A Melbourne chiropractor filmed manipulating a two-week-old boy has been banned from treating children aged under 12 while he is investigated by authorities.
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Andrew Arnold entered an undertaking with the Chiropractic Board of Australia on Thursday.
"I will not undertake any chiropractic treatment of children from birth to 12 years," the undertaking reads on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website.
"I will not publish, display, promote or provide materials, information or advice that relates to the assessment, management or treatment of children from birth to 12 years, including but not limited to the publication of material on social media, blogs, and/or any other platform on the internet."
Mr Arnold will be the subject of an investigation by the agency and board, Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said.
Ms Mikakos yesterday cited the "extremely disturbing" video after referring Mr Arnold to the national authorities.
On Thursday, she confirmed she had heard back from AHPRA and the Chiropractic Board of Australia.
"They are investigating this matter and in fact I have invited them to meet with me and I will be meeting with both the chairperson of the Chiropractic Board of Australia and the CEO of AHPRA next week," she told reporters.
"I'm concerned by this particular case but I also want to ensure there aren't other chiropractors around Australia who are similarly undertaking these types of practices.
"It's very important that the (board) does issue very clear advice to all chiropractors in Australia about the inherent risks associated with these types of practices."
The board accepted the conditions placed on Mr Arnold.
"This restricts the practitioner's practice, while AHPRA and the board investigates," a spokeswoman said.
"An undertaking is legally binding. A breach of an undertaking may be the subject of regulatory action."
Cranbourne Family Chiropractic has since shut down its Facebook page where the footage was posted last August.
It showed Mr Arnold using an instrument to deliver a controlled impulse on the baby's neck and back, causing it to scream.
One of the baby's parents is believed to be off-camera as Mr Arnold talks through the consultation and warns "he (the baby) is going to squawk a bit".
Mr Arnold and the clinic have been contacted for comment.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Harry Nespolon has called on government authorities to ban the practice.
"The government must start looking at this very carefully and decide whether or not they think it is okay to perform this treatment on a baby."
Australian Associated Press
