A young spine with few exceptions, usually develops perfectly by the end of pregnancy. It’s what happens around the time of birth and in the months thereafter, which can sometimes upset the normal functioning of the spine. Spinal segments can be pushed out of place or jammed by the position of the baby in the womb, or can suffer similar problems , during labor, from the trauma of the trip through the birth canal or from the birthing process itself. Medical research has identified the fact that many problems early in a child’s life can come from birth trauma. Spinal problems can also occur as a result of the frequent falls suffered by young infants in the first months of life. A fall from a bed, a sudden stop in an automobile, or any significant unsupported movement of the head and neck in an infant can induce excessive movement in the spine causing vertebral subluxations. At the other end of the spine, the act of learning to walk, and the number of simple falls encountered in this way, can induce trauma to the lower spinal segments and to the large sacro-iliac joints of the pelvis. Young children learning to walk also fall and hit their heads; these apparently innocent, frequently occurring events can also creat spinal subluxations. Unless a child has an obvious problem, it can be dificult for parents to recognize when a child has spinal subluxations. It is not always easy for someone other than a chiropractor, highly trained in evaluating the spine, to determine if the child has a problem, just as it is difficult for someone other than a dentist to determine if a child has any cavities. Both cases take the skills of a trained specialist to perform a thorough evaluation. There are some signs, however, which parents may look for. These include the child’s head consistently being tilted to one side, disturbed sleeping patterns, feeding difficulties in the very young infant, or difficulty breast feeding on one particular side.