Bio
Belén is a nutritional therapist with a MSc in Personalised Nutrition, diplomas in Nutritional therapy, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, and Integrative Baby Therapy. Belén helps parents build strong health foundations for their children. She enthusiastically shares how a child’s strong digestion, immunity and behaviour depend on healthy gut and brain interactions. She runs a busy Baby and Child’s clinic in Malahide since 2017.
On a personal level, Belén first experienced the effects of gut-brain dysfunction when her 6 years old boy recovered from learning difficulties and hyperactivity in just two weeks of a gluten-free diet. This transformative event 15 years ago set her on a holistic path that has led to a lifetime of learning. Her MSc research ‘Is there a role for nutritional advice for breastfeeding women for colic relief? provides new insights into maternal behaviour and dietary choices for colic relief. Her research paper is currently being reviewed for scientific publishing. More about Belén here.
Presentation
In her presentation Belén summarised current evidence for the role of CST for gut-brain balancing for colic relief and provided practical tips to help CST therapists in clinical practice.
Emerging evidence into the pathophysiology of infant colic points to inflammatory dysbiosis with gut-brain involvement. To understand this complex aetiology, it is key to understand how different body systems work in the developing infant, i.e. digestive, immune and nervous systems as well as how they interact and compensate to sustain health. Much of the gut-brain talk is directed via the vagus nerve.
There is increasing evidence on the role of craniosacral therapy (CST) for colic relief due to its positive influence on the vagus nerve and autonomic nervous system (ANS). Feeding mode, maternal nutrition, exposure to toxins/medications, maternal stress and birth trauma are influencing factors for colic onset.
An integrative approach is thus needed to optimise the quality of support for colicky babies and their families.
Belén has kindly given permission to the IACST to share her slides from the AGM
Presentation Slides: Infant Colic, Microbiome, and the Gut- Brain axis, practical considerations for Craniosacral Therapists