When your baby is crawling, you are more excited than them! Crawling is a significant developmental milestone as it is an early step towards infant mobility. Babies use crawling as means to explore and understand the world around them. But not all babies crawl at the same age. To help you understand that and more, this MomJunction post gives you the information about crawling in babies and methods to stimulate it.
When Do Babies Crawl?
The average age when most infants begin to crawl is nine months (1). While some infants achieve it sooner in seven months, others attain this skill by their first birthday. In either case, crawling does not happen overnight, and there are a series of steps or stages that lead to crawling.
How Do Babies Learn To Crawl?
Crawling is a gradual process, where an infant goes through several stages. Crawling can be of different types as not all babies crawl the same way. Each style has a unique technique.
What Are The Different Types Of Baby Crawls?
A baby may stick to one of the following methods or alternate among them:
1. Cross crawl:
It is the usual crawling style where the baby bears weight on hands and knees, moving an arm and opposite knee simultaneously to move forward. This method is also called classic crawl and classic hands-and-knees.
2. Bear crawl:
It is the same as cross crawl, with the only difference being that the baby stretches his legs straight and crawls forward on feet, like bears, instead of knees.
3. Crab crawl:
Similar to cross crawl, the difference here is that the infant moves the body backward or sideways while in crawling position before launching the body forward with his hands.
4. Commando crawl:
The baby’s tummy touches the ground, while he alternately moves an opposite arm and leg. Since the form of crawling resembles the one taught to soldiers, it is referred to as commando crawling, army crawl, and military crawl. It is also called belly crawl and tummy crawl since the stomach is lower and touches the ground. Besides the above crawling methods, the baby may also use some unconventional forms of movement.
Other forms of baby movement
Babies have some unusual ways of moving that are categorized as a variation of crawling, but do not resemble true crawling:
Bottom scooter:
The baby gets into a sitting position, resting his bottom on the ground. He then uses the arms to push the body forward while in the seated position.
Rolling crawl:
The infant simply rolls to move from one place to another. The last two methods may seem unbelievable and perhaps comical, but these are all considered normal forms of infant crawling movement by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) (7).
Breast crawl – Is it a type of crawling?
Some parents may have heard of “breast crawl”, also called chest crawl. This is not a type of crawling but is a slow, creeping movement a newborn makes towards breasts immediately after birth, when placed on the mother’s abdomen or chest (8). Therefore, breast crawl is not a form of infant movement but an early display of crawling reflex. It is a natural instinctive movement of a baby to find the nipple and initiate the first breastfeed. Since it happens right after birth, it is also called birth crawl and breastfeeding crawl. Crawling as a mode of movement is a significant milestone, and there are ways to initiate it in babies. [ Read: Physical Activities For Toddlers ]
How To Help A Baby Crawl?
Encouraging a baby to crawl can be done easily at home. The below tips can help.
Have regular tummy time as it is a single activity with multiple benefits. It strengthens almost every muscle in the baby’s body, paving way for complex movements such as crawling. AAP recommends two to three sessions of tummy time play every day with each session lasting for at least five minutes (9). As the infant grows, increase tummy time.
Work on the infant’s curiosity and encourage them to reach for objects. This inquisitiveness can be leveraged to improve their motor skills. Parents can place objects around the baby and then encourage the little one to reach for them. It creates a strong intent for the baby to move their body, thus stimulating crawling.
Get him to sit as sitting helps improve the supporting capabilities of the back muscles. Once the baby is six months old, place him in a sitting position and let him stay that way for a few minutes. Repeat the activity every day.
Creeping is important too, even if it may seem awkward to see the baby creep around the house! Nevertheless, the creeping movement helps the baby learn to move forward and is vital for creating a foundation for subsequent crawling skills of the infant.
Make crawling interesting for the baby, once the baby is a full-fledged crawler. Hiding toys or playing peek-a-boo ensure that the infant crawls a lot. If at any moment the baby stumbles and falls, just give him a reassuring hug and let him go back to crawling.
Various activities can help in motivating different stages of crawling development.
Exercises To Help A Baby Crawl
Each activity stimulates a specific pre-crawling stage thus encouraging the baby to crawl:
1. What’s that?
Age to play: Two months Stimulates: Pre-crawling stage one – holding head up How to:
2. Reach for the toy:
Age to play: Four months Stimulates: Pre-crawling stage two – pushing elbows How to:
3. Assisted crawling position:
Age to play: Six months Stimulates: Pre-crawling stage three – supporting body weight How to:
4. Follow the moving toy:
Age to play: Eight months Stimulates: Pre-crawling stage four – creeping How to:
5. Crossing the tunnel:
Age to play: Nine months Stimulates: Stage five – crawling How to: Maintain a regular schedule of these activities as they come with several advantages and help you achieve the best results.
Benefits Of Crawling
Crawling is beneficial in multiple ways (10):
Strengthens muscles: Since the baby needs to exert a coordinated force to move the body, his muscles eventually become stronger. Crawling strengthens the muscles of shoulders, arms, and back. It also makes the muscles of the abdomen and hips firmer.
Improves posture and balance: Greater strength leads to improved posture. Parents also notice that since their infants start crawling, they balance their body better and appear less wobbly.
Makes joints more flexible: There is an extended range of motion and flexibility in joints from those of the spine to the wrist and the ankles.
Brain development: All the exploration through crawling upgrades the neuron functions and accelerates brain development.
Vision development: Babies use their eyes as a guide to navigate around their surroundings while crawling. This leads to a better eye-body coordination. Crawling thus helps in vision development, specifically improving binocular vision (depth perception).
Better body structure: All that weight bearing on the hands improves the shape of the hand. A better-shaped hand eventually leads to better grip.
It is possible for the baby to wander off in his zeal to explore. So, parental involvement in crawling does not end with just assistance. Besides being watchful about the baby, there are many things you could do to ensure the safety of the baby.
How To Make Crawling Safe For The Baby?
Parents can make crawling a safe developmental activity for the baby by following these simple tips.
Start with a soft surface: When you notice the baby creeping for the first time, place him on a cushioned surface that will absorb the impact of injury or fall.
Baby-proof the house: Prepare the house to be safe for the baby to crawl around. Start by blocking the staircases with sturdy gates taller than the baby and with slats/ridges narrow enough to prevent the baby to pass through them. Secure shelves and racks firmly to the wall or the ground to prevent them from falling on the baby. Tie a piece of padding to sharp edges of furniture. Wrap any loose electrical cords and cover electricity plug outlets.
Buy cribs with guard rails: The baby must always sleep in a crib that has guard rails with narrow spacing to prevent him from slipping out. When buying a play yard, choose ones that have a vertical net to stop the baby from toppling. Parents often complain of their baby crawling out of the crib, which is common as infants cannot yet judge a dip or fall. But, the judgment improves after about six weeks into crawling. Nevertheless, it is best to put the baby for naps only in a crib with guard rails.
Do not leave the baby unattended: Despite all the safety measures, never leave a baby unattended. While crawling, a baby may lose track of the path and accidentally crawl out of open doors while shutting them behind. Maintaining a vigil is perhaps the best way to prevent any accidents.
Safety of the baby is vital when he is crawling. But sometimes the baby may not crawl at all.
What If The Baby Does Not Crawl?
Before you panic, here is what you should know:
Some babies take time: The earliest the baby can crawl is at six months. And, infants have a crawling age range of six to twelve months (11). Each baby has a unique developmental timeline, and as long as he is growing normally, there is no need to panic. Parents can rather be patient and stimulate crawling through activities such as the ones mentioned earlier.
Premature babies may crawl later: A premature infant usually has delayed development, when compared to a full-term infant (6). Regular checkups by a doctor help ensure that a preemie achieves all the milestones even if delayed.
Neonatal infections may delay development: Suffering infectious diseases early in life may affect the various developmental milestones of an infant (12). For instance, a lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) impacts the baby’s posture to the extent that the little one is unable to sit independently. It subsequently influences the ability to crawl by impeding its achievement.
Neurological problems can delay crawling: Certain genetically caused neurological problems, such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and Rett syndrome, may delay or interfere with crawling (13) (14). Most infants are screened for these conditions at regular intervals to ensure early detection and intervention. Babies with these neurological disorders display other symptoms that can be noticed by a doctor during a routine examination.
Spotting any sign of developmental delay is thus crucial. Keep reading to find out these red flags.
Red flags in baby’s development
Here are the signs of delay in a baby’s development that affect the ability to crawl later:
At two months: Cannot hold head up when placed on the tummy
At four months: Does not hold steady and does not bring hands to mouth
At six months: Does not roll over and has stiff muscles
At nine months: Does not sit by himself
Take the baby to a pediatrician if you notice these developmental delays. However, developmental anomalies need not always be the reason. The baby might just choose to walk rather than crawl!
Can Babies Walk Before They Crawl?
Yes, some babies may skip crawling and get straight on their feet and walk. Here are the essential points to keep in mind about it.
It is less common: A baby cannot support the entire body weight on his legs if he never supported them on his knees. It is relatively rare to find infants who skip crawling as it is a natural intermediary milestone before walking. A study that analyzed walking in infants found that even the youngest infants who walk wobbly have crawled at some point in their infancy. There is always a gradual upgrade from crawling to walking.
Skipping crawling is said to have side-effects: Some experts believe that giving crawling a pass in favor of walking could have its down points. For instance, the American Optometric Association (AOA) states that infants who do minimal crawling and adopt early walking tend to have poor vision-movement coordination (15) and lack improved muscle strength. However, these adverse effects are rare, which brings us to the next point.
It is still normal: Despite all the anxiety associated with skipping crawling, most experts believe it is entirely normal for an infant to do so (16). Most pediatricians firmly believe that it is completely okay for a baby to walk before crawling as long as he achieves other developmental milestones (17). Precocious infants could begin a month with crawling and end it with walking. Such situations should not be alarming. Interestingly, about 40% of infants in the US skipped crawling in the early 20th century due to long clothing that hindered crawling. These babies went on to grow normally without any developmental hiccups.
References:
title: “When Do Babies Start Crawling How To Help Them Crawl” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-20” author: “Madeline Cates”
When your baby is crawling, you are more excited than them! Crawling is a significant developmental milestone as it is an early step towards infant mobility. Babies use crawling as means to explore and understand the world around them. But not all babies crawl at the same age. To help you understand that and more, this MomJunction post gives you the information about crawling in babies and methods to stimulate it.
When Do Babies Crawl?
The average age when most infants begin to crawl is nine months (1). While some infants achieve it sooner in seven months, others attain this skill by their first birthday. In either case, crawling does not happen overnight, and there are a series of steps or stages that lead to crawling.
How Do Babies Learn To Crawl?
Crawling is a gradual process, where an infant goes through several stages. Crawling can be of different types as not all babies crawl the same way. Each style has a unique technique.
What Are The Different Types Of Baby Crawls?
A baby may stick to one of the following methods or alternate among them:
1. Cross crawl:
It is the usual crawling style where the baby bears weight on hands and knees, moving an arm and opposite knee simultaneously to move forward. This method is also called classic crawl and classic hands-and-knees.
2. Bear crawl:
It is the same as cross crawl, with the only difference being that the baby stretches his legs straight and crawls forward on feet, like bears, instead of knees.
3. Crab crawl:
Similar to cross crawl, the difference here is that the infant moves the body backward or sideways while in crawling position before launching the body forward with his hands.
4. Commando crawl:
The baby’s tummy touches the ground, while he alternately moves an opposite arm and leg. Since the form of crawling resembles the one taught to soldiers, it is referred to as commando crawling, army crawl, and military crawl. It is also called belly crawl and tummy crawl since the stomach is lower and touches the ground. Besides the above crawling methods, the baby may also use some unconventional forms of movement.
Other forms of baby movement
Babies have some unusual ways of moving that are categorized as a variation of crawling, but do not resemble true crawling:
Bottom scooter:
The baby gets into a sitting position, resting his bottom on the ground. He then uses the arms to push the body forward while in the seated position.
Rolling crawl:
The infant simply rolls to move from one place to another. The last two methods may seem unbelievable and perhaps comical, but these are all considered normal forms of infant crawling movement by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) (7).
Breast crawl – Is it a type of crawling?
Some parents may have heard of “breast crawl”, also called chest crawl. This is not a type of crawling but is a slow, creeping movement a newborn makes towards breasts immediately after birth, when placed on the mother’s abdomen or chest (8). Therefore, breast crawl is not a form of infant movement but an early display of crawling reflex. It is a natural instinctive movement of a baby to find the nipple and initiate the first breastfeed. Since it happens right after birth, it is also called birth crawl and breastfeeding crawl. Crawling as a mode of movement is a significant milestone, and there are ways to initiate it in babies. [ Read: Physical Activities For Toddlers ]
How To Help A Baby Crawl?
Encouraging a baby to crawl can be done easily at home. The below tips can help.
Have regular tummy time as it is a single activity with multiple benefits. It strengthens almost every muscle in the baby’s body, paving way for complex movements such as crawling. AAP recommends two to three sessions of tummy time play every day with each session lasting for at least five minutes (9). As the infant grows, increase tummy time.
Work on the infant’s curiosity and encourage them to reach for objects. This inquisitiveness can be leveraged to improve their motor skills. Parents can place objects around the baby and then encourage the little one to reach for them. It creates a strong intent for the baby to move their body, thus stimulating crawling.
Get him to sit as sitting helps improve the supporting capabilities of the back muscles. Once the baby is six months old, place him in a sitting position and let him stay that way for a few minutes. Repeat the activity every day.
Creeping is important too, even if it may seem awkward to see the baby creep around the house! Nevertheless, the creeping movement helps the baby learn to move forward and is vital for creating a foundation for subsequent crawling skills of the infant.
Make crawling interesting for the baby, once the baby is a full-fledged crawler. Hiding toys or playing peek-a-boo ensure that the infant crawls a lot. If at any moment the baby stumbles and falls, just give him a reassuring hug and let him go back to crawling.
Various activities can help in motivating different stages of crawling development.
Exercises To Help A Baby Crawl
Each activity stimulates a specific pre-crawling stage thus encouraging the baby to crawl:
1. What’s that?
Age to play: Two months Stimulates: Pre-crawling stage one – holding head up How to:
2. Reach for the toy:
Age to play: Four months Stimulates: Pre-crawling stage two – pushing elbows How to:
3. Assisted crawling position:
Age to play: Six months Stimulates: Pre-crawling stage three – supporting body weight How to:
4. Follow the moving toy:
Age to play: Eight months Stimulates: Pre-crawling stage four – creeping How to:
5. Crossing the tunnel:
Age to play: Nine months Stimulates: Stage five – crawling How to: Maintain a regular schedule of these activities as they come with several advantages and help you achieve the best results.
Benefits Of Crawling
Crawling is beneficial in multiple ways (10):
Strengthens muscles: Since the baby needs to exert a coordinated force to move the body, his muscles eventually become stronger. Crawling strengthens the muscles of shoulders, arms, and back. It also makes the muscles of the abdomen and hips firmer.
Improves posture and balance: Greater strength leads to improved posture. Parents also notice that since their infants start crawling, they balance their body better and appear less wobbly.
Makes joints more flexible: There is an extended range of motion and flexibility in joints from those of the spine to the wrist and the ankles.
Brain development: All the exploration through crawling upgrades the neuron functions and accelerates brain development.
Vision development: Babies use their eyes as a guide to navigate around their surroundings while crawling. This leads to a better eye-body coordination. Crawling thus helps in vision development, specifically improving binocular vision (depth perception).
Better body structure: All that weight bearing on the hands improves the shape of the hand. A better-shaped hand eventually leads to better grip.
It is possible for the baby to wander off in his zeal to explore. So, parental involvement in crawling does not end with just assistance. Besides being watchful about the baby, there are many things you could do to ensure the safety of the baby.
How To Make Crawling Safe For The Baby?
Parents can make crawling a safe developmental activity for the baby by following these simple tips.
Start with a soft surface: When you notice the baby creeping for the first time, place him on a cushioned surface that will absorb the impact of injury or fall.
Baby-proof the house: Prepare the house to be safe for the baby to crawl around. Start by blocking the staircases with sturdy gates taller than the baby and with slats/ridges narrow enough to prevent the baby to pass through them. Secure shelves and racks firmly to the wall or the ground to prevent them from falling on the baby. Tie a piece of padding to sharp edges of furniture. Wrap any loose electrical cords and cover electricity plug outlets.
Buy cribs with guard rails: The baby must always sleep in a crib that has guard rails with narrow spacing to prevent him from slipping out. When buying a play yard, choose ones that have a vertical net to stop the baby from toppling. Parents often complain of their baby crawling out of the crib, which is common as infants cannot yet judge a dip or fall. But, the judgment improves after about six weeks into crawling. Nevertheless, it is best to put the baby for naps only in a crib with guard rails.
Do not leave the baby unattended: Despite all the safety measures, never leave a baby unattended. While crawling, a baby may lose track of the path and accidentally crawl out of open doors while shutting them behind. Maintaining a vigil is perhaps the best way to prevent any accidents.
Safety of the baby is vital when he is crawling. But sometimes the baby may not crawl at all.
What If The Baby Does Not Crawl?
Before you panic, here is what you should know:
Some babies take time: The earliest the baby can crawl is at six months. And, infants have a crawling age range of six to twelve months (11). Each baby has a unique developmental timeline, and as long as he is growing normally, there is no need to panic. Parents can rather be patient and stimulate crawling through activities such as the ones mentioned earlier.
Premature babies may crawl later: A premature infant usually has delayed development, when compared to a full-term infant (6). Regular checkups by a doctor help ensure that a preemie achieves all the milestones even if delayed.
Neonatal infections may delay development: Suffering infectious diseases early in life may affect the various developmental milestones of an infant (12). For instance, a lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) impacts the baby’s posture to the extent that the little one is unable to sit independently. It subsequently influences the ability to crawl by impeding its achievement.
Neurological problems can delay crawling: Certain genetically caused neurological problems, such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and Rett syndrome, may delay or interfere with crawling (13) (14). Most infants are screened for these conditions at regular intervals to ensure early detection and intervention. Babies with these neurological disorders display other symptoms that can be noticed by a doctor during a routine examination.
Spotting any sign of developmental delay is thus crucial. Keep reading to find out these red flags.
Red flags in baby’s development
Here are the signs of delay in a baby’s development that affect the ability to crawl later:
At two months: Cannot hold head up when placed on the tummy
At four months: Does not hold steady and does not bring hands to mouth
At six months: Does not roll over and has stiff muscles
At nine months: Does not sit by himself
Take the baby to a pediatrician if you notice these developmental delays. However, developmental anomalies need not always be the reason. The baby might just choose to walk rather than crawl!
Can Babies Walk Before They Crawl?
Yes, some babies may skip crawling and get straight on their feet and walk. Here are the essential points to keep in mind about it.
It is less common: A baby cannot support the entire body weight on his legs if he never supported them on his knees. It is relatively rare to find infants who skip crawling as it is a natural intermediary milestone before walking. A study that analyzed walking in infants found that even the youngest infants who walk wobbly have crawled at some point in their infancy. There is always a gradual upgrade from crawling to walking.
Skipping crawling is said to have side-effects: Some experts believe that giving crawling a pass in favor of walking could have its down points. For instance, the American Optometric Association (AOA) states that infants who do minimal crawling and adopt early walking tend to have poor vision-movement coordination (15) and lack improved muscle strength. However, these adverse effects are rare, which brings us to the next point.
It is still normal: Despite all the anxiety associated with skipping crawling, most experts believe it is entirely normal for an infant to do so (16). Most pediatricians firmly believe that it is completely okay for a baby to walk before crawling as long as he achieves other developmental milestones (17). Precocious infants could begin a month with crawling and end it with walking. Such situations should not be alarming. Interestingly, about 40% of infants in the US skipped crawling in the early 20th century due to long clothing that hindered crawling. These babies went on to grow normally without any developmental hiccups.
