title: Heart rate changes in response to mild mechanical irritation of the high cervical spinal cord region in infants.
abstract: Alterations in the heart rate were monitored before, during and after the application of a unilateral mechanical impulse to the high cervical spinal cord region which was administered strictly in connection with the so called manual therapy (diagnosis= KISS). The investigation is based on a survey of 695 infants between the ages of 1 and 12 months. A notable change in the heart rate was evident in 47.2% of all examined infants (n= 695). In 40.1% of these infants, the change in heart rate was characterized by heart rate decrease of 15-83% compared to control conditions. Infants in their first 3 months of life responded more often with a severe bradycardia (50-83% decrease), older infants (7-12 months) more often with a mild bradycardia (15-49.9% decrease). This comparison revealed a significantly increased occurrence of severe bradycardia in the younger age group compared to the group of children >3 months (significance 0.0017). In 12.1% (n= 84) of the infants, the bradycardia was accompanied by an apnea. We discuss the hypothesis that mechanical irritation of the high-cervical region serves as a trigger that may be involved in sudden infant death (SID).
authors.affiliation: General Practitioner, Liliencronweg 6, D-24340, Eckernförde, Germany.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Graumann-Brunt
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stolle
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: K-S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Saternus
mesh_terms: D001049:Apnea / Q000209:etiology; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000209:etiology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D026882:Manipulation, Chiropractic; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000209:etiology