While you may consider crawling to be a big milestone in your baby’s development, crawling is not actually considered a developmental milestone by experts because some babies skip the crawling stage entirely and go straight to walking. But there are developmental reasons why encouraging your baby to crawl is beneficial. Read on to discover why crawling is important for your baby:
Motor skills
As your baby starts to crawl she’s developing motor skills, balance, muscle tone and hand-eye coordination, all essential when it comes to learning to stand, walk, play, kick a ball, read and write later.
Spatial concepts
While a crawling bub often prefers to go through things, rather than around, so by crawling, babies begin to learn about spatial concepts, such as under and over.
Visual development
Your baby’s visual skills will develop in leaps and bounds on discovering that her favourite rattle can be near or far away, learning to switch her vision between the distance and the foreground.
Brain co-ordination
Left and right brain coordination is boosted by crawling, as the brain is required to process hearing, sight and movement all at the same time.
Decision making
A crawling baby is building self-confidence and making some of her first decisions. For example, a more experienced crawler will learn when to slow down, navigate a step or investigate obstacles in their way.
Muscle development
When your baby starts pulling up, often holding on to furniture, the normal curve in the spine is developed, along with strengthening her lower back and leg muscles.
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Last revised: Friday, 27 May 2011
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.