06/24/2025
Crawling has somewhat recently been lumped in with several other forms of movement and dropped as it's own milestone, but this post is going to provide several reasons why crawling is extremely important for your child and their development and should not be overlooked.
Cross-crawling creates and strengthens connections in your baby’s brain allowing for better brain-to-body communication, improves responses to sensory stimulation, helps the body create the necessary spinal curves- especially in the cervical spine, and aids in the development of the hip sockets and shoulders.
Did you know: Crawling is considered the first form of independent movement. It helps develop and enhance our balance(vestibular system), sensory system, visual tracking, cognition, problem-solving skills, and coordination!!
At birth, your baby’s brain has grown to about 25% of its adult size and by age three the brain is about 80% of its adult size. Communication within the brain is developing at high speed during this time period. Crawling creates an efficient network of connections in the brain which helps infants explore their world.
Cross-crawling stimulates brain structures to develop in a balanced way by facilitating both sides of the brain to communicate and work together. The criss-cross movements work both sides of the body evenly and involve coordinated movements of the eyes, ears, hands, feet, and core muscles. Crawling also helps support cognitive function, problem-solving, and ease of learning
If we have kids who never crawl, they will miss out on vital connections and this will undoubtedly affect their development down the road. If they never crawl by 3 years of age, they may lose the ability to create or reinforce these synapses in the brain permanently.
The truth is, cross-crawling is vitally important to brain development.
I’m just going to highlight a few important processes cross-crawling starts in our children- but in reality, this list is even LONGER:
Establishes body awareness in space- called “proprioception”
Builds responsibility and understanding of movement and mobility
Provides a foundation for early problem-solving skills
Helps the left and right sides of their brain and body work together for improved coordination and brain communication
Helps enhance depth perception - which lends to sports when they are older
Guides left/right linear movement of their eyes which can assist with school-related activities -think of reading and writing
Enhances sensory input by allowing them to move over different textures -carpet to hardwood, grass to dirt - early exposure to textures helps with the brain’s response to different sensory inputs - think kids with sensory processing disorder
In addition to brain stimulation, crawling provides the building blocks for a solid spinal foundation
A normal adult spine consists of three spinal curves that look like an S-shape from the side. These spinal curves work together to absorb shock, similar to how a spring works.
Crawling naturally causes the head to raise up which strengthens the neck muscles responsible for creating a proper neck curve. Six months of crawling reinforces the spine to stay in an optimal position and fortifies the brain-to-body connection for life.
Without the fortification from the neck and postural muscles to hold the spine in the proper position, the spinal bones may be predisposed to early deterioration. An abnormal shift in spinal structure is like a house with a shifted foundation. Over time you may notice cracks in the walls and squeaky door hinges and while fixing these things may help temporarily, a quick inspection of the foundation may reveal the root cause of the condition.
Each time your baby crawls is a step towards laying the foundation that all future skills will be built upon.
In addition to spinal curves, crawling also serves as a physiological stepping stone to walking. The crawling muscle actions start to reshape the hips, pulling them inward and forward. As your baby gets stronger they become better positioned to lift their body and balance for walking.
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