Neonatal Cardiovascular Physiology (BCVT 8)

This course will focus on physiological events taking place in the infant who is transitioning from aquatic breathing to air breathing before, during and after birth. New palpation skills will orient to stabilizing cardiopulmonary respiration and the gastrointestinal system in newborn babies. Several cardiovascular protocols will be taught and practiced. This includes a new neonatal-metabolic protocol with the brachial, renal,temporal, tibial and femoral arteries. During the class an infant with the mother will be coming in for a demonstration of learning.

Specific skills will be taught to evaluate the stress level of an infant and to help repair the infant-caregiver relationship if necessary through specific communication skills. We will learn a sequence of evaluation and palpation skills for an infant based on balancing the cardiovascular and nervous systems before considering the membrane and osseous systems of the baby. A review of traditional craniosacral therapy approaches for working with babies will be given. This includes skills for stabilizing the cranial base and suck-swallow-breath reflex in infants.

  • Learn skills to support the respiratory and cardiovascular systems of infant and caregiver
  • Develop specific evaluation skills for determining normal heart-brain development
  • Advance your understanding of how the infant heart develops
  • Apply communication skills for optimal bonding with mom and her baby