THORAX
The average chest measurement of the child at birth is from thirteen to thirteen and four-tenths inches; thus it is seen that at birth the circumference of the chest is about a half inch less than that of the head. The circumference of the abdomen is about equal to that of the chest. The transverse diameter is practically the same as that of the antero-posterior, but as time goes on and the child develops, the transverse diameter increases more rapidly until about ten years of age when the shape of the thorax becomes about the same as that of the adult. The diameter of the chest increases at the rate of about one inch per year until the average of thirty inches is reached at about the age of fifteen. During childhood the thorax should be carefully observed for deformities.
Subluxations in the upper dorsal region may result in faulty postures, which in turn will result in various deformities of the thorax. If this faulty posture is not corrected and the child is permitted to grow into adult life with the deformity, it can readily be seen that such deformity will become permanent. In such cases the dorsal subluxation should be adjusted early in life to overcome the faulty posture. Innate will then take care of this temporary deviation from the normal shape of the thorax. Deformities of the thorax often indicate Pott’s dis-ease, curvatures of the spine, rickets, emphysema, empyema and cardiac disturbances. In such cases a very careful analysis should be made and the subluxations adjusted to remove the cause of the condition to which the deformity is adaptative.
ABDOMEN
The abdomen of the infant is very large in comparison with its proportion in later childhood. Up to about two years of age the circumference is the same as that of the chest, after which the chest develops more rapidly and the abdomen gradually assumes the proportions of the adult. However, the abdomen remains proportionately large up to the age of puberty. Unless this fact is recognized by the practitioner, he may suspect an abnormal enlargement of the abdomen. There are conditions in which an enlargement of the abdomen is typical, such as in various intestinal disorders and especially in rickets. In rickets the abdomen becomes gradually extended and is known as pot belly, but with this there will be other symptoms of the dis-ease. If the abdomen seems abnormally large the chiropractor should carefully analyze the child to determine whether this is the result of some incoördination or whether it is simply an idiosyncrasy of the child.
WALKING
The age at which children are able to sit alone, stand and walk, varies greatly. Some infants walk as early as the tenth month, while others are as late as the eighteenth month. The average age at which children are able to walk alone is from thirteen to fifteen months. Other things being equal, the age at which a child walks has little significance. The first voluntarily directed movements of the child occur at about four months of age, sometimes a little earlier, when the child begins to make an effort to grasp objects which he sees about him.
At about four or five months of age the average child is able to hold the head erect when the body is properly supported. Between the seventh and eighth month the muscles have developed sufficiently for the child to sit erect by himself for a few minutes at a time. From this on, the child develops the sense of equilibrium very rapidly. Not later than nine months of age the child will indicate a tendency to stand and to bear the weight upon the feet. He may even be able to stand with a little assistance; then, in a very short time, if placed upon the floor he will show a tendency to pull himself up by a chair and stand alone. This is soon followed by the first steps and by the thirteenth month the child is walking alone freely.
Mechanical devices intended to assist the child in learning to walk are of little value and may be an actual detriment. If the child is normal, has the proper care and a reasonable environment, Nature will put him on his feet at the earliest possible moment without injury to the delicate structures of the body. If the child is extremely backward in learning to walk a careful analysis should be made to determine the reason. Rickets is a very common cause for backwardness in children, not only in walking but in other functions as well. If a child is backward in learning to walk he should not be urged, but the reason for this backwardness should be sought out and the cause adjusted.