A holistic overview of child health and development for complementary therapists from diverse disciplines who work with babies and children. In order to deliver effective care and make their own treatment more successful, practitioners needs to know how the issue they are treating relates to other systems, both mental and physical.

A holistic overview of childhood health and development for complementary therapists from diverse disciplines who work with pregnant women, families and babies. Contributors from fields such as psychology, craniosacral therapy, osteopathy and massage therapy explore the influence of pregnancy, birth and family dynamics on the physical and mental health of babies and children. Showing how these factors relate to common complaints, including colic, excessive crying, chronic illness, and behavioural and attachment issues, they show how complementary approaches can best be applied and enhanced through a deeper understanding of the factors involved. The book also offers helpful advice for working within multidisciplinary teams and includes illustrative case studies and examples from current research.

Working with babies and children is most successful when therapists have a complete understanding and overview of all appropriate treatment options, and the effects of early influences on child health and development. This book shows therapists how to consider these factors in order to work more effectively within their individual areas of expertise.

Contributors from a wide range of disciplines, including Ann Diamond Weinstein, Michael Shea, Carolyn Goh, Graham Kennedy, Matthew Appleton, David Haas, Thomas Harms, Franz Ruppert, Anita Hegerty and Kate Rosati, explore the influence of pregnancy, birth and family dynamics on the physical and mental health of babies and children. They show how these factors relate to common complaints, such as excessive and different types of crying, chronic illnesses and poor immune systems, and behavioural and attachment issues, and how complementary approaches can be best applied to treat these issues. This book also offers helpful advice for working within multidisciplinary teams. Illustrated with case studies and including examples from current research, this book is a valuable resource for therapists from diverse disciplines.