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14 Mar 2019
The Chiropractic Board of Australia (the Board) has set an interim policy on spinal manipulation for infants and young children while an independent review of the practice is carried out by Safer Care Victoria.
The Board is committed to ensuring the public has access to, and receives, safe, ethical and competent care from registered chiropractors.
The Board awaits with keen interest the outcome of an independent expert review of the current best evidence for the efficacy of spinal manipulation to treat childhood illnesses or health concerns in infants and young children.
The review outcomes will be used to inform future policy on the regulation of spinal manipulation for infants and young children for public protection.
The Interim Policy – Spinal manipulation for infants and young children is to protect the public until the outcomes of the expert review are known, and a final policy is developed on the issue.
The interim policy clearly outlines our expectation that chiropractors not use spinal manipulation to treat children under two years of age, pending the recommendations arising from the review.
The Board expects chiropractors to comply with the interim policy, in addition to following the guidance provided in the Statement on paediatric care (2017) and the Code of conduct for chiropractors (2014).
The interim policy is available as a position statement under Codes and guidelines on the Board’s website.