What many parents are sensing—but not being told.
As a parent, you know your baby better than anyone. You might have been told that everything looks “normal” at your baby’s checkup, yet something still doesn’t sit right in your gut. Maybe your little one only sleeps when held, cries more than seems typical, or struggles with feeding or digestion. While these things are often brushed off as part of the “newborn phase,” they can actually be signs of something deeper going on in the nervous system.
And the truth is—your intuition matters. Subtle signs like these may be your baby’s way of communicating that their nervous system is under stress.
What the Numbers Are Telling Us
Chronic health challenges in kids are more common than ever. In fact, the CDC reports that 4 in 10 children today live with at least one chronic health condition—and those numbers have risen dramatically in just the last generation.
Even more striking, research from the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found that 99% of newborns, even those considered “healthy,” showed signs of physical stress in their spine and skull from birth. That stress was directly related to the length and intensity of labor.
This means many babies start life already carrying patterns of tension in their nervous system—and standard checkups don’t typically evaluate for that.
What We Call the “Perfect Storm”
At Foundation of Stone, we often talk with parents about what we call the Perfect Storm—a series of stressors that start building even before birth. It often begins during pregnancy, when high levels of stress or overwhelm cause cortisol (the stress hormone) to cross the placenta and influence how a baby’s nervous system develops.
Add in the birth process—which, while natural, can be intense—and we begin to see how these stress patterns start early. Interventions like C-sections, vacuum or forceps deliveries, and even long or fast labors can all affect the baby’s spinal alignment and vagus nerve function, which play a critical role in calming, digestion, and sleep.
How Birth Stress Shows Up in Your Baby
You may notice signs of hidden nervous system stress like:
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Sleep challenges: Only sleeping when held, waking often, or having a hard time settling
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Feeding struggles: Trouble latching, reflux, spitting up, or seeming uncomfortable after feeds
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Digestive issues: Colic, constipation, gassiness, or trouble pooping regularly
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Tension or asymmetries: Always turning their head one way, a flat spot on the head, arching during feeds
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High sensitivity: Difficulty calming, strong startle reflex, or getting overwhelmed easily
These are all clues that your baby’s nervous system may not be fully regulated—and often, these patterns don’t just go away on their own.
Why It’s Often Missed
Traditional pediatric care plays an important role in your child’s health—but it focuses mainly on growth charts, developmental milestones, and acute illness. Subtle signs of nervous system stress often go overlooked because they’re not part of a typical exam.
And many parents are told to “wait and see” or are offered temporary symptom relief without addressing the root cause. This can leave families feeling frustrated and unsure of what to do next.
A Gentle, Insightful Way to Help
At Foundation of Stone Pediatric & Perinatal Family Chiropractic, we take a gentle, neurologically-focused approach to care—one that’s designed to uncover and address the stress that may be creating those struggles.
Here’s what makes our care unique:
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Gentle Adjustments: We use the same light pressure you’d use to test a ripe tomato or apply a contact lens—safe and calming for even the tiniest nervous systems.
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INSiGHT Scans: These advanced, non-invasive scans allow us to measure how well your baby’s nervous system is regulating. We don’t guess—we get clear, objective data on how their system is functioning.
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Root Cause Focus: Instead of chasing symptoms, we look for patterns of subluxation (stress and interference) in the nervous system and support the body’s ability to self-regulate, grow, and thrive.
You Know When Something’s Off—And That’s Important
If your gut says something’s not quite right, we encourage you to trust it. You don’t have to wait for things to get worse or for your baby to “grow out of it.”
We’re here to partner with you—to help you understand what’s going on underneath the surface, and to provide gentle care that supports your baby’s long-term health and development.
At Foundation of Stone Pediatric & Perinatal Family Chiropractic, we’re honored to walk alongside families like yours during these early, foundational stages of life. If you’re ready to take the next step, we’d love to connect and schedule a consultation. And if you’re not local to us here in Knoxville, you can visit the PX Docs Directory to find a trusted office near you.