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In his poem "The Divine Comedy" Dante describes his travels down the nine circles of the inferno. We are going to take a similar trip down the twenty circles of soft tissue birth traumas.
First Level
We start our journey at the seemingly innocuous first level, the fussy baby circle. Most of our tight infants fall into this group. These babies, according to many pediatricians, are completely "healthy"—parents need not worry because they will "grow out of" their nursing issues, colic, reflux, gas, indigestion, and constipation. In our world these "healthy" babies may not be truly "happy" babies. These causative fascial strains may continue to plague many of them for the rest of their lives.
Second Level
Down the second level of the inferno the multiple-birth babies are waving a red flag for therapy. Their confined anatomical development can lead to sustained compressive soft tissue injuries. Working with six sets of twins in our infant research, we classically treated one baby with the typical fussiness conditions. The sibling, who was often smaller and immobile in a twisted position, usually had more complex issues.
Third Level
Off in the distance we see the babies with narrow faces and high-vaulted palates. They can be more prone to sinus, breathing, speaking, swallowing, tongue, and orthodontic issues later in life. The work at birth can preventatively open their "V"-shaped palates to broader, flatter U-shaped ones that can accommodate all of the adult teeth. The sinuses and airway spaces can also correspondingly widen for better function.
Fourth Level
As we travel along the path towards the fourth circle, the infants with hiccupping, coughing, snoring, burping, drooling, gagging, and choking issues appear. Undetected fascial strain at birth can be the main culprit.
Fifth Level
The next level consists of the tongue tie and lip tie infants. We believe that all newborns need to become strain-free with therapy before leaving the hospital. Some of these ties, constituting part of the tight fascial web, may be corrected then. If they do not resolve completely, frenectomy surgery can be a more effective solution.
Sixth Level
In the sixth circle we face the circumcised infants. This surgical procedure can create fascial strain in the genital area, pelvic floor, and eventually extend to the rest of the body. We are at a loss why some babies are fine post-op and others are adversely impacted.
Seventh Level
The eye trauma babies are resting at the next circle. Wearing glasses as a child is an indicator for sustained fetal compressive eye strain. With vision of 20/120, I was one of those children and wore distance glasses for most of my life. When I later revisited that fetal trauma with therapy, my eyes over a period of two years amazingly corrected to 20/15 at the age of 65. I wish this work at birth had been available in 1947!
Eighth Level
The arching babies with Sandifer syndrome are at the eighth level. We found in our infant research that arching was a HUGE indicator for many baby issues. For those infants to become truly "healthy," therapy needed to completely work out that severe fascial extension pattern. If left untreated, this common strain may result in a lifetime of structural issues.
Ninth Level
As we descend into the ninth circle, we meet the torticollis and plagiocephalic infants, the majority of babies who fly into Philadelphia to see me. Mom realizes that her infant will probably not "grow out of" this situation, and no one in her area has an answer. Most of these babies have an unseen fascial pelvic twist that corkscrews up the body into the shoulders, neck, and head due to a sustained abnormal fetal compressive position. That birth trauma needs to be revisited and cleared for authentic healing.
Tenth Level
Our travels bring us to the failure to thrive babies. They can be underweight primarily due to severe fascial strain, most notably in their throat area. They have difficulty coordinating the suck, swallow, and breathe reflex, critical for life. Our work can help relieve that fascial strain so these babies can thrive.
Eleventh Level
At the eleventh circle we eventually greet the infants who had difficulty taking their first breath, usually because of the wrapped umbilical cord. The blue newborns are the most vulnerable. These untreated babies may become the weak criers, who can have later speech and orthodontic issues. Since the fascial web can hold the adverse effects of any trauma for a lifetime, we know the critical importance of mitigating this throat injury at birth to possibly prevent childhood respiratory diseases like pediatric asthma.
Twelfth Level
Developmentally delayed infants at the next level can have limited mobility. Their fascial strains have resulted in tight bodies that have difficulty moving. Many doctors believe that the origins of their issues are neurologic, but in reality, their restricted fascial webs keep them from functioning normally.
Thirteenth Level
The passage takes us to the thirteenth circle of newborns who had forceps delivery, vacuum suction extractions, protracted labors, and shoulder dystocia with brachial plexus nerve damage. Special attention needs to be given to the shape of their heads and their brain motion.
Fourteenth Level
Continuing down the trail we encounter the clubfoot babies, a distinct visual birth condition. We view clubfoot as severe fascial leg strain due to a sustained unphysiologic fetal compressive position. Specifically helping to release the strain directly at birth may avoid the classical casting and surgical protocols.
Fifteenth Level
The neurologically impaired babies with more brain trauma are waiting at the fifteenth level. We believe that these infants are more prone to later contracting ADHD, tics, and cognitive issues. They may grow into the children who have difficulty focusing, concentrating, and reading in school.
Sixteenth Level
At the next circle we see the babies with the surgical issues of strabismus, laryngomalacia, stridor, pyloric stenosis, volvulus, fundoplication, functional ureter obstruction, and hydronephrosis. Their causative fascial strain may be corrected with therapy at birth to possibly prevent this later surgery.
Seventeenth Level
We are descending to the seventeenth level of the severely distressed NICU babies. We believe that therapy may possibly be effective for those especially vulnerable infants with NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis), BPD (bronchopulmonary dysplasia), and ROP (retinopathy of prematurity).
Eighteenth Level
Down the road we come across the brain-injured newborns at this circle. We cannot prevent the traumas that caused their issues, but we can most importantly help reestablish excellent neonatal neurophysiology on day one to give them the best opportunity for their nervous system to heal. We hypothesize that a newborn with a severe brain injury may develop a milder lifetime outcome with therapy, and a neonate with a mild brain injury may possibly live a normal or near normal life. Since we cannot identify the brain-injured babies minutes after birth, we want therapy for every newborn just to change the lives of these few who fall through the cracks.
Nineteenth Level
We have now reached the depth of despair at the nineteenth level, staring at the babies with the ultimate brain injury—shaken baby syndrome. The combination of their inconsolability from fascial tightness and extreme parental instability may create a perfect storm for violence. Our hearts go out to these vulnerable infants, who even with survival, may live a challenged life. It is sad to watch their limited response to our therapy. Oh, how we wish that if these infants had become "happy" babies at birth, they may have had different lifetime outcomes.
Twentieth Level
At the end of our journey at the heart of darkness, we confront the babies with craniostenosis, chiari malformation, and hydrocephalus. The possibility of any of these three nightmarish conditions for a family would certainly justify that every newborn be preventatively checked at birth. These untreated infants, who virtually all have tight fascial webs and zero-second brain cycles, are consequently looking squarely at neurosurgery.
I have never seen a true case of craniostenosis, the premature fusion of an infant's cranial bones. After the first CFT visit for each afflicted infant, their brain and bones started to nicely expand and contract. Since the tight fascial web was creating their "apparent" skull immobility, CFT would definitely be indicated before surgery.
Chiari malformation denotes soft tissue pressure in the upper cervical area with potential cerebellar blockage at the base of the skull. Infant CFT is worth a try before surgery to possibly release this fascial strain and restore normal cerebrospinal fluid flow down the spine.
Hydrocephalus signifies a blockage of the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricular system. If the condition is primarily due to compressive fascial strain, CFT may possibly be corrective before surgery. For the Gillespie Approach providers, please look for severe arching and torticollis with fascia pulling hard into the neck and cranium for all three issues.
When I was in my periodontal surgical training, the golden rule said that the least invasive procedure is always tried first, with surgery being the last resort. The pediatric neurological profession, generally unaware of our noninvasive world of brain motion and fascial strain, has no conservative therapeutic options for these conditions.
These vulnerable babies are powerless and voiceless as to their fate, and their devastated parents are understandably overwhelmed. For the previous nineteen levels I do not tell parents what to do for their baby, as much as I would love therapy for them all. But at this most dire level of our soft tissue birth traumas, I literally become the voice of the infant to very strongly urge the parents to try this approach. My heart says, "Please let me work on your baby before surgery. If you do not have the fee to pay me, no problem. It has nothing to do with money, me, or even you. It is all about your baby."
This journey describes the breadth of the Gillespie Approach in helping babies become the best they can be. Our goal is to show the world what is possible for newborns. We believe that the prevention at birth concept will dramatically change neonatology, pediatrics, and dentistry. We are blessed.
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In today's fast-paced world, the insurance sector stands out for traditionally being slow to embrace digital transformation. Modernization has always been one of the challenges this industry has faced, and forward-looking insurance firms are well aware of this need. A recent Deloitte report states that insurers are increasingly becoming reliant on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and machine learning to boost efficiency, strengthen cybersecurity, and undergo enterprise-wide scaling. However, the report notes that most firms must also work on improving customer experience by offering customizable services and automating back-office operations. Companies need to invest in digitalization and implement a comprehensive tech stack upgrade to remain competitive and meet the evolving demands of customers.
One solution to this challenge is greenfield development. Projects of this nature are implemented from the ground up and require developing systems from a clean slate. This strategy entails starting from scratch—from designing the digital framework to scoping and strategizing technology deployment. Greenfield projects may include IT infrastructure, websites, software, operating systems, networks, and cloud migration. Compared to the brownfield approach, where developers build on legacy code, greenfield processes give insurers the flexibility to evolve their digital infrastructure in line with customer needs while preventing unnecessary costs.
A More Customer-Centric Approach
The greenfield approach builds around the customer, not the technology. Through this strategy, organizations can determine customer needs, evaluate the scope of the project designed to meet those needs, and customize approaches. Greenfield processes invite opportunities to build a digitally enabled IT ecosystem driven by emerging concepts like cloud infrastructure and API integration that deliver value-added services.
A customer-centric greenfield strategy enables insurers to automate procedures, improve response times, and implement contactless capabilities that are compatible with policyholders' desired channels. Firms don't have to worry about compatibility issues; by eliminating the "mix-and-match" approach with legacy technology, customers can view policies, file claims, and pay bills through a unified digital insurance platform. Automating business operations will drive improvements in claims processing, underwriting services, and customer experience.
Capacity for Customizable Solutions That Can Be Quickly Implemented
Organizations utilizing the greenfield approach don't inherit any of the problems from their previous architecture, which means more leeway to personalize their tech requirements. By reevaluating process flows, firms can remove limitations and improve usability and overall performance. Insurers can quickly adapt to business and regulatory needs through customizable solutions that don't depend on architecture that will eventually turn obsolete.
Greenfield projects also encourage innovation. Because organizations no longer rely on old architecture, they have the freedom to "future-proof" their technologies and take advantage of the cloud. Greenfield initiatives also help firms speed up time-to-market, allowing them to quickly roll out insurance products, implement updates, and use agile techniques to adjust to emerging capabilities.
More Flexible and More Agile Operations
The main selling point of greenfield initiatives is that they give organizations the ability to work without their aging technology. Without obsolete systems and antiquated code, firms can undertake a flexible, standards-based approach to project design that doesn't require much institutional knowledge. Without the need to depend on outdated designs, developers can build new systems with higher fault tolerance, leading to lower maintenance costs.
By shifting to an open, cloud-based environment, insurance firms are no longer tied to old infrastructure for mission-critical tasks. The connectivity of a cloud environment allows firms to efficiently streamline insurance management, improve customer access to insurance products, and quicken bancassurance procedures.
An optimized infrastructure also frees up the IT team's time to innovate. As teams move away from time-consuming tasks, they can focus on other aspects that contribute to the enterprise's growth.
Potential for Scaling
Cloud migration is one of the first things that come to mind with "digital-first" strategies, and it's something that can be easily supported by the greenfield approach. With performance and size requirements built into the project design, firms can easily scale up or down as necessary.
Using the greenfield technique to select and deploy a policy administration system (PAS) mitigates risk in cloud migration efforts. Developers can use the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach together with a greenfield strategy to test and constantly evaluate a platform before scaling. By scaling front- and back-end operations, insurers can widely implement beneficial features like self-service apps and IoT-driven device compatibility.
Tons of Benefits, but Not Without Risk
Greenfield projects are exciting to launch, but it would be wise not to rush head-first. Before jumping in, enterprises must consider potential roadblocks to their digital-first strategy. One of these is time and cost issues. Insurers need to explore options first and decide on greenfield projects to pursue. Because these projects take longer to complete and require new systems, firms may need to shell out more funds during the early stages. Enterprises in the risk-averse insurance industry may also need to fortify cybersecurity as operations move to open architectures. Despite this, a prolonged development lifecycle often leads to a better return on investment.
Another thing to consider is skills training. With IT staff more accustomed to older technology, they may need to learn how to handle new infrastructures. This could mean additional costs for training staff or hiring specialists. Starting greenfield initiatives requires stakeholder commitment and a shift in organizational culture.
Of course, the benefits outweigh the risks. Insurers that don't adapt to the ever-changing technological landscape will be left behind. By being open to new development approaches, players in the competitive insurance market can stay ahead of the curve while giving policyholders the service they deserve.

subset: commoncrawl


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The 3rd Congress for people with special needs "Ferqli Ferdler" will be held in Baku in 17-18 April. This year's event will differ with the expanded scope of topics and will be dedicated to both children and adults with special needs. Particular attention will be paid to the problem of socio-psychological adaptation of those individuals who have been working under extreme conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including military operations. The international congress will be held online, owing to the situation with COVID-19.
The 3rd Congress seeks to support the Government-initiated trend of developing an inclusive society based on social justice, which is one of the key features of "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for the socio-economic development", approved by President Ilham Aliyev.
Discussions will be attended by leading experts from Azerbaijan, Finland, Russia, Sweden will cover the following five areas:
Within the framework of the congress, various seminars, workshops and other events will be held.
The congress is organized on the initiative of Caspian Event Organisers and Edutainment.az. Among the partners and friends of the Congress are the DOST Agency of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan, State Advertising Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, ACE Group Consultants and CTS Translation. The organisers invite everyone interested in supporting the development of an inclusive society in Azerbaijan to join the partners of the Congress "Ferqli Ferdler". You can contact the Organising Committee at email@example.com.
For the latest news about the Congress please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ferqliferdlercongress.


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PreVenture Facilitator Training
Become a PreVenture Facilitator
Teachers, mental health practitioners, counselors, and anyone who undergoes proper training with a licensed PreVenture implementation specialist can deliver the program in their community.
Facilitator training can take up to two and a half days. Once the training is completed, you will receive a certification valid for one year. If after the one year mark, you wish to continue delivering PreVenture in your community, you will need to renew your certification license with Dr. Conrod's team at the University of Montreal but Overdose Lifeline will assist in this process.
As part of your training, you will gain access to the preventure.us website with a personalized facilitator dashboard with all the tools you'll need to deliver the program successfully, such as:
- Resources: consent forms, peer-review articles, best practices, etc.
- SURPS: online tool to create, distribute, collect, and automatically score the SURPS
- Database with all the SURPS you have conducted over time
The training will observe CDC social distancing guidelines due to COVID-19. Space is limited.
About PreVenture
PreVenture is an evidence-based prevention program that promotes mental health and delays substance use among teens. Developed by Dr. Conrod, professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal, PreVenture helps identify high risk teenagers through a personality-based screening questionnaire and teaches them specialized coping skills respective of their identified personality styles.
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Aion Bank.
Belgium's Aion Bank has acquired London robo-advisor ETFmatic
The neobank is looking to boost its investment proposition.
Aion Bank has acquired low-cost ETF investment platform ETFmatic, a new digital bank in Belgium backed by private equity giant Warburg Pincus.
Aion launched last March as a subscription-based bank, with its €3.90/month Light account offering high-interest rates of up to 1 per cent and its €19/month Premium account offering automated ETF investing.
This is where the ETFmatic acquisition comes in, Aion says the deal will help it create new investment products in more countries, while ETFmatic will continue to operate as a stand-alone brand.
Wealth and investment offerings are fairly few and far between among digital banks right now. Currently, Revolut offers direct access to stocks, crypto and commodities trading, but not the kind of robo-advice offered by a Nutmeg or Wealthify.
Aion Bank, now with ETFmatic's help, is clearly trying to find a market in the middle for neobank plus robo-advisor.
For ETFmatic the deal will also see an expansion of its white-label service across Europe, the service which Aion used to launch its ETF investment product.
"ETFmatic has been a great partner since our Belgian launch in March 2020," said Aion CEO Wojciech Sobieraj.
"We are the bank designed to help our members save and earn more, and portfolio management is a key product as we prepare to expand across Europe."
Next up on that expansion is Poland, where the bank is due to do live later this year.
Johan Hellman, CEO of ETFmatic, said: "ETFs have seen significant growth during the pandemic, and I anticipate investors will continue to look to ETFs as we see market recovery in the quarters to come."
The deal has already been approved by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority and is effective immediately, no financial details of the deal were disclosed.