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23/Jun/2022

Why Crawling An Important Milestone For Infants?

Crawling is considered the first form of independent movement. It helps develop and enhance our vestibular/balance system, sensory system, cognition, problem-solving skills, and coordination. To help your baby succeed at crawling, start with exposing them to tummy time while playing.

This is achieved by infants before they learn to walk. Crawling baby’s requires cross-lateral movement, which many believe activates both the right and left sides of the brain.

These types of exercises can help the emotional and logical sides of the brain develop for better learning growth. In the traditional crawl baby’s start by learning to balance on their hands and knees. Then they figure out how to move forward and backward by pushing off with their knees. At the same time, they are strengthening the muscles that will soon enable them to walk.

Infants typically begin to crawl between 6 and 10 months, although some may skip the crawling phase altogether and go straight to pulling up, cruising, and walking. As children crawl their brain is making more and more connections. Each connection is a solution to a problem that they have solved with crawling.

The more they crawl  babys the more streamlined these connections become and the more automatic the skill becomes. Following are the different types of crawling depending on the way the infants move:

  • Classic crawl:

    Moving one arm and the opposite leg together at the same time to push forward

  • Scoot: 

    Dragging the bottom across the floor

  • Crab crawl:

    Moving with one knee bent and the other extended, either forward or sideways

  • Commando crawl:

    Lying flat on the tummy and using the arms to move forward

  • Backward crawl:

    Moving in a backward direction while crawling

 

Crawling provides them an opportunity to explore their environment. Before the skill becomes automatic, the child is using a lot of their brain just to move and figure out what is going on and how to achieve this great feat of independent movement. The research found that children who were crawling showed greater memory retention when tested in both the same and different settings. These skills are important because they offer the child the strength that is required to be able to walk, run and jump.

Crawling is a significant milestone in an infant’s life that marks their transition from immobility to independent movement. While it may seem like a simple action, crawling plays a crucial role in a child’s development. In this blog, we will explore the benefits and developmental significance of crawling for infants.

rawling involves coordinating movements on both sides of the body, promoting bilateral integration. This coordination between the left and right sides of the body helps integrate brain functions, leading to improved communication between the brain’s hemispheres. Additionally, crawling also encourages cross-patterning, where the infant’s limbs cross the midline of the body, further enhancing brain connectivity.

 

Crawling is more than just a physical milestone; it plays a vital role in an infant’s overall development. From enhancing motor skills to promoting brain connectivity and spatial awareness, crawling sets the stage for future physical, cognitive, and perceptual abilities. As parents and caregivers, it is essential to encourage and provide opportunities for infants to explore and experience the benefits of crawling, allowing them to thrive in their developmental journey.

At Jeevaniyam, our doctors check for crawling as it is one of the infant’s first growth milestones to make sure that the child is not having any issues in brain functionality. In some cases, infants may skip the crawling phase altogether and start walking but it is always good to check with a doctor to make sure that the brain development is proper to avoid future developmental issues.


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