Is it true that crawling=better brain development i.e. those that don't crawl (just bum shuffle) are already doomed on the IQ front...?!

[madmarriedNika]

[paranoid mum alert emoticon] A friend told me yesterday that crawling has been shown to be good for brain development, much better than bum shuffling and going straight to cruising without crawling properly.

Is this true ? Where is the scientific research to back this up?
And what can you do if you have a bum shuffler who's beginning to cruise and not looking likely to crawl at all?!

Thanks x

it's bollocks.

I don't think there is any scientific research.

Don't worry

yep, got to put weights on them so they do their requisite crawling before trying to stand up

load of old crap

I'd say absolute farking crap. Loads of babies skip crawling.
I didn't think ds would crawl, he has just started at 10m but if he didn't doesn't mean he's a thicko!
Where did you friend here that?

DS didn't learn to crawl, only did the commando then got up and walked at 10 months. he is dyslexic, but a huge BUT he is certainly not doomed on the IQ front. He is 12, on the g&t list for several subjects.
There has been shown to be some connection between non crawlers and dyslexic type problems. But dyslexia does not mean low IQ.

Thank you [relief emoticon]

To make myself feel better I had already in my head thought that at least I BFed my DD, even if she is an avid bum shuffler and doomed to not crawl (my friend didn't BF her DD, although hers crawls...)- and I think there is scientific research to prove BFing is better for brain development.... God I'm a bad mum to be thinking like that!!!

Sorry, x-posted...
DH has mild dyslexia, but has high IQ...

DD is 12 months, bum shuffles happily and starting to cruise...no sign at all of crawling. DS did crawl, but reluctantly, and only for about 2 weeks before he decided being upright provided a better view

Sounds like total rubbish IMO.

My ds crawled perfectly from about 9mths old but it turns out he has severe learning difficulties and is non-verbal at 5.5yrs old.

I think there are some correlations between people with dyslexic/dyspraxic type symptoms and not crawling, but I don't know whether the crawling prevents it (by developing cross brain stimulus - the theory being that right arm/left leg uses the two halves of the brain together), or whether having a tendency towards one of those prohibits crawling.

I wouldn't worry though!

Skippetty skip. DD is crawling at 24 weeks. She's a genie-arse. Hurrah!

absolutely not. DP was a bs and he got a 1st class degree and a Phd. Perhaps if he hadn't bum shuffled, he'd now be a rocket scientist.

He does read slower than me tho'

non no tis not sign of anything much.

Sounds like rubbish to me. DD crawled. She's bright enough. DS never crawled and it took him forever to walk and he is a complete brainbox

Friends' dd bumshuffled and parents got quite worried. went on and on then she started walking - never crawled. She is an exceptionally bright child.

Please don't worry. I would say, in my experience of ds1 (bum shuffler) and ds2 (crawler) there may be a slight difference in terms of co-ordination, ds1 seemed to have more falls than ds2 when he started walking. But in terms of 'brightness' ds1 at this stage seems quicker than ds2. Everyone is different and I think the way they get around is an early expression of difference.

...and even if the worst happens and bum shuffling means that a child isn't as bright as a child that crawls - what exactly does that mean
bright child =good
less bright child = oh my god

Good point well made PW

supposedly if a baby skips crawling, the don't develop certain neurological pathways that help processing skills like reading and writing.
As the mum of 2 ds's neither of whom crawled but walked at 9 months, I've have looked and looked for evidence on this but have never found any... so, load of old crap I think....
You could buy one of those play tunnels and tents from ELC all that crawling in and out would probably cover it

i can't say that my very late crawler/shuffler/wlaker has any probs. she's 6 now and top of her class in reading and writing.

She was far too busy being brainy to move. !!

What a pile of shite.

Who makes this crap up???

Load of rubbish. Every baby and child is different! My sister was a bum shuffler, yet is the most intellegent person I know!!! Far more intellegent than both me and my brother who crawled at 7 months. She also didn't spek proper words til she was 2. She was so intellegent she knew all she had to dp was point and grunt and my mum and dad would go running!

sorry, speak not spek! (and I was a crawler!!!)

Nope. No connection. My oldest never crawled, he bumshuffled. He was nicknamed "Little Einstein" or "The Intellectual" by my NCT group as he was so advanced otherwise.

However, he is less co-ordinated and less "sporty" than his peers now at 6. I dont know if there is any connection.