom session there will be video tutorials to watch from the two Kindred Academy courses listed above and a practical to complete with a baby.

 
Session One

1. Treating Babies
   1. Physical and Physiological - A Brief overview of what benefits manual treatment can provide for baby.
   2. A Brief overview of what benefits it can provide you – building your pediatric practice.
      
      
2. Building on your existing skillset
   1. Understanding the Skills that you already have that can be immediately used when treating babies
   2. Understanding the Skills that you have that can after adaptation be used with babies.

 

1. What you do need to know and just as importantly don’t need to know to treat babies
   1. Avoiding a full brain and empty hands
   2. Your hands will always know, and your brain will always lag behind your hands 

 

1. A Top- Level Process of a Well-Structured Treatment Session
   1. History
   2. Examination
   3. Treatment
   4. Post Treatment
      
      
2. Taking A History
   1. Taking a history when you don’t have much experience of treating babies
   2. Taking a history – a Deeper Look.

 

1. The Examination
   1. The Contract  - Understanding the contract between you and baby
   2. The Nervous System Triad (You, baby and Mum)
   3. Why we use an Examination Framework
   4. Handling Babies - Doubts and Fears
   5. 1st Contact – where and how (Includes physical and mental components)
   6. Assessment – Range, Resistance, Response and Symmetry
   7. Re-negotiating the contract
      
      
2. The 4 RRRR’s – Range, Resistance, Response and Symmetry (Not violating the contract)
   
   
3. Manual Examination (Level One) Baby Joint and Muscle Check
   1. Lower Limbs
   2. Trunk 
   3. Seated Trunk
   4. Arms & Shoulders 
      
      
4. Safety & Communication
   
   
5. Homework (to be completed before Zoom Session 2)
   1. Watch up to the end of Module 1 – History in the Getting Started Treating Babies course.
   2. Watch up to the end of Module 3B – Assessing Baby in the Baby Stretch and Health Check Program
   3. Practical – Perform the above assessments one or more times on a baby and follow the 4R’s scoring system to record your findings.
      
      
6. Q & A
   
   

Session Two

1. Q&A Review of student’s experiences working with babies using the skills learnt to date

 

1. Manual Treatment (Level One)

Using the Stretch protocols to treat baby – we’ve learnt how to use the 4 R’s to assess baby’s muscles and joints are and where they need help, now we can move forward and learn how to help baby with those areas
Set 1 – Legs and Hips
Set 2 – Arms/Shoulders & Lower Spine
Set 3 – Seated Stretching Arms/Shoulder/Spine
Set 4 – Upper Spine Seated
Set 5 – Upper Spine & Neck

1. Manual Examination (Level Two) The Examination Framework
   1. Observation
   2. Low back and Pelvis
   3. Lower limbs (Hips)
   4. Lower limbs (Ankles, Knees)
   5. Thoracic Spine and Chest Wall
   6. Upper limbs (Shoulders)
   7. Head lag
   8. Creating Slack to Examine Further (Minor unwind)
   9. Umbilical & Gut Wall
      
      
2. Manual Examination (Level Three) Examination of The Cranium (Anatomy using neonate skull?)
   
   
3. Safety and Compliance with regulatory bodies
   1. Keeping Baby Safe – when to refer - remember you aren’t a pediatrician
   2. Keeping You Safe – notetaking and communication and support
      
      
4. Homework (to be completed before Zoom Session 3)
   1. Watch Module 4 – Baby Stretching Protocols in the Baby Stretch and Health Check Program
   2. Watch Module 2 – Examination in the Getting Started Treating Babies Course.
   3. Practical 1 – Complete an examination of a baby using the examination framework
   4. Practical 1 – Complete an examination of a baby using the examination framework
   5. Practical 2 – Treat a baby’s joints and muscles using the Baby Stretch protocol
      
      
5. Q&A

​Session Three

1. Q&A Review of student’s experiences working with babies using the skills learnt to date

 

1. Manual Treatment (Level Two)
   1. Challenge or Ease
   2. How to Find the Ease
   3. How to Safely Challenge the Tissues
   4. Treatment of the Thorax and Shoulder Complex
      
      
2. Manual Treatment (Level Three)
   1. Treating The Cranium
   2. Treating The Mouth
      
      
3. Communicating with parents whilst you are Examining/Treating
   
   
4. Different Baby Scenarios
   1. Babies that co-operate and babies that aren’t so keen that co-operate
   2. Using Transitions and Timing
   3. The 8 Key Positions
   4. Going slow in order to get more done
   5. Starting Treatment before completing your examination
      
      
5. Homework
   1. Watch Modules 3 and 4 in the Getting Started Treating Babies Course.
   2. Practical – Complete a level Two and Three manual treatment for a baby
   3. Create a 6 month ‘Treating babies’ plan for developing your practice