Why PTs Want Your Baby to Crawl Before She Walks
You’ve likely heard the old adage, “You have to crawl before you walk.” So, if your baby is not crawling but she LOVES standing or playing in her Exersaucer or similar equipment, should you worry?
We all know of cases where a baby skipped crawling and seemed to do okay later on. The keyword in that sentence is “seemed.” To you or others, the child appeared to have no developmental issues. While this may be the case with some children, it is not true for all cases.
The timeline of typical motor development always includes crawling. Your baby should be combat crawling (crawling on the belly) forward by eight months of age and crawling forward on hands and knees by ten months. (These are adjusted if your baby was premature). Notice that I stated crawling forward because some children propel themselves backward and this, while cute, is not typical and could indicate a need for therapy services. Please talk to your child’s doctor.
If the typical child crawls then there’s a logical reason babies need to learn this skill, right? So, what are those reasons?
Here’s a couple:
- developing reciprocal movements of the arms and legs. As your baby starts belly crawling forward, she may not reciprocally move her arms and legs, but she should quickly figure out this is faster and more efficient. Reciprocal means she can reach forward with her left elbow or hand and her right leg quickly followed by reaching forward with the right elbow or hand and left leg. Reciprocal movements (opposite sides of the body doing opposite things) is a component of normal movements.
- developing strength in the shoulder and abdominal muscles. Bearing body weight on the elbows or hands (accomplished in hands and knees crawling) builds strength in the shoulders, hands, and abdominal muscles. If these muscles remain weak (as is the case in children who do not crawl), the child may develop problems with school activities, such as properly grasping a pencil, cutting with scissors, or other fine motor and eye-hand coordination skills. Weak shoulders and abdominal muscles also contribute to poor posture at the desk and fatigue with tabletop activities at school. Children who are fatigued often move or wiggle to stay alert.
- developing visual and spatial awareness skills. When a baby moves around, she sees the world from different angles and elevations. She will figure out how to get under the table and out from under it. She will learn the pillow on the floor is higher than the floor and she can tumble off and get hurt. These skills of knowing where she is in space are critical for other motor skills later on, such as climbing, riding bikes, or sports.
Pediatric physical therapists want your child to excel in school with writing, coloring and scissoring. They want your cutie patootie to run circles around the others on the playground and to be the fastest cyclist on the course. They know the strength and coordination it will take to accomplish those things. That’s why they don’t want your baby to skip crawling!
Crawling on the belly or on the hands and knees is a part of normal motor development because it is needed. Can your baby do okay without it? Maybe. But, don’t assume that is the case. Encourage crawling.
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(Photo from Adobe Stock)
