Along with all the other milestones of infant growth, there is one
that puts babies on the move for the first time - crawling. Where
once Baby was immobile, content sitting and exploring what was
within his reach, suddenly a whole new world opens up: the world of
mobility.
The Purpose of Crawling
Crawling is a precursor to walking, of course, but also primarily a
way for infants to begin to explore their environment.
"Crawling helps walking because it allows babies to utilize the
muscle groups in their arms, trunk, pelvic girdle and lower legs,"
says Dr. Ari Brown, pediatrician, mother of two and coauthor of
Baby 411 (Windsor Peak, 2006). "Practice builds tone, strength and
coordination."
When and How?
Most babies begin crawling somewhere between 6 and 9 months old. By
this time, she will be sitting without support, and her major
muscle groups will be strong enough to support her body.
"From sitting, a baby will begin to pivot, rock and go over onto
her hands and knees," says Laurie LeComer, author of A Parent's
Guide to Developmental Delays: Recognizing and Coping with Missed
Milestones in Speech, Movement, Learning and Other Areas (Perigee,
2006) "The strength necessary to crawl can be traced all the way
back to the newborn days when she was placed on her tummy and
slowly began to strengthen her neck, and then her arms and
shoulders, as she pushed up for a better view."
The transition from sitting to crawling may occur gradually over
several months. Some of the steps in between include learning to
balance on all fours, rocking back and forth on hands and knees and
eventually figuring out that pushing off with the knees will give
them the forward motion they need to begin to crawl.
Not every baby crawls in the same manner, though. Some crawl
forward, as typical, but some have their own methods. Shannon
Rosenberg, a mother of twins from Wesley Hills, N.Y., says that one
of her twins was slightly late in getting herself moving. "[But]
once she did start crawling ... she crawled backwards right under
the couch," she says. "Actually, they both crawled backwards
first."
Crawling backward is probably the result of uneven muscle tone
(arms a little stronger than legs), but that will soon right itself
as Baby progresses in developing gross motor skills. They will soon
shift from reverse to forward on their own with no intervention
from parents. As long as they get moving in some way, they are
perfectly normal, no matter which direction they choose to go
first.
Can Parents Help?
It can't hurt to give your baby some incentive to crawl. Making
things too easy on them (always handing them toys they want, etc.)
just encourages them to stay seated. Instead, find ways to
encourage them to become active. Parents should place
age-appropriate toys slightly beyond their child's reach when baby
is in a sitting position, LeComer says. "They can also engage their
babies in airplane games, where baby flies through the air and then
lands on his hands (supporting some weight from his body)," she
says. "Or parents can use games and songs that entice baby to come
to them in whatever locomotion way possible."
Don't worry too much, though, about pushing your baby to move on
your time schedule. Courtney Ramirez of Sanger, Calif., worried a
little when her daughter seemed to take too long to crawl. Though
still within the normal age range for crawling, she was at the
upper end of the range, causing Ramirez some concern. She learned,
though, that unless there are specific developmental problems that
your doctor has identified, there is nothing wrong with "slow
development."
"My best advise to first-time moms is to remember that every baby
is different," says Ramirez, who decided that relaxing was the best
approach, rather than frustrating herself and her child. "I
encouraged her to be more physically active, but didn't try to
train her to crawl. I figured that when she was ready, she would."
Ramirez's instincts were right on target. "She skipped the scooting
stage and just began crawling one day."
When to Worry
Actually, crawling isn't even listed as a major milestone in baby
development. Some babies skip crawling and dive right into walking.
Carol Wood of Winnetka, Calif., found this to be the case with her
second child, Monica. "She never crawled," she says. "Just went
from laying prone to walking." Being somewhat concerned, Wood chose
to discuss it with her physician. "[My doctor] said, 'If she
doesn't want to crawl, she doesn't have to.'"
Both of our experts agree that crawling is not a necessary step in
development, as long as Baby has some other way of locomotion.
"Some babies skip crawling altogether," LeComer says. "But parents
should begin to be vigilant at 10 months if their child has not
found a way to get around."
Exploring the environment is very important, whether by "cruising"
around holding onto furniture, rolling, scooting, etc. LeComer
suggests watching for these warning signs that may signal a need to
talk with your pediatrician:
- Not exploring the environment in some way by 10 months of
age
- Clearly favoring one side of his body.
- Unable to coordinate her body in some way that allows both
sides to work together
- "Bypassing crawling has no other developmental implications and
... has no association with the ability to learn math (this is an
old wives tale!)" Dr. Brown says.
Keeping Things Crawl-Friendly
Be prepared! Once babies are on the move, there's no stopping them.
Here are some suggestions to keep things safe for your
newly-crawling tot:
- Get on the floor and look at things from your baby's
perspective.
- Remove any small objects from the floor (dropped coins under
furniture, etc).
- Remove anything your baby might be able to pull, like phone
cords, electrical cords or drape pulls.
- A small area rug on un-carpeted floors will protect Baby's
hands and knees.
- Safety-proof the entire house (cabinets, wall outlets,
toilets).
- Use gates in front of stairs at the top and bottom.
- Now that Baby is mobile, he may (and probably will at some
point) end up where you don't want him to be. Be safe and
safety-proof everything. And never leave a baby unattended.