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What is KiSS Syndrome?
According to experts at the Kiss consultation center in Paris, “ KiSS syndrome is caused by a disruption of symmetry, induced by the craniocervical junction joints. This results in a loss of mobility of the joint between the first cervical vertebra and the base of the skull. ».
The upper cervical spine, made up of the first two cervical vertebrae and part of the bone at the base of the skull, is essential in the development of postural balance in the newborn and then in that of the young child. If these joints at the craniocervical junction are blocked, it can lead to postural disturbances (baby takes a C or comma posture), but also digestive system and behavior.
KiSS syndrome has been theorized in the 1990s by a German orthopedic surgeon and chiropractor named Heiner Biedermann. KiSS stands for Head joint-induced symmetry disorder, or symmetry disorders due to cervical vertebrae. But not all early childhood professionals give the same credit to this syndrome, which is not recognized in France by medicine.
How to recognize KiSS syndrome?
Among the symptoms that may appear, practitioners at the KiSS consultation center in Paris mention:
- weaker motor skills on one side of the body,
- a motor development disorder,
- hypersensitivity on one side of the neck,
- deformation of the feet,
- asymmetry in muscle tone,
- a refusal to lie on your stomach,
- frequent drooling and vomiting,
- difficulty supporting your head which goes to the back,
- shoulders always raised …
Nevertheless, according to many practitioners, there is a current craze around this syndrome which has not been theorized for so long: ” I talk to many parents who have heard of this syndrome, which overlaps a lot of symptoms, and think that their child has it. But in practice, a really small number of children that I receive suffer from KiSS syndrome, which requires very complete care with also physiotherapists and speech therapists. Most often, the child’s suffering corresponds to a few symptoms of KiSS syndrome and does not fall under them. », Explains Nora Lancereau, osteopath in the 14th arrondissement of Paris and in Issy-les-Moulineaux.
Whether it is really a KiSS syndrome or an isolated symptom which does not fall within this framework, it is in all cases strongly recommended todiscuss this with your pediatrician, who can refer you to a qualified osteopath. Tensions on these three vertebrae at the high end of the vertebrae can indeed cause developmental disorders of motor skills (and therefore difficulties in learning to walk), concentration, orientation or a delay in the development of the language.
What are the causes of KiSS syndrome?
The definition of KiSS syndrome not being not unanimously recognized, its causes are all the more difficult to target. An accident during pregnancy, a bad intrauterine position, a childbirth that lasted a very long time or required the use of instruments … can be part of the causes of malfunction of the upper cervical spine of the child.
How to treat KiSS syndrome?
In order to avoid any other diagnostic track requiring medical treatment, children must must be seen by a doctor. If the trail of KiSS syndrome is not ruled out, treatment then falls to osteopathy. On average, the first step consists in knowing the child well and assessing his disorders before starting the manipulations aimed at releasing the tensions related to the craniocervical junction. An x-ray of the cervical spine and pelvis may be ordered, which can only be ordered by a doctor.