Strange 'attempts' at crawling...

[Guacamohohohole]

My DS is 7 and 1/2 months and if I place him on his belly and lift his tummy so that he is in a crawling position he straight away straightens his knees so that he is attempting to crawl on his feet and not on his knees if that makes sense? He also always wants to 'stand', it's doing my back in if I'm being honest!

I am aware he is very young but I have heard that babies that do not crawl and go straight to walking miss out on an important part of their brain development. This has been told to me by both my Baby Sensory and Sing and Sign 'teachers'.

Does anyone have any thoughts or comments? Should I try to encourage crawling on knees and if so how?

[Atomant]

What part of brain development do they miss?

[Guacamohohohole]

I really don't know, but they've both commented and said the same thing?
I'm being ridiculous aren't I? Okay... Forget I asked please. :)

[TheSugarPlumFairy]

how is he if you just leave him on his tummy?

DD is 7 months and is proto-crawling at the moment. She is lifting her tummy herself and trying to coordinate her hands and knees. Mostly she just falls on her face alot but she is getting there. For ages though she would do these skydiving poses on the floor, basically bouncing on her belly with her feet and arms up like a skydiver.In an effort to help her along I tried supporting her tummy with a rolled up towel and she did much the same and stiffened her legs behind her and pushed off, usually resulting in a head long collision into the carpet at speed.

if he likes standing maybe you could get him a jumper or activity centre that he can stand supported in and otherwise just give him lots of tummy time while he works out the crawling.

[ADreamOfGood]

I have heard this too, but don't have any evidence I'm afraid.

My dd crawled only for 1 week before walking (at 16mo), and she is physically far behind her peers (now almost 5), though ahead mentally (is already free-reading)

[TheSugarPlumFairy]

i have heard the mental development thing too. It is something to do with maths but i dont know details.

[ADreamOfGood]

Some babies do walk at 8mo btw... quick, put him back in his bouncer!

[Atomant]

I'm genuinely interested I've never heard this before. Is it if they never crawl or just if they don't do it before walking?

[DancingThroughLife]

My Mum is a primary head teacher and she has said something along these lines, but I'm not sure of the exact 'science'.

It's to do with gross motor development leading to finer motor control and can be linked to dyslexia and/or dyspraxia. I think.

FWIW, my nephew has been 'diagnosed' (if that's the right term) with mild dyslexia, and he didn't crawl. Bum-shuffled then cruised, but never technically crawled before he walked. Obviously he can crawl now, as a healthy and athletic 10yo but he didn't do it on his way to walking.

At Mum's school, they now incorporate a dance routine into their PE lessons that apparently helps to bridge the gap in the motor control so that they can get the hang on controlling a pencil better.

I don't the precise details, but that's the general idea I got from her. Will ask her again for a better idea.

[Guacamohohohole]

When he's on his tummy without any help from me he raises his head up and pushes up with his hands. In this position he is very steady. He will not bend his knees but pushes his toes into the floor and tries to propel himself forward without success. If I raise his tummy for him he immediately pushes with his feet, locks his knees straight and launches himself headfirst into the floor.
He loves standing and has a door bouncer that he loves. And if I place him in a standing position so that he has something to hold e.g. table he can support himself and stand for quite a while without me holding on.
I've received comments in both my classes about how he looks like he's going to be a walker and not crawl.
I'm going to google this brain developmental thing....

[Guacamohohohole]

Apparently what he appears to be attempting is the 'bear crawl'.

Dancing is right (according to google there is 'some' evidence of a dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD link in babies who miss crawling).

This page is probably the most reassuring if the 4 I quickly scanned through.

[bruffin]

DS missed out crawling, he went from commando to walking. He has SLD and had problems trying to copy from the blackboard, forgetting what he had read by the time he put his head down to right. He has done very well at school and at secondary is one of their high lyers

[Guacamohohohole]

I'm very ignorant sorry... And really hate googling. What is SLD?

[bruffin]

down to write

[bruffin]

Specific learning disaility ie dyslexia type problems

[bruffin]

and that should be high flyers

[Guacamohohohole]

I can't imagine there's anything I can do to ensure he crawls. If he is going to walk first, he's going to walk first.
Bruffin it's interesting what you say about your DS and blackboards, the link I posted does kind of mention that.
If he turns out to have an SLD (thank you for explaining) such as dyslexia or dyspraxia or ADHD then we will just have to deal with that.

I wonder if they don't crawl because they already are disposed to this or they develop this because they don't crawl?
Plenty of tummy time needed I think.

[Scarabeetle]

Everyone said my DS looked like he would skip crawling and go straight to walking, and then at about 9 months and 1 week, he started! I'm amazed. He's also a very 'standy' baby... hated tummy time from way back, so I didn't push it. Before he got the hang of crawling, he would get on to his tummy, then whine until I picked him up (all of 5 seconds). Exasperating for both of us!

We were the only ones at the 8 month check who weren't crawling, but the nurse said it wasn't a problem at all. She said only to be concerned if they couldn't sit unaided at that age. And there was in fact a crawler in the group who couldn't sit unaided. I don't know what kind of problems that might indicate.

[MiasmARGGG]

My ds's physio and ot told me that a lot of babies aren't crawling nowadays because of the back to sleep campaign. It would seem that babies that don't get tummy time miss a development stage. Apparently there has been a massive rise in children with dyspraxia since people stopped putting their babies on their fronts.

My HV also told me independently that children that don't crawl are more likely to have coordination problems and problems judging distance etc.

Same HV told me crawling was 'old fashioned' though so not sure if I should believe her !

I think there's probably a huge difference between a baby who can't crawl because they never had the opportunity to learn than a precocious baby who just wants to be up exploring.

I wouldn't worry about it to much :)

[bruffin]

Guaco
The link also said about asymetry. Ds had swimming lessons from a baby and piano lessons from 6. Both these encourage the left right brain development which I think helped Ds a lot. We didn't give him lessons for that reasons but his problems are fairly mild.

[Guacamohohohole]

Yes I agree...
I think if he's going to walk first he's going to walk first. It's just the comments at Sensory and Sing and Sign concerned me.
We will just have to wait and see if that means/develops into anything in the future.

It's interesting about the asymmetry. Something to also consider.

[CMOTdibbler]

I never crawled, and certainly have never had any academic problems at all, especially in maths - in fact I have an MSc in physics. And I have never had any problems with fine or gross motor control.

DS cruised long before he crawled - and he didn't do that until 12 months. Bit early to tell academically at 4, but he has really really good balance and core strength now, and is ahead of the curve at school.

So, I wouldn't worry about it

[bruffin]

I think you need to look at it like this
A significant percentage of children with SLD never crawled. However lots of children who never crawl never have any problems. I also think you need to look at the genetic factor as DH also had dyslexic problems.

Also just because a child may have dylexic problems, it doesn't mean they are academically behind. As i said above DS is a high flyer and is on targer for As and A* at GCSE. He may have had to work harder in some areas than others, but he does barely any revision for maths, science and humanites
and gets away with it.

[ImASlatternGetMeOutOfHere]

My DS1 never crawled but went to cruising and walking. He has just been diagnosed with Dyspraxia. He is also on the gited and talented list at school. He is top in Maths, English, Science (he has no compunction in telling the teacher if she is wrong :) ) and IT (taught himself powerpoint last Christmas). He is 8 years old.

[Guacamohohohole]

We have no family history at all of SLDs, none whatsoever... Even in our extended family. That in itself is odd.

I think you're right, there is lots of research about a link, and lots to the contrary. He's only 7 and 1/2 months, I'll try not to worry about it!

CMOTdibbler... I too have an MSc in Physics and my DH has a Physics PhD so I expect our DS will get too much help with regard to the Sciences and Maths. My DH already has a list of experiments you can do at home from the IoP.