The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
Times Media

.

Babies crawl, scoot and shuffle when learning to move. Here's what to watch for if you're worried

  • Written by Charmaine Bernie, Senior Research Fellow, Early Years Research Lab, Southern Cross University
Babies crawl, scoot and shuffle when learning to move. Here's what to watch for if you're worried

Early gross motor (or whole body) movements such as crawling and walking are exciting developments and clear markers for parents watching their child’s development. But what happens when a milestone isn’t reached, or the movement itself isn’t what a parent is expecting?

Babies arrive in the world with inborn movements, including reflexes[1]. Other motor skills – such as sitting up or rolling towards a toy on a playmat – are learned as they grow.

Most babies begin moving towards people or objects much further away from them in the second half of their first year[2]. This marks a change for parents and carers too, because they can no longer walk away for a moment and come back to find baby in the same spot. Time to think about child proofing your living spaces if you haven’t already!

But how can a parent or carer decide when to worry, when to get professional advice, or when to accept things are moving along just fine?

Crawling, cruising, walking

Commonly babies will crawl “on all fours” with bellies above the floor and hands and knees moving forward in a diagonal pattern, where right arm and left leg move together and left arm and right leg move together. This stage can last weeks or months before infants rise up to cruise on their feet while holding on to the furniture. Cruising and walking is usually observed between eight and 18 months of age[3].

Some children, however, move differently, and some seem to skip the crawling stage altogether. Just as there is no specific day in the first year that all babies move off their play mat to explore, there is no one way of moving across the room.

Some babies bottom-shuffle along while keeping their hands off the floor. Others commando crawl on their tummy, like soldiers staying low. Some babies move hands first with their bent knees to follow like they are playing game of leapfrog. Many use combinations of any or all of the above in addition to crawling before they turn one[4].

Quality and variety might be significant

Researchers and child development professionals used to think when traditional movement sequences were not observed, there was a definite problem with the way a child’s brain or body was developing.

While there are some schools of thought that suggest crawling is a critical part of child development, newer theories place more emphasis on the quality and variety of movements individual babies use to move[5]. Some research has suggested variable crawling patterns can occur in children with, and without, later developmental delay[6]. Earlier research[7] found while 90% of children achieved motor milestones by age two following a common sequence, 4.3% did not show hands-and-knees crawling at all.

Differences are not always cause for concern, but tuning in to your child’s movement pattern may be important if you are noticing something unexpected at this stage. Unusual, absent or delayed crawling patterns have been associated with cerebral palsy[8], Down syndrome[9], autism[10], developmental coordination disorder[11] and other neurological, learning or developmental disorders.

Children with known neurological or physical issues[12], or adverse events before or at birth[13] may also experience gross motor difficulties and delays.

For each of these groups, early assessment and intervention are important, as they carry greater potential benefit for children and families, compared with waiting until later to address concerns[14].

baby learning to walk is supported by adult
In the second half of their first year, babies usually start moving towards people or objects. Pexels/William Fortunato, CC BY[15][16]

Read more: Talking to babies may contribute to brain development – here's how to do it[17]

A few things to watch for and investigate

So, what are the signs that help parents know it is time to seek professional advice?

Not trying to move

By about 9–11 months there should be some regular attempts from babies to move in and out of still positions and explore the room around them. It is common for babies at this stage to use their arms and legs effectively together to direct themselves forward.

Asymmetry

When the left of the body is doing something quite different[18] from the right (or vice versa) it is a sign further assessment may be needed.

Noticeable weakness, stiffness or discomfort

When babies seems to be struggling with movement strength or range[19], particularly in the neck, arms, hands, or legs, this should be explored further by a health professional. Babies showing regular and ongoing signs of discomfort with their movements (such as grimacing or crying) should also be reviewed.

Read more: What is 'early intervention' for infants with signs of autism? And how valuable could it be?[20]

Get the right advice

If parents or carers notice these things, it is important they raise it with a care provider, such as a maternal child and family health nurse or general practitioner. An appointment with one of these providers is usually the first step[21] parents take when there are concerns or they want extra observation or screening.

Some families may already have access to a paediatric occupational therapist, physiotherapist or paediatrician. Each can complete further assessments and offer advice as needed.

In the vast majority of cases, parents have a good sense of when to worry[22]. If you are concerned, seek out a healthcare professional who can help answer questions and provide advice. Neither you, nor your baby need to move through this stage alone.

Read more: Toilet training from birth? It is possible[23]

References

  1. ^ reflexes (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  2. ^ first year (www.who.int)
  3. ^ eight and 18 months of age (www.who.int)
  4. ^ turn one (doi.org)
  5. ^ use to move (eu-ireland-custom-media-prod.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com)
  6. ^ later developmental delay (doi.org)
  7. ^ research (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  8. ^ cerebral palsy (www.frontiersin.org)
  9. ^ Down syndrome (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  10. ^ autism (srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  11. ^ developmental coordination disorder (doi.org)
  12. ^ neurological or physical issues (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  13. ^ before or at birth (doi.org)
  14. ^ address concerns (www.sciencedirect.com)
  15. ^ Pexels/William Fortunato (www.pexels.com)
  16. ^ CC BY (creativecommons.org)
  17. ^ Talking to babies may contribute to brain development – here's how to do it (theconversation.com)
  18. ^ something quite different (jamanetwork.com)
  19. ^ movement strength or range (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  20. ^ What is 'early intervention' for infants with signs of autism? And how valuable could it be? (theconversation.com)
  21. ^ usually the first step (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  22. ^ when to worry (www.frontiersin.org)
  23. ^ Toilet training from birth? It is possible (theconversation.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/babies-crawl-scoot-and-shuffle-when-learning-to-move-heres-what-to-watch-for-if-youre-worried-204913

The Times Features

HOYTS Gift Cards are coming in hot this festive season

With a hot selection of blockbuster movies coming to the big screen this summer, avoid the crowds and enjoy some movie magic at HOYTS with discounted gift cards—perfect for stuff...

Top 10 holiday houses across Brisbane

As Brisbane gears up to become an Olympic city, the Sunshine State capital is seeing a surge in new residents, luxury hotels, and major developments including The Star Brisbane...

Australian small businesses set to win big as many brace for a bumper holiday season

With the holiday sales season in full swing, new data from the Commonwealth Bank reveals small businesses could be set to receive a much-needed end-of-year financial reward...

BeerFest Sydney at Darling Harbour Tumbalong Park

Sydneysiders’ ultimate summer party is here! BeerFest Sydney is making its triumphant debut at Darling Harbour’s Tumbalong Park on 6–7 December, bringing together NSW’s best bo...

The Importance of Regular Roof and Gutter Maintenance for Adelaide Home

The Importance of Regular Roof and Gutter Maintenance for Adelaide Homes Your roof and gutters can be integral to maintaining the structural integrity and aesthetic appeal of yo...

Designer Wardrobe reports surge in pre-loved wedding gowns

As Australia’s wedding season approaches, and amidst a challenging cost of living backdrop, new insights from Designer Wardrobe reveal that Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) brid...

Times Magazine

Essential Maintenance Tips for Keeping Your Swift Springs in Good Shape

Swift springs are a special kind of spring that has been around for centuries. They were first used in clockmaking and other intricate mechanical devices, but over time, they have evolved to become a vital part of a variety of different industries...

RMIT Online partners with Adobe and Merkle

RMIT Online partners with Adobe and Merkle to create a course to accelerate careers with graphic design principles, capabilities, and industry-leading tools within a flexible, digital delivery environment. The online arm of RMIT University is la...

WITHINGS, the pioneer of the connected health movement announces Body Scan

The connected health station helps users get a handle on health with the ability to measure health vitals and access to personal health plans based on behavioural science WITHINGS, the pioneer of the connected health movement, brings the smart s...

Types of EV Chargers

The world of electric vehicles is a confusing one, filled with abbreviations and acronyms that even the most seasoned EV drivers can't keep straight. It's also a rapidly changing landscape where cutting-edge technology is being developed at an in...

Australian workers to embrace ‘machine-mates’ in artificial intelligence fuelled future

A new report by AI expert Dr Catriona Wallace and ServiceNow reveals Australia’s post-pandemic future, with AI-powered digital colleagues or ‘machine-mates’, new-look employee and customer experiences, and significant cultural shifts Australia, ...

Benefits of React Native for Mobile App Development

In a sentence, React Native is a JavaScript framework that enables developers to build natively-rendered mobile applications for both iOS and Android platforms. Let’s unpack a few of those terms. JavaScript is one of the most widely used progra...