Can Osteopathy Help Babies Breastfeed Better?

June 6, 2025

Breastfeeding is a unique and personal journey— it can be beautiful, and often unexpectedly challenging. While it’s commonly portrayed as something that should happen “naturally,” the reality is that many families encounter hurdles they never anticipated.

The 2018 study, ‘Manual Interventions for Musculoskeletal Factors in Infants With Suboptimal Breastfeeding: A Scoping Review’ – gives us an insight into how gentle manual therapy – such as that used by osteopaths – may offer safe, supportive help for babies who are struggling to breastfeed.

Read on, for our deep dive into this article!

What is “Suboptimal Breastfeeding”?

Suboptimal breastfeeding is when a baby isn’t able to breastfeed as recommended—exclusively for six months, and continued alongside food for at least the first year.

There are many reasons why breastfeeding might not go to plan: pain, latch issues, supply, social context or a baby who just seems unsettled at the breast.

Could your baby’s physical function impact their ability to feed?

Many manual therapists believe that tightness or restriction in the baby’s muscles or joints—especially in the neck, jaw, shoulders or spine—can affect how well they feed.

Common findings include:

Neck tightness or turning preference (often linked to birth positioning or torticollis)
Jaw or tongue tension
Strain from tongue-tie

If your baby has trouble turning their head easily, latching on one side only, or seems fussy during feeds, these could be signs of underlying musculoskeletal tension.

What did this review find?

This review looked at 27 studies involving manual therapy for infants with feeding difficulties.

Here’s what they found:

201 babies were treated across the studies.
26 of the 27 studies showed improved feeding ability
No serious side effects were reported in any case.

One study even measured changes in breast milk before and after treatment, finding a rise in fat content, possibly reflecting more effective milk transfer—though further research is needed to confirm this

So, can Osteopathy help my baby breastfeed?

The authors concluded that there is moderate positive evidence to suggest manual therapy may support breastfeeding in infants with suspected musculoskeletal dysfunction. A greater quantity and quality of evidence is still needed, however it means the results are encouraging.

Final thoughts

Every baby—and every feeding journey—is different. But if your baby is fussy at the breast, feeding unevenly, or seems uncomfortable, it could be a sign of musculoskeletal tension.

Osteopathic care offers a gentle, holistic way to assess and support your baby’s physical function. When combined with skilled lactation support, it might just be another missing piece in your breastfeeding puzzle.

Study Cited:

Hawk, C., Minkalis, A., Webb, C., Hogan, O., & Vallone, S. (2018). Manual interventions for musculoskeletal factors in infants with suboptimal breastfeeding: A scoping review. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, 23, 2515690X18816971. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515690X18816971

Want to know if osteopathy might help your baby feed more comfortably? Get in touch!