Children's Health in Zionsville - Crawling for Curves

Dr. Danielle in Zionsville is all about children's health.

Did you know that babies aren’t born with the same spinal curves that adults have?

Think about it!

Developing The Spinal Column in Zionsville

Babies develop in the womb in the fetal position where their head is bent forward, their spine is curved in a C shape, and their legs are tucked up towards their chest.

Once we’re adults, our spine develops 3 primary curves: in our neck, mid-back, and lower back. But how do those curves get there?

These curves develop over time based on how our bodies develop, grow and the activities we start to use our body for.

Crawling is an Important Developmental Stage

Crawling plays an essential role in the development of these spinal curves. As babies start to become more mobile, one of the first things they will start to do is lift their heads during tummy time. This brings the head back and starts to strengthen the neck and back muscles, allowing the neck to begin to develop its curvature.

Not only does this aid in the development of their spinal curves, but it also allows baby to develop neurologically as they become more aware of their environment while looking around with their newfound strength. Once they’re able to look around and explore more, they will also start to develop other milestones such as grasping and reaching for objects nearby.

The second curve to form in their spine is in the lower back and will start to develop once the baby is able to get up onto all fours and begin crawling. While the baby is crawling, they’re developing core stability and forming neurological connections that allow both sides of their brain to create communication pathways. This cross patterned neurology will impact their brain development for the rest of their lives.

Kids who skip crawling and go straight to scooting or standing miss out on this important neurological and structural component of their development.

In fact, a 2010 study looked at the difference between 5- and 6-year-old children who crawled compared to those who skipped crawling. There were significant differences in their fine motor skills like their ability to grasp a pencil. It’s incredibly important that babies do not skip this crawling stage as creating these patterns and strengthening this development allows them to build levels of coordination.

Exercises for a Healthy Spine

So what should you do if your baby (or you!) skipped that crawling stage?

• It's never too late to start again! Encourage the whole family to practice crawling together daily. It might feel silly but it's a great way to work on those neurological pathways and spinal curves
• Work on cross crawl patterning by helping baby reach opposite arm towards opposite leg. This will help strengthen the core and develop those cross-body patterns. I often encourage parents to do this with babies at every diaper change as early as 3 months old to help them prepare for normal crawling. If your kiddo has skipped the crawling stage this exercise is also useful to help develop the cross crawling pattern. Try working on this 10 times on each side on 3 separate occasions daily.
• Get your kiddo checked by a Chiropractor trained in pediatrics. Sometimes babies skip the crawling step if it's hard for them to extend their legs behind them or if their pelvis is subluxated (misaligned). Pediatric Chiropractors are specifically trained in analyzing baby spines for issues that may be contributing to baby's difficulty with crawling.

At Foundations Chiropractic we help create a strong foundation of spinal and neurological health to support you and your baby from Day 1.