Why isn’t my baby crawling?
Dr. Hannah Keri, Chiropractor
Let’s talk about a critical developmental milestone in your baby's life: crawling.
Many parents are excited about their children walking as early as ten months, and others are worried their child will still not walk by fifteen months. While walking is crucial, the age a baby takes its first steps isn’t as important as what they do before they start walking.
Often parents ask, “Why is my baby not crawling yet?” or “Why is my baby crawling funny?”
Ensuring your baby crawls before walking and for as long as possible is vital to their development, as correct crawling is beneficial in terms of physical and cognitive brain development.
Why is a cross-crawl so important?
When we look at our brains, they are made up of a left side (hemisphere) and a right side (hemisphere), which are both responsible for different things.
The right side of the brain is responsible for the left movements in the body as well as Imagination, Intuition, Nonverbal cues, Feelings visualisation and emotion amongst other important functions.
Meanwhile, the left side of the brain is responsible for the right movements in the body and logic, sequencing, linear thinking, mathematics, written and spoken language, and reasoning.
A band of fibres runs between the two hemispheres connecting the brain called the corpus callosum. When a baby starts to cross-crawl correctly, in a symmetrical and coordinated way, this stimulates these fibres and therefore helps strengthen the connection between both sides of the brain, promoting both sides of the brain and body to work together evenly. This helps with not only physical coordination and balance but also building coordinated movements of the eyes, ears, hands, and feet, making it easier for our little ones to walk, write, balance, play sports as well as fine motor skills like buttoning a shirt. Cross-crawling prepares the hip joints and spinal curves for walking but also thinking-based activities like learning a language, reading, focusing, supporting cognitive function, problem-solving, and ease of learning.
The main crawl we typically want to see is cross-crawling. But as you are aware, there are many different ways babies crawl. Some crawling patterns are the stepping stones to a cross-crawl, whereas others are poor habits babies can form.
Belly crawling or commando crawling is normal in the development of a child's crawl – this is forward or backward movement using the arms and legs to create motion while still lying on the floor. It is typically the first stage, and when a child builds more core strength and confidence, they will then progress to the desired cross-crawl on all 4’s (hands and knees) with the belly off the ground.
However, there are many poor crawling patterns that a child can develop. These include asymmetrical crawling (using one side), bear crawling (on hands and feet instead of knees), scooting (bum shuffle), and many more. If your child shows any of these crawling signs, it does not necessarily mean something is wrong with your baby. It could be a sign of a developmental delay, low muscle tone, or a change in spinal or pelvic alignment.
What can chiropractic do for my child’s crawling?
As chiropractors, we look at the whole body and assess how all the joints move. As mentioned earlier, spinal or pelvic misalignment can affect a child’s crawl. If you think your baby's destination is to get the toy across the room and the goal is for them to cross-crawl. If there is roadwork, such as your baby's spine, hips, shoulders, or lower back not moving at 100%, this could affect how your baby will crawl. They might try and take a different route to get there, and that is where some of these poor crawling patterns can form. As chiropractors, we will try to clear these roadworks by restoring movement and function to these joints when we can hopefully allow for a clear and more leisurely drive.
If you notice any of these patterns if you have any questions or if you have considered having your baby assessed, you can book an appointment with us online or call 03 9736 3322 or email us at admin@evolvingchiropractic.com.au
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