Did your child learn to stand or walk before they could crawl? Have you wondered if that’s bad for their development? Or have you read that your child must achieve milestones in a certain order? Let’s see what the research say about this, and whether it is or isn’t a normal part of your child’s development.
The research says...
There’s no impact on a baby’s development if they skip crawling!
The World Health Organisation conducted a great study which tracked nearly 1000 kids from 6 different countries (Ghana, USA, Oman, Brazil, Denmark and India) and found that 13% of babies stood and walked before they learnt to crawl. That means about 1 in 8 children in the study walked before they could crawl.
The best part is, there was no impact on the milestone development of children who skipped crawling. Every child’s development is unique. The baby milestones and order in which the are achieved are different and unique to each baby. Baby motor skills and milestones can be achieved in different order to what is considered ‘normal’ without impacting on your baby’s development.
1 in 8 babies learnt to walk before they could crawl! The best part is, there was no impact on the milestone development of children who skipped crawling,
Another interesting finding from this study was the order in which babies achieved their milestones. The study tracked 6 different milestones, including sitting, crawling, standing with support, walking with support, standing alone and walking alone. The milestone achievement for the so-called ‘normal’ order (sit –> crawl –> supported standing –> supported walking –> stand alone –> walk alone) was only achieved by 42% of children. That means more than half of the 1000 babies in this study achieved the milestones in an order different to what is considered ‘normal’.
With so much accessible information online, it can be overwhelming and difficult to determine what’s a reliable source, especially when it comes to your child’s development. This blog’s aim is to provide parents with the facts on child development, provided by a healthcare professional and supported by up-to-date research.
*this is not medical advice. If you have concerns about your child’s health and development, please speak to a healthcare professional.
For more information on your child’s physical development,
Reference:
- WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group, & de Onis, M. (2006). WHO Motor Development Study: windows of achievement for six gross motor development milestones. Acta paediatrica, 95, 86-95.
- Images sourced from canva.com
