Chiropractors are again banned from giving babies spinal treatment after health ministers demanded a regulator reverse its controversial decision. or signup to continue reading The Chiropractic Board of Australia last week drew the ire of medical professionals and politicians after it decided to resume letting chiropractors use spinal manipulation on children under the age of two. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler demanded an urgent explanation from the board and raised the issue with health ministers at a meeting on Friday.
The board on Monday confirmed it would reinstate an interim policy banning the practice after a request from the health ministers meeting. The policy would be in effect until further consultation with health ministers allowed for a final decision to be developed, the board said. "While there has been no evidence of serious harm to infants from chiropractic care in Australia, the board's role is first and foremost to protect the public," board chair Wayne Minter said.
"We look forward to working with ministers to develop an evidence-based final policy on paediatric care that balances the paramount need to protect patients, with the right for parents and other patients to have a say in the care they choose." The board banned the practice in 2019 while it gathered evidence about its safety and effectiveness. It later commissioned Cochrane Australia to review spinal manipulation in children under 12 and published updated guidelines in November 2023, allowin.
