DR JEN SANTOS
The luxury pelvis and how balance in pregnancy allows for infant brain development.
Birth is often described as something that happens to the baby. However, the foetus is an active participant in the birth process, responding to mechanical, sensory, and neurologic input as it navigates the maternal pelvis.
This lecture explores the cardinal movements of birth through the lens of foetal neurodevelopment, examining how emerging motor patterns and primitive reflexes may contribute to foetal positioning, flexion, rotation, descent, and adaptation during labor.
Particular attention will be given to the relationship between maternal biomechanics and the developing foetal nervous system, considering how balance and available space within the maternal pelvis may influence the baby’s ability to move efficiently through the birth process.
The fascial system will also be explored as a continuous, interconnected network capable of transmitting mechanical forces and sensory information throughout the developing body.
Current concepts in embryology, developmental neuroscience, biomechanics, and fascia research will be integrated to consider how movement and sensory input during pregnancy and birth may contribute to early neurologic organisation and brain development.
By reframing birth as an interactive process between mother and baby, this presentation offers clinicians a broader understanding of the relationship between maternal balance, foetal movement, birth mechanics, and neurologic development.
Clinical implications for supporting optimal maternal biomechanics and healthy infant development before, during, and immediately following birth will be discussed.
Dr. Jen Santos, DC, DACCP is a second-generation chiropractor whose journey into chiropractic began at just 45 minutes old with her first adjustment by her father. A 2013 graduate of Life Chiropractic College West, Dr. Jen earned her degree Cum Laude and received the prestigious Clinical Excellence Award.
Dr. Jen is the owner and full-time chiropractor at Acorn Chiropractic Club, a thriving, family-centered practice with three locations. She served on faculty at Life Chiropractic College West for seven years, where she taught obstetrics and gynecology, pediatric and prenatal adjusting, and pediatric pathology, while also overseeing prenatal and pediatric cases in the Life West Health Center.
Since 2020, Dr. Jen has taught Dr. Carol Phillips’ Dynamic Body Balancing throughout the West Coast, and in 2021 she joined the faculty of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). Her first ICPA course, Navigating the Highs and Lows of the Perinatal Family Practice, addresses miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs)—bringing compassionate, trauma-informed care into chiropractic education. In 2023, Dr. Jen proudly became a Webster Technique instructor for the ICPA.
Dr. Jen earned her Certified in the Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice (CACCP) in 2016 and her Diplomate in the Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice (DACCP) in 2023. She was honored as Life West Alumnus of the Year in 2019 for her leadership and impact on the profession.
Outside of practice and teaching, Dr. Jen is a devoted mama to two boys and lives with her husband in the beautiful wine country of Sonoma/Napa County, where family, community, and service remain at the heart of everything she does.
Reserve your spot for TKS 2027 in Barcelona, Spain before 1 October 2026 and save A$300.
This ticket is intended for practicing / registered chiropractors only.
DETAILS:
The Kids Summit will take place on 18-19 September 2027 in Barcelona, Spain.
The hours are TBC.
Morning tea will be supplied.
Don’t forget to join us for the catch up with the speakers and your friends immediately following the conference on Saturday.
One drink and canapes included.