Bottle-feeding/Breast feeding Newborn - seated with child across lap, child's head resting inside the elbow of one arm, other hand holding bottle (if applicable).

Posture Problems - the lumbar spine is in flexion, thoracic spine is extremely flexed and is usually laterally flexed and rotated to the side of the child's head. Parent's head is forward with neck in flexion and slight rotation. The shoulder holding the bottle can also be in a position of excessive abduction and internal rotation, resulting in excessive strain on tissues surrounding the shoulder joint.

Carrying Newborn - standing and walking with small child held on one side of upper chest. Newborns usually cannot hold their heads up independently which requires the parent to support the head. This encourages the parent to lean slightly back and to the side to allow the baby's head to rest more comfortably. When a slightly older infant gets tired the head naturally drops forward onto your chest.

Posture Problems - the pelvis usually drifts forward and to the side while standing or walking. As the parent leans back the lumbar spine becomes extended, and to keep the head upright the upper thoracic spine becomes kyphotic with a lateral shift. The weight of the upper torso coupled with the weight of the baby positioned above the extended lumbar spine can cause significant aggravation to the muscles and facet joints of the low back.

Carrying Infant or Toddler - as a child gets stronger and is able to support him/herself it is natural for the parent (more often the mother than father) to carry them on one side of their body. The hips jut out towards the child and the upper torso shifts away as the child straddles mom's pelvis. One arm is supporting the bulk of the child's weight leaving the other arm available to perform tasks like opening the fridge, etc. Usually the child is carried on the non-dominant side of the body, which leaves the dominant hand free.

Posture Problems - the lateral translation of the pelvis under the torso imbalances the muscles of the lumbar spine. The lateral deviations of the spinal vertebrae are natural but the sustained position, with the unilateral load of the child's weight, can cause undue strain on the small spinal stabilizer muscles if they are not conditioned for these stresses. These muscles can spasm and cause vertebral segments to become immobile, resulting in degenerative joint conditions. The load of the child's weight on one side of the upper body causes major imbalances in the upper shoulder girdles and spine.

Carrying Infant in Carrier - bucket-style carriers, when loaded with an infant are heavy and very awkward to carry. The width of the carrier causes significant compensations in an attempt to keep it from banging against the parent's thighs. Usually the parent does not evenly share the workload on both arms

Posture Problems - the width of the carrier forces lateral spinal deviations that are unnatural and not optimal for spinal stability and symmetry. The unilateral load in these positions results in excessive forces at a variety of areas in the body. Sustained carrying or holding can result in muscle strain to the lateral spinal stabilizers and/or the muscles of the upper back and shoulder girdle.

Lifting the Child in/out of the Crib or Car seat - bending over while reaching forward to lift the child in or out of these positions can put significant strain on almost the entire body, particularly the back and shoulders. Usually there is some degree of flexion/rotation of the spine, while under load. To compound this the weight of the child is usually extended out away from the body. This combination is often a recipe for disaster.

Posture Problems - when lifting a heavy load, correct biomechanical lifting technique dictates that the load be carried close to the body's center of gravity. This reduces the length of the lever supporting the load and decreases the strain on the body. Reaching into a car seat or over the side of a crib rail requires the extension of the child's weight away from the body, drastically increasing the pressure on the spinal discs and stress on the soft tissues of the upper, lower and mid-back regions. Many of the muscles in the arms and shoulders are also subject to excessive workloads and need to be in good shape to respond without injury.