Clinical profiles and referral patterns of infants attending Danish chiropractic clinics: a nationwide cross-sectional study

TL;DR

This study examines the main and secondary health concerns of infants visiting Danish chiropractic clinics and the sources of their referrals.

Contribution

The study provides the first nationwide analysis of infant chiropractic clinic visits in Denmark, focusing on clinical profiles and referral patterns.

Findings

Abnormal range of motion was the most common primary complaint among infants.

Healthcare visitors were the main referral source for 44% of the infants.

Secondary complaints like disturbed sleep and feeding problems were reported in over half of the cases.

Abstract

To describe the primary complaints of infants presenting to Danish chiropractic clinics and explore the secondary complaints, and type of referrals from other healthcare professionals.

A cross-sectional study based on routinely collected medical records from a national sample of chiropractic clinics in Denmark. Data were collected retrospectively in December 2019 and January 2020, covering infants (0–1 year) seen between November 2018 and October 2019. All 238 chiropractic clinics in the Danish Chiropractors’ Association were invited to participate via an electronic survey. The questionnaire captured demographic characteristics, primary and secondary complaints, symptom duration, and referral sources.

A total of 1,049 completed questionnaires were received. The most common primary complaint was abnormal range of motion (ROM) (48%), followed by crying/infantile colic (17%), feeding problems (5%), and disturbed sleep (5%). The majority of complaints had lasted between 1 week and 3 months, prior to consultation. Secondary complaints were reported in 58% of cases, most commonly abnormal ROM (41%), disturbed sleep (22%), and feeding problems (21%). Referrals were reported for 51% of infants, with healthcare visitors being the primary source (44%).

This study provides insights into the clinical presentations and referral patterns of infants attending chiropractic clinics in Denmark. The findings highlight abnormal ROM as the predominant complaint, the central role of healthcare visitors in referrals, and the multifaceted nature of parental concerns. These results emphasize the need for evidence-based guidelines and stronger interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize infant care.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12998-026-00629-z.

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