baby

Chiropractors "sneaking in" to hospitals to treat newborns.

Chiropractors are allegedly sneaking into Australian hospitals to treat newborns, according to the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH).

NSW chiropractor Grant Bond treated a three-day-old baby in Wollongong Private Hospital, the SMH reports.

In April, his clinic posted a photograph of Dr Bond with a newborn at Wollongong Private Hospital but the post has since been removed.

The photograph showed the chiropractor touching the newborn on the back while the baby was being held by his mother.

The Facebook post read: “It was an awesome experience checking [the baby’s] spine for the first time,” Dr Bond said.

“As I gently laid my hands on his spine, without even waking, he did his first poo!”

Chiropractors are not to treat patients without the hospital’s permission.

“I can confirm that this Chiropractor is not accredited at Wollongong Private Hospital.  I can also confirm that neither of the patient’s treating physicians were aware that this visit occurred,” said Chief Executive of Wollongong Private, David Crowe.

“The Chiropractor appears to have presented to the hospital as a visitor,” he added.

A formal complaint has been made to the NSW health watchdog against Dr Bond, according to Fairfax Media.

Mamamia have contacted Dr Bond and his clinic for a comment.

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In Victoria, another chiropractor has allegedly posted a photo that showed her treating a newborn in hospital.

Melbourne chiropractor Bianca Beaumont has also had a formal complaint filed against her over the incident, according to Fairfax Media.

Her clinic declined to give any comments to Mamamia over the allegations.

The allegations follow the controversial video of a chiropractor treating a newborn. Image via YouTube.

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"It is unacceptable for chiropractors to enter a hospital or other healthcare facility to treat any patient without the appropriate authority to do so," a spokeswoman for The Chiropractic Board of Australia told Mamamia.

"We can confirm that there have been a number of occasions where the Chiropractic Board of Australia (the Board) and AHPRA have investigated chiropractors who have entered hospital/healthcare facilities inappropriately," she added.

However AHPRA says the law prevents them from discussing individual matters in order to protect the processes for any action they may take.

But speaking in general terms they say they "will prosecute" practitioners who fail to meet their legal obligations and they can limit registration if a practitioner's "conduct or performance fails to meet the expected standards."

The new allegations surfaced after a controversial video of a chiropractor cracking a newborn's back went viral.

The video showed Melbourne chiropractor Ian Rossborough cracking a four-day-old baby's back.

However, the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia told the ABC there was an overreaction from doctors about the video and the technique was effective.