This includes a practical course – 4 days: 2-3-4-5 September 2026, in Colne Lancashire.
The practical course gives hands on approaches and osteopathic thinking / assessment concepts for all things infant feeding, tongue tie, and reflux, including development of oral and cranial anatomy and function. (Plus implications for global child development of speech and language). Osteopathy and infant oral feeding, including breast or bottle feeding support is becoming increasingly well known. This course reviews anatomy, development and the dynamics for infant feeding, suck wallow and breathing, how the autonomic arousal and behavioural state regulation for the infant influences feeding success, and discusses how osteopathy interfaces with other health professionals supporting the mother and infant dyad.
It also looks at oral tone, the dentition story, oral health and oral development, and how the face / stomatognathic system changes as the child grows. The influence on facial , tongue and throat muscle function and the sensory-motor influences from trigeminal , facial, vagal and glossopharyngeal territories are reviewed. It includes concepts for reflux and global digestive function in infants.
The dynamics of the frenum, frenotomy and aftercare are discussed – this is a complex area of clinical care as there are many overlapping health professional scopes of practice and managing the sensitive inter-professional dynamics takes care.
Embryological, anthropological and developmental dynamics are all discussed, and application for osteopathic concepts and practice are reviewed. This course is strongly evidenced, and includes hands on where possible.
THIS IS THE FIRST PART OF AN INFANT FEEDING CERTIFICATE – other parts of the Certificate include:
An extensive emodule and tutorial training is added to this practical course, alongside a clinical training session. This is really where you can embed everything learned on this practical programme. The emodule completely extends the theoretical underpinning science and osteopathic concepts, plus the evidence base and outcomes measurements awareness that you need. But, the 4 day practical event on its own gives you a huge grounding in this osteopathic approach to support babies and mums., to get you going The date of the clinical session is organised later, in conjunction with the group, and venue may vary depending on hosting clinic.
The certificate is assessed by your attendance in the practical course, by working through all the emodules and extra recorded lectures, and taking mini quizzes to monitor programme engagement. Then you will need to do a portfolio of cases, a reflective essay and a mini literature review on pelvic pain (specific topic to be decided by you, and your emodule contains help and support if you are not sure about doing a mini review). Please ask Caroline for more information. Whatsapp +447508843232. If you complete the certificate you are eligible to apply for whombs.org certification / recognition for Infant Feeding Support.
Zoom options:
Zoom-in option to the webinar (which is recorded) is possible and you can choose your own language preference for the closed captions (AI generated). There is also some free accommodation included (shared rooms in venue where lectures take place). If these are already taken you need to find and fund your own. See info on forms / info page of website. Note if you zoom in only, you will get a ‘online certificate’ which qualifies you for general whombs certification, but not advanced infant feeding recognition.
You will get
1) zoom recordings
2) ability to choose language for closed captions (most languages, AI generated) if you are attending via webinar
3) review of infant and older child oral and stomatognathic function relevant for feeding, swallow, breathing and speech
4) the physiology of swallow, suck and breathe is reviewed
5) an in depth understanding of tongue tie – what it means, what is impacts, how it is managed,
6) where osteopathy fits in with the multiple inter-professional team that is involved in these subjects
7) the influence of sensory dynamics, fluids, muscular coordination and biomechanical influences for infant feeding and later on for speech
8) the dynamics of the tongue, the development of speech and language (and some reference to ears, acoustics and eustachian tubes are also included)
9) lots of hands on and lots of evidence informed practice
10) this is a great, small-group masterclass with Caroline, who has a unique, accessible and highly osteopathic approach to care and teaching.