Crawling and When to Seek Help
Crawling may have gone under the radar recently, with the CDC removing it as an official milestone as of 2022, but as PTs, we can assure you how improtant crawling actually is!
When Do Babies Typically Start Crawling?
Many babies begin to truly crawl on hands and knees between 8–10 months.
You know they are close if you notice your baby:
Spending more time in tummy time
Pushing up through their hands and maybe army crawling forward
Pivoting or turning while on their belly
Rocking back and forth on hands and knees
Moving backward before figuring out how to move forward
These skills help develop the strength and coordination needed for more advanced mobility.
Why Is Crawling Important?
Crawling helps develop:
Core and hip strength
Shoulder stability and intrinsic hand strength
Weight shifting and balance
Coordination and motor planning
Increased neural pathways in the brain
Visual-motor skills
Independence
All of these benefits are necessary building blocks to start walking, running, jumping, even handwriting skills and beyond.
When Should You Reach Out to a Pediatric Physical Therapist?
It would be a good time to see a pediatric PT if:
Your baby is not crawling on hands and knees by 11 months old
Your baby is "hitch" or "janky" crawling, crawling with one knee up
Your baby is butt scooting instead of crawling
Your baby army crawls (on the belly) but it does not progress to crawling by 11 months
Your baby seems really stiff or really floppy
Your baby uses one side more than the other
You do not have to wait until your child is significantly delayed to ask questions, however! A pediatrician can make a referral for you, or in North Carolina, you can refer yourself to a physical therapist for an evaluation. It never hurts anything or anyone to have an evaluation done!
What Can We Do at Home?
I still encourage you to reach out to a physical therapist if there are concerns, but here are some things you can do in the meantime to help some atypical crawling patterns!
Butt Scooting
If your baby is scooting on their butt, working on trunk rotation and upper extremity weightbearing may be helpful. Have them sit on a stool and reach across their body to retrieve a toy with the opposite arm to work on rotating the trunk. You can also have them do tummy time across your lap with their hands flat on the floor to work on improved weightbearing in the hands. See this video for a more in depth explanation.
Janky Crawl
There is likely some asymmetry and tightness that needs addressed by a physical therapist, but to encourage both knees down to crawl, try a crawling tunnel. A lot of times tunnels are narrow enough so they are unable to bring the foot up to "janky" crawl. If you don't have a tunnel, try creating a narrow space with couch cushions on the floor next to a wall or the couch.
Army Crawling
Try putting a toy up higher on a stool to encourage quadruped instead of army crawling. You can also try what I call the "choo choo train" where you help support the legs to stay up on the knees. See this video for help.
Crawling IS a Milestone
Take it from me and all of the other physical therapists out there when we say that crawling is important. If your child is not crawling, it is worth reaching out for an evaluation, because the benefits are plentiful and will help set a strong foundation for every other skill to follow. There is no need to panic, but a physical therapist will help you determine why and teach you activities to work on to get them crawling!
PSA- It is never too late to crawl! If your child is now older and you remember they never crawled, set up obstacle courses with crawling involved to help gain the benefits of crawling! It is still important, even as a toddler and child!
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