Crawling - San Antonio,TX

Hi R.,

I was an OT (occupational therapist) for 25 years, now retired. If your daughter is belly crawling, rolling from front to back and back to front, sitting independently, and getting in and out of all those positions smoothly, pulling to standing and beginning to "cruise"--plus, like you said, developing normally in all other ways, I wouldn't be too concerned. If she gets "stuck" and doesn't progress beyond the pulling to standing, or if she's not verbalizing, then I would call the Infant Parent (special education department) in your school district. It's good that the pediatrician is looking for signs outside normal development, yet some kids do skip crawling on all fours and go straight to pulling to stand, cruising, and walking.

Kids need to bear weight on their extremities to get the necessary "input" for joints and muscles to develop strength, stability, mobility, and coordination. If she is pulling to standing and cruising, then she is getting this input in her own way. You could try placing her on all fours and "rocking" her in this position, and "nudging" her at her shoulders and hips to work on her balance; play tug-of-war, and push against hands and feet. You could place her prone over a firm beach ball (that size, but stronger) and guide her to “push” against the floor or walls with hands and feet, etc. Make it playful. Let her "move" furniture and toys across the room. Babies need "resistance" to get strong, just like adults.

You are wise to be aware that your daughter is developing normally in all other areas. There are developmental charts online that give parameters for normal development in the first 3 years. Every child develops at his/her own rate and way. As long as she continues to progress in all these areas at a reasonable rate, it doesn't matter HOW she gets there (like skipping crawling and going to stand/cruise), as long as she DOES.

If, in time, you notice that she is delayed in more than one area, I would, in addition to calling the Infant Parent program, have her evaluated and treated by a skilled, private, pediatric OT, as the school district can provide therapy only as it relates to academics. If the doctor writes the referral, you, the doc, and the OT can work together to get the wording right so your insurance will pay.

Have fun with your daughter! Take her to playgrounds. Introduce her to new physically challenging experiences. Join playgroups. Get her in the pool this summer, as that is a wonderful activity to build strength and coordination in the entire body while having fun. Plus, it wears kids out sufficiently so they sleep well! ;+)

Good luck! jenifer

I wouldn't be concerned unless you notice that other developmental milestones are also delayed. However this one thing on it's own shouldn't be much of an issue.
If she seems right on target for everything else (motor/fine motor skills, ability to communicate either verbally or non-verbally etc..)
I think Dr.s especially have a range that they want to see every child do A, B, or C. But every child is different and does things at their own pace. I think the mother, rather then the Dr, who is spending every day with her little one - would have a better feel for the overall development of the child.

Personally I have 3 children (all girls) and my oldest child NEVER crawled. She turned 5 yrs last week and has still never crawled! LOL. She never did the "commando" belly style crawl either. At 5.5 months she figured out the sitting thing. At 6 months she started scooting everywhere on her butt, at 7 months she was pulling up to stand, and doing squat/stand/sit/repeat. At 8 months she walked.
She just totally skipped over the crawling part all together.

My middle daughter did crawl. For 2 days. Then she skipped it too.

Now my youngest daughter is crawling everywhere, and has been for 3 months. Now my fear is that she'll never walk! haha.
But logically looking back... I realize each girl just had thier own unique way of getting from point A to point B. :)

Hey R.,

I agree with the other moms' responses. Some babies just don't do the "normal" crawling thing. My husband's youngest sister was nicknamed Scooter for the longest time because of how she "crawled". She sat on her butt and scooted. My MIL, FIL, & hubby said she never actually used her knees & hands. She went from scooting around on her belly to sitting on her butt & scooting. If your DD is already trying to stand, then don't worry about it!!! Yes the adage says "you have to learn to crawl before you can learn to walk", but no where does it say "you have to learn to crawl on your hands and knees before you can learn to walk". Take heart knowing that "milestones" are strictly guidelines for doctors to use to keep track of development. They are NOT set in stone, and each child is different. Think about this scenerio.....teenage girls typically start their menstral cycle around the of 13 or 14. But there are girls out there, unfortunately, who are 9, 10, etc when they start that "wonderful" journey.

Here's my parting gem....I have two beautiful daughters and one handsome son. I believe them to be the most wonderful, above all others. That is of course my mother's perogative. I would hate for my babies to be "normal"!!! Advice, concerns, thoughts, critisism will come at you from every conceivable angle during your journey as a mother. Follow your gut, your head, and your heart! Keep the information you agree with, throw the rest out with the garbage. After all, that beautiful baby girl is YOUR daughter!!!

Hope this helps you. I'm always here if you need someone to chat with!

My son did a little soldier pull kind of crawl when he was learning. I read that some babies never "crawl" in the hands and knees position while they are learning. Some go from a belly crawl to standing to to walking. I don't think you need to fret too much just yet. Every child has their own way of learning to move their own bodies. Just keep encouraging her to use her limbs and she'll get there. If she hasn't made any progress at all by 15 months then maybe your doctor can advise on some physical therapy for her.

NO! Babies develop at different ages. What they go against is 'the avereage'. But that's all it is - an average concluded by some who develop fast and others who develop slow.
If it's any consolation, my 10 year old didn't move for almost a year. Seriously, she wouldn't even roll over until she was lik 9-10 months. We had to force her and she would scream. Then, one day - it was like she stood up and took off. Same thing with talking, she didn't say a distinguishable word until she was a year or so.
When we look back on it, it was like everything happened between 10-14 months. She's a healthy 10 year old, does great in school, sociable, dance, sports, etc.!
Hang in there Mom...you will get a lot of crazy advice (some may say what I just said was crazy)...but you know best - that's why God gave her to you!

Blessings,
Rebecca

R., I had a similar situation and we were referred to an orthopedic dr for my daughter. And he told us that not all kids crawl and there was nothing to be alarmed about. If she is pulling up and standing on her own then maybe she will be the baby who walks and doesn't crawl.

I think you shouldn't worry about it, if she is learning to stand on her own then she just may skip that step. she is learning how to get around her own way!!

Hi. I thought that crawling was not a "milestone" There are a lot of babies that do not crawl, they just walk. She seems to get to where & what she needs. If she is developing in other ways I would not be too concerned. She's pulling up? hand/ mouth ok.? eye contact good? cooing? If she is hitting all the regular milestones I would not worry. Do you have her in a gym class? Those are good classes to develop muscle strength . My son was a late crawler(so fat! lol) & he would just roll & watch the other crawlers. he did end up crawling then was a late walker. Go figure. Now he walks to school on his own. You get the idea.

Everything I've ever read says that "traditional crawling" is not a necessary developmental stage to be able to walk. Soon enough she will be running every where :)

Just make sure your daughter, could lift herself on her arms, hands and knees and that she has strength to carry herself using them if she wanted to.

Have you and your husband crawled around? Does your daughter have an opportunity to see other children crawling? Could be she never thought about getting around like that..

Our daughter scooted around and then walked very early
(6 months). She would really pull herself up to get her bottle off of a chair, a toy on the edge of the sofa. She also loved pulling herself up her Little Tikes slide.

She was just not interested in crawling.

If your little girl is standing, she will probably just start walking. Some little ones do that. They never crawl. I don't think you need to worry.

I know your doctor has you concerned I wouldn't be so much my oldest daughter never crawled she went straight from laying on her belly scooting to walking she was a little over a year when she started to walk.

If your daughter is, "belly crawling" I don't feel there is any need for concern; each child develops at their own rate. My son is 8 months old and only, "bear crawls" on his hands and legs not his knees and he will scoot backwards on his stomach. And get this he hasn't even cut any teeth yet but I don't worry because like you stated he is developing normally in every other way. Keep the pediatrician informed just so they can be on the look out for future growth/development expectations.

I would not worry about crawling on hands and knees. I watched a developmental show once and it said there are 24 different ways of crawling. I have seen kids scoot on their bottoms instead of crawling. If everything else is ok there is probably no need to worry. As long as you don't feel there is any muscle control issues, which there probably is not since she is belly crawling. Just keep and eye on that and encourage the next step - walking!

I can't believe your doc would bring this up and scare you like this. All babies develop at different rates. Some never crawl. When my son was this age, another little girl in his day care scooted on her rear end. She would stretch her legs out, feet together, then pull her self along by contracting her legs feet still together until her crotch was at her heels, then she would stretch her legs out again.

As long as she seems to have normal muscle development and good use of her legs and arms, I wouldn't worry about it.

You already have a ton of great responses, but I just wanted to throw in my concern about your doctor. Most doctors should be aware that there are many forms of crawling and belly crawling is one form of these. Is there something else that the doctor was concerned about as well? If not, I'd start worrying about how much I could rely on the doctor. Everything from the "What to Expect the First Year" to the American Academy of Pediatrics book called "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child Birth to Age 5" agree that there are many different forms of crawling. They all agree that you should be concerned if one side is not being used, but as long as she is moving with both sides, you should not be concerned. (I know how hard the doctor search can be, so I am not trying to sound harsh, but I am wondering why a doctor would tell you to check back in a month if she IS crawling!)

I had this problem with my youngest. I would put soft objects in her way...like put her on a boppy. Arms over and legs behind. Or a small pillow or stuffed animal. She had to learn to pick her body up to get over or she had to drag stuff everywhere...Good Luck...remember each kid goes at their own pace. I wouldn't worry yet!

I have heard that some babies never do crawl, just go from scooting around to walking. My son didn't walk til 16 mos. He was very laid back. I wouldn't worry if she is already standing up and making progress with that. I am no expert, but I think she sounds normal to me. Remember, you know your child best.

If your doctor has concerns, it's always worth following up and not ignoring. However, my daughter never crawled. Went straight to walking, although she didn't walk until 15 mths. My daughter scooted on her butt. She looked like a crab floating across the floor. It is not unusual at all for babies to walk late and skip late. I would still get in touch with the ole doc as prescribed. I never ignore my doctor. If you don't feel comfortable with the reccommendation, get a second opinion, but never ignore.

I've been going through the same thing with my 4th baby. But finally the week before her one year well check she started up on all fours. Like some other people have said, some kids skip crawling all together. I always get a little concerned when I see 9 month olds walking but then I remember every child is different.

My son never crawled. He did what we called the "commando" on his elbows and belly and got around faster than his twin sister, who was a crawler. From there he went straight to a full-out run and has been doing so ever since. He's never had any developmental problems and in fact, is in accelerated classes at school. If everything else is fine, I don't think that not crawling is an issue at all.

Please don't stress. My pedi never even asked about crawling. It's not one of the developmental milestones. I was all worried because my youngest did this funky one-knee-one-foot kind of crawl. NOTHING to be concerned about, her doc said.

My girls didn't start walking until closer to 1 1/2. I was stressing, but my pedi reassured me that every baby is different, and as long as all the other development is going well (including the fact that mine were pulling up), there's nothing to worry about.
My oldest now runs as fast if not faster than the boys, and the mantra for my 2 1/2 year-old is, "why walk, when you can run?"

Just remember - every baby is different, and though doctors are a great resource, they don't always know EVERYTHING. YOU know your child best, so follow your gut. If she's happy, keep her environment safe so she can explore, and get that belly-crawl on video!!!! You'll miss it dearly in 6 months to a year. :-D

M.

My now 5 yr old son never crawled on his hands & knees. He army crawled for a while and then got up & started walking one day. I wouldn't be to concerned if she is developing fine in every other way. If the doctor keeps pressing the issue, I might think about getting an opinion from a different doctor. Hope this helps.

I wouldn't worry too much, as long as your daughter is standing on own, about to walk etc. Our little boy, who is now 19 mos., was king of the belly crawl too. He never really crawled normally until AFTER he learned to walk at 13 months. Just keep an eye on things, and check that her other development is all normal. If it is, then no problem, I think. Some babies just like that army crawl instead!

My pediatrician always said that crawling was not a milestone. As long as she is learning to stand and possibly start taking steps, then I wouldn't worry about it. She may just not crawl. You can get her some sort of toy that moves (like a train or something) so that she can go after it, but if she army crawls, then she may just do that instead of getting on all fours. You can try to prop her up on all fours to give her the idea or crawl along side of her so that she can see you do it, but honestly, I don't think I would worry about it. Can she push herself up on her hands while on her belly? If she has the arms strength for that and muscle tone isn't an issue, then stop stressing and get a 2nd opinion if you think it's necessary. Good luck!

I don't know that I would be concerned. My brother never crawled normally, he just scooted around until the day he stood up and walked. Another thing to bear in mind is that the normal time frame for walking is up to 18 months. Crawling is not actually used as a developmental indicator in the way that sitting up, rolling, etc. are. If your pediatrician continues to raise the issue, by all means go get a second opinion, but I think it's a bit early to be worried.

I took my 15 month old out to the driveway and let him crawl after bubbles. The driveway was rough on him and instead of being on his belly he would pull his knees up. Good luck!

Don't get anxious. You've said yourself that she's preparing to walk and that the rest of her development seems fine. Does she look like she has the capability to crawl? Do her arms and legs look strong enough? Is she able to hold herself in that position? If the answer is yes, then she is most likely fine, fine, fine. Maybe she just doesn't want to get her knees dirty. Babies have all kinds of funky ways to get around, and we don't know why. I knew one baby who would look behind her and slide backward on her belly...in circles!

Use the doctor as back-up, but trust your instinct when it comes to how your baby is doing.

Congrats on your new little girl. I'm sure that you're doing fine, so relax and enjoy her!

It is important that they crawl. It stimulates the brain when they crawl correctly.There can be learning disabilites if they do not get sufficient crawling. One thing that inhibits crawling is that sometimes the child has not been given enough "floor" time. They should be left on the floor alot when they are awake and fed and happy so that they can learn to crawl. People keep their babies in seats and other restrictions too much. Google developmental guidelines to see what your child should be doing at this age and then you can see if there is a delay. I think the time to be crawling is between 7 months and a year, with them starting to walk around a year. Your doctor would be amiss if they did not point out the potential of a problem.

my daughter never crawled

just got up one day and walked, i think its pretty normal not to crawl, i hear this question often

Hi R., I wouldn't be to concerned if she is belly crawling. It is a development process. They should crawl before they walk. I know several babies that are all grown now with this issue. My cousin never crawled or belly crawled he went straight to pulling up and walking at 8 1/2 months, he was never coordinated so he never played sports like his 2 younger brothers. He's a brainiac though, very smart and has done well for himself. My nephew was a belly crawler. The pedi was concerned but he's also grown now and is a wonderful athlete. He did ROTC in highschool and received 1st place in the rifle drills. Hope this is a word of encouragement for you.

What you can do? Not sure maybe see if you can raise her belly up the floor when she's crawling. My nephew wouldn't ever go for it but then again girls are different than boys, she may be more responsive. I'm sure you've already got on the floor and showed her how to do it but maybe it would help if you point out and compare your body parts as you do it. Babies are great immitaters. I know that might sound kind of crazy or silly for me to say to do but you never know. Good luck.

Hi R.,
It is necessary for children to crawl before they walk because it is a coordination issue......crawling helps them be more coordianted as they grow a little older. I had a grand son who never crawled- and at 10 mos was pulling up and walking around tables and furniture- we all thought it was so cute and he "was so smart" but the fact was that he was a terrible clutz by the time he started school. He had a hard time running because his feet and legs were not coordinated with his arms and hands- ,........sounds silly I know but that is what the dr. told my daughter- because he never crawled his coordination was all off kilter.......not anything that would make your child crippled or anything like that- just as she gets older she may have issues with running and playing sports very well.
so........try to teach her to crawl if you can.

good luck and blessings

I had a friends whose little boy did the belly crawl thing until he walked. He is fine now. He is almost 6 and plays soccer.
If you are concerned, you can have Early Childhood Intervention come out and do an evaluation.

Encourage her to walk(instead of crawl) if she is standing and walking along furniture. It is not necessary for her to crawl; some babies skip the crawling and go straight to walking. I don't think it's a big deal if she cannot crawl as long as she is sitting without support, walking while holding onto things, etc. Every baby is different and if she is walking within the next month or so then what does it matter if she EVER crawled? It doesn't matter.....don't let that dr. scare you....google 12 month old motor skill development and see how far along your little one is....it should confirm in your mind whether or not there is something to be concerned about. Some babies need a little more pushing and practicing than others also....my little girl is almost 10 months and is no where near walking...BUT Her brother was walking COMPLETELY by almost 10 months. Every child is different. Hope this helps!

Although hand and knee crawling is a developmently milestone I would not be concerned if she is getting around (crawling her way) and is learning to stand and walk soon. I am told that my husband never crawled and went from rolling everywhere to walking and he is super smart! Don't stress over this!

I have been told that the motion of crawling (using alternating hands and legs) helps part of the brain develop that is used in reading and I believe math. It doesn't mean that you will have a stupid kid or anything, but I have heard that it helps some of the synapses in the brain make connections. It is hard though because my kids only crawled for about a month before they started walking. It isn't like you can push them down and make them crawl. I wouldn't be too worried.

R., I'm sure one of the main concerns is developing strength in her core. Our son never crawled and he is nearly 5 now. He still has weak core strength which many Occupational Therapists and doctors think can cause a problem with attention and other things along those lines. This is because they are putting so much effort into sitting up straight. It sounds really whacky but the OT my son is seeing (for something else, not the core strength problem...so don't worry) has shown me how this works. I believe it now. Anyway, don't worry...if this ends up happening to your daughter, it's not the end of the world, she will become stronger over time. So, my point is...I wouldn't worry much about it. Neither of my two kids crawled, they both did this crazy butt scoot and they are great, happy and healthy children. Learning to crawl is ideal so maybe work with her a few times a day. Pull her up on her hands and knees and you can both rock back and forth. If she plops back down on her tummy, just keep pulling her back up. Just stop if she becomes frustrated. See if you can get her to copy you. Work on it a few times a day.

Children all develop at a different rate and some children creep (which is on hands and knees) and some children skip it all together. Is she trying to take some steps on her own? If so she may just skip that part of development. My daughter did and now she is 23 and does not seem to have any problems what so ever. If you still do not feel comfortable about your daughters development, I would ask to have her evaluated by a physical therapist who could let you know if she is behind or if she where she needs to be. I am a physical therapist but it is hard to actually diagnose unless she is seen but a pediatric therapist can do a simple test that will let you know where she is at in her development which should ease your fears.

My son did this as well. He started pulling up on things and realized he had knees (I guess). He crawled on his hands and knees for a week or two and then he walked. He is now the most active and smartest kindergartener I have ever known.

Don't worry too much. Put her up on her knees and show her how -- but she will be slower this way, because she is a pro the other way.

L.

One of the PP mentioned that crawling is needed for brain development. I have read this in many places- research has found that it is common of children with certain learning disabilities to have never crawled. Now, it does NOT mean that your child has learning disabilities. Crawling helps in left/right movement and coordination such as the tracking needed for reading. However, you can help your daughter crawl by

1: putting something such as a harness or rope around her and gently pull her back up when she goes to her belly

2: crawl around with her

My girls and I always army crawled (we are also on the autism spectrum.)My oldest did it because she is impatient and it was faster to roll or army crawl then it was to learn to crawl places.

I would be slightly consirned. All kids develop at different times. She sounds like she is going to skip crawling. Try getting her some toys that say encourages crawling. Usually kids start walking from about 11 months to 16 months. If there not walking by 16 months doctors begin to worry. My son was walking by one year holding on to things. He walked on his own at 13 months. Dont worry when some one points out a "problem" it just means to focus on getting that part developement caught up with the rest of them. I have also heard that crawling is important for reading skills later on. This never ever made since to me. Good luck.

Some kids just don't crawl. They go from the "Army Crawl" to walking. If she is showing signs that she's getting ready to walk then I would encourage the walking. The world will not end if she skips the crawling bit. But if she isn't then I would start picking her little but up when she's on her tummy so that she gets the idea that she's supposed to be on all fours.